Reading can help you understand other people and feel what it's
like to be them. Here are some books that will help you learn to be more
For 3-to 5-year-olds
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
This book is about a girl named Chrysanthemum. She thinks her
name is "absolutely perfect" until kids at school start to tease
her about it. Their teasing hurts Chrysanthemum and makes her
doubt her name and herself. Find out how a special teacher and
her family's support help her out.
Shades of Black: A Celebration of Our Children by
Sandra L. Pinkney
How many shades of black are there? Look at photos of different
kids that are "gingery brown like a cookie," "brassy yellow like
popcorn," and "midnight blue like a licorice stick." See why we're
all different and why we're all beautiful.
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Stellaluna is a baby bat who is being raised in a family of birds.
Her bird mom wants her to be more bird-like, won't let her hang
by her feet, and makes her eat bugs. Although she loves her adopted
family, Stellaluna has to learn to be herself. Will her adopted
family accept her?
For 6-to 8-year-olds
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Grace loves to sing and act. When she finds out her class is going
to perform Peter Pan, she's disappointed. The other kids say she
can't be the lead, Peter Pan, because she's black and a girl.
Will they change their minds when they realize that Grace is the
best person for the role?
How My Parent's Learned to Eat by Ina R. Friedman
An American sailor in Japan meets a young Japanese woman and they
fall in love. The sailor tries, in secret, to eat with chopsticks
while the woman tries to eat with a fork. How do you learn about
Wings by Christopher Myers
Ikarus Jackson can fly! He's new to the block and when his neighbors
see him fly, they don't like it at all. They whisper about him,
laugh at him, and even get him dismissed from school! Only one
quiet girl doesn't think Ikarus is strange, and she finds the
strength to tell him so.
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
This is a story about a boy who can outrun dogs, hit home runs
off the best pitcher in the neighborhood, and tie knots that no
one can undo. But Maniac Magee has a hard time when he confronts
racism in his small town. Can he find a home without racial tension?
Join a discussion with the author, Jerry Spinelli! He will be discussing his book Loser from August 26 until September 13 on Scholastic's Online Reading Club.
Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
When she was 6 years old, Ruby Bridges became the first black student
in an all-white school in New Orleans, Louisiana. Surrounded by
federal marshals, Ruby entered the school every day surrounded
by people who hated her just because of the color of her skin.
This is Ruby's story told through her eyes.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
The year is 1687, and Kit Tyler is starting her life all over
again when she moves to her aunt and uncle's Puritan community.
Kit is different than the other teenagers around her. She is so
different that people might think she's a witch. Is her life in
For 12-to 14-year-olds
The Journey: Japanese-Americans, Racism, and Renewal
by Sheila Hamanaka
Look at and learn Japanese-American history through a five-panel
mural that depicts the experience of Japanese-Americans during
World War II.
Samir and Yonotan by Daniella Carmi
Samir is a Palestinian boy living in the West Bank, a disputed area controlled by Israel.
When he shatters his knee in a bicycle accident, he has to go
to what he calls a "Jews hospital," where he meets a Jewish patient
named Yonotan. Can they learn to be friends?
Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
Planting a garden is a great way to build a community. This is
the story of a little girl who plants a few lima beans in an abandoned
lot and grows a feeling of community in her neighborhood. Hispanics,
Haitians, Koreans young and old come together to help
grow their garden.