Black squares and hashtags are all well and good. Promising to educate yourself, also. Actioning those promises is what’s needed, and knowledge is going to help you and your kids take action. That’s why we’ve put this edit of anti-racist books for kids together.
City Kids has put together a collection of books for children and their parents who are committed to making a positive change. Our anti-racist book list for kids features stories with black characters in central roles as well as highlighting leaders of colour and those who have stood up against prejudice through the years.
“It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength”. Maya Angelou
This small list of what’s available is just the beginning…
AN ABC OF EQUALITY
By Chana Ginelle Ewing
0-5yrs (Board book)
THE MEGA HAIR SWAP
By Rochelle Humes
3-5yrs
LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET
By Matt de la Peña
3-5yrs
THE NEW SMALL PERSON
By Lauren Child
3-6yrs
LOOK UP!
By Nathan Byron & Dapo Adeola
3-7yrs
LITTLE PEOPLE BIG DREAMS
Featuring Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, Josephine Baker, Ella Fitzgerald, Harriet Tubman, Jesse Owens, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Evonne Goolagong
4-7yrs
ELLA QUEEN OF JAZZ
By Helen Hancocks
4-8 yrs
THEA LEMON AND HER SUPER SPORTY FAIRY GODMOTHER
By Mark Lemon
4yrs+
LEON AND BOB
By Simon James
5yrs+
ADA TWIST’S BIG PROJECT BOOK FOR STELLAR SCIENTISTS
By Andrea Beaty
5-7yrs
THE SILENCE SEEKER
By Ben Morley
5-7yrs
SOMEDAY IS NOW: CLARA LUPER AND THE 1958 OKLAHOMA CITY SIT-INS
By Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
6-9yrs
DEALING WITH RACISM
By Jane Lacey
6-8yrs
40 INSPIRING ICONS: PEOPLE OF PEACE: MEET 40 AMAZING ACTIVISTS
By Sandrine Mirza
7-10yrs
LITTLE GUIDES TO GREAT LIVES
Featuring Nelson Mandela and Maya Angelou
7-11yrs
YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK: MEET 52 BLACK HEROES FROM PAST AND PRESENT
By Jamia Wilson
7-10yrs
40 INSPIRING ICONS: BLACK MUSIC GREATS
By Olivier Cachin
7-10yrs
THE POWER BOOK: WHAT IS IT, WHO HAS IT, AND WHY?
By Claire Saunders, Georgia Amson-Bradshaw, Minna Salami, Mik Scarlet, and Hazel Songhurst
7-11yrs
LESSONS FROM HISTORY, ELEMENTARY EDITION: A CELEBRATION IN BLACKNESS
By Jawanza Kunjufu
7yrs+
LITTLE LEADERS: EXCEPTIONAL MEN IN BLACK HISTORY
By Vashti Harrison
8-12yrs
LITTLE LEADERS: BOLD WOMEN IN BLACK HISTORY
By Vashti Harrison
8-12yrs
BLACKBERRY BLUE
By Jamila Gavin
9-11yrs
THE YOUNG MAGICIANS AND THE THIEVES’ ALMANAC
By Nick Mohammed
9-11yrs
WHO ARE REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS? WHAT MAKES PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR HOMES? AND OTHER BIG QUESTIONS
By Michael Rosen & Annemarie Young
9-17yrs
IGGIE’S HOUSE
By Judie Blume
9-12yrs
SPEAK UP!: SPEECHES BY YOUNG PEOPLE TO EMPOWER AND INSPIRE
By Adora Svitak
10yrs+
THIS BOOK IS ANTI-RACIST: 20 LESSONS ON HOW TO WAKE UP, TAKE ACTION, AND DO THE WORK
By Tiffany Jewell
11-15yrs
THE HYPNOTIST
By Laurence Anholt
12yrs+
WATCH US RISE
By Renee Watson & Ellen Hagan
12yrs+
NOUGHTS AND CROSSES
By Malorie Blackman
12yrs+
THE LIFE OF STEPHEN LAWRENCE
By Verna Allette Wilkins
13yrs+
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
By Harper Lee
13yrs+
THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR
By Nicola Yoon
14yrs+
THE HATE YOU GIVE
By Angie Thomas
14yrs+
DEAR MARTIN
By Nic Stone
14yrs+
BookTrust Recommendations
Our friends at BookTrust have shared a link to more books collated as part of their BookTrust Represents campaign created to promote children’s authors and illustrators of colour.
Book shops: