A book that helps teach kids about diversity is a great way for children to learn about different cultures and how to accept people from all walks of life. By reading stories about people who are different from them, kids can learn to embrace differences and appreciate the beauty of individuality.
Kids see what is going on around them and right now lots have questions. Speaking to children about diversity can be difficult but there are many resources available to help!
Here is a great list of over 50 books, divided into age ranges, that have been recommended by both parents and experts. Most are best sellers on Amazon!
Many of these are FREE with the Audible Free Trial. Most should be available in your local public library too!
AGES 0-3
- The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats
- AntiRacist Baby, by Ibram X. Kendi
- A is for Activist, by Innosanto Nagara
- Counting on Community, by Innosanto Nagara
- Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, by Helen Oxenbury
- Dream Big, Little One, by Vashti Harrison
AGES 3-5
- Saturday, by Oge Mora
- Hair Love, by Matthew Cherry
- We’re Different, We’re the Same (Sesame Street), by Bobbi Kates
- Last Stop on Market Street, by Matt de la Peña
- All Are Welcome, by Alexandra Penfold
- Let’s Talk About Race, by Julius Lester
- I Am Enough, by Grace Byers
- The ABCs of Diversity: Helping Kids (and Ourselves!) Embrace Our Differences, by Carolyn B. Helsel, Y. Joy Harris-Smith
- Ada Twist, Scientist, by Andrea Beaty
- One Word from Sophia, by Jim Averbeck
- The Day You Begin, by Jacqueline Woodson
- Mae Among the Stars, by Roda Ahmed
AGES 5-8
- Each Kindness, by Jacqueline Woodson
- The Youngest Marcher, by Cynthia Levinson
- Islandborn, by Junot Díaz
- Hidden Figures, by Margot Lee Shetterly
- The Other Side, by Jacqueline Woodson
- Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History, by Vashti Harrison
- I Am Human: A Book of Empathy, by Susan Verde
- A Kids Book About Racism, by Jelani Memory
AGES 9-12
- Rosa, by Nikki Giovanni
- We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March, by Cynthia Levinso
- Esperanza Rising, by Pam Muñoz Ryan
- Fred Korematsu Speaks Up, by Laura Atkins and Stan Yogi
- The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander
- Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker, by Patricia Hruby Powell
AGES 12+ / YOUNG ADULT
- All American Boys, by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
- To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
- This Is What I Know About Art, by Kimberly Drew
- March: Book One, by John Lewis
- The Rock and the River, by Kekla Magoon
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
- The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
Enjoy!
