Books in this category address a wide range of historical and current forms of bigotry, prejudice that is both intentional and systemic and prejudice that is unintentional, but just as hurtful. In some books prejudice is the primary focus of the story; in others it is part of the fabric of the book but not its central theme.
This is whichCatvalue: 6
All Books in the Prejudice & Discrimination Category
Journey Home Written by Yoshiko Uchida After their release from an American concentration camp, a Japanese-American girl and her family try to reconstruct their lives amidst strong anti-Japanese feelings which breed fear, distrust, and violence. [Grade Level: 3 - 6]
Journey to Topaz Donald Carrick (Illustrator), Yoshiko Uchida (Author) Like any 11-year-old, Yuki Sakane is looking forward to Christmas when her peaceful world is suddenly shattered by the bombing of Perl Harbor. Uprooted from her home and shipped with thousands of West Coast Japanese Americans to a desert concentration camp called Topaz, Yuki and her family face new hardships daily. [Grade Level: 4 - 6]
Julia Ward Howe Written by Elizabeth Raum A biography of the nineteenth-century peace and social justice activist who wrote the Mother’s Day Proclamation in 1870 calling for a “Mother’s Day for Peace,” which eventually led to the holiday known today as Mother’s Day. Ward is most famous for writing the poem that became "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and is also known for her work against slavery and in support of a woman’s right to vote. [Grade Level: 2 - 4]
Juneteenth Jamboree Yvonne Buchanan (Illustrator), Carole Boston Weatherford (Author) Cassandra and her family have moved to her parents' hometown in Texas, but it doesn't feel like home to Cassandra until she experiences Juneteenth, the Texas tradition that celebrates the end of slavery. [Grade Level: K - 3]
Kids Have Rights Too! Written by Janine Scott This concise history describes the evolution of the idea of children’s rights and the major events in the struggle for children’s rights from the 18th century to the present. The author uses a multitude of historic and contemporary photographs and anecdotes about the experiences of real children to illustrate topics including child labor, sweatshops, bonded labor and discrimination against children with disabilities. She also chronicles the civil and political activities that led to early labor laws and eventually to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. [Grade Level: 3 - 6]
King of the Playground Written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Sammy, self-proclaimed "King of the Playground," will not let Kevin play on the swings, slide, or monkey bars. Fortunately, Kevin's father, who believes that words are stronger than fists, subtly suggests ways to respond to Sammy, and a friendship between the two boys begins. [Grade Level: K - 2]
Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass: Igniting the Nazi War Against Jews Written by Stephanie Fitzgerald For one horrific night in November 1938, the streets of Germany and Austria were overrun with people bent on destruction. Members of the Nazi Party and their supporters destroyed close to 8,000 Jewish-owned businesses and homes. Hundreds of synagogues were burned to the ground, and more than 100 Jews were killed. This book describes the "night of broken glass" and also presents the historical events that led to the rise of Hitler, the Nazi Party's beliefs about race, and the horrible aftereffects of Kristallnacht. [Grade Level: 5 & Up]
La Mariposa Francisco Jimenez (Author), Simon Silva (Illustrator) Francisco, an immigrant from Mexico and the son of migrant workers, has difficulty adjusting to first grade in a new school because he doesn't speak English and, to make matters worse, the class bully seems to have it in for him. Francisco becomes fascinated with a jar containing a caterpillar and fantasizes about flying out of the classroom like a butterfly and back to his Papa in the fields. Francisco’s interest in butterflies also inspires a drawing that earns Francisco a prize and the respect of his classmates. The author, who was himself held back in school because he did not speak English well enough, weaves Spanish, without translation, through the text. The author and illustrator are both immigrants who worked in the fields of California.
[Grade Level: K - 3]
