Kari Krakow’s The Harvey Milk Story (2001)
The Harvey Milk Story (2001), written by Kari Krakow and illustrated by David Gardner, is a serviceable biography of one of the first openly gay US politicians. Krakow chronologizes Milk’s […]
Isabel Sanchez Vegara’s Mahatma Gandhi (2020)
Mahatma Gandhi, written by Isabel Sanchez Vegara and illustrated by Albert Arrayas, will be available from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children’s on April 30, 2019. It is part of their Little People, Big Dreams series. Arrayas’ captivating illustrations add a sense of whimsy to this picture book biography […]
Rod Sanders’ Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights (2018)
Written by Rob Sanders and illustrated by Jared Andrew Schorr, Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights, is a wonderful conversation starter about injustice, civil disobedience, and social change. Sanders uses alliteration to introduce activist-minded words and ideas to children, making the book a fun read-aloud that will help build vocabulary. Schorr’s […]
When You Look Out the Window: How Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin Built a Community (2017)
When You Look Out the Window: How Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin Built a Community (2017), written by Gayle E. Pitman and atmospherically illustrated by Christopher Lyon, unfolds in the first person, allowing readers to follow Phyllis and Del as they help transform San Francisco into a LGBTQ*-affirming community.
Monica Clark-Robinson’s Let the Children March
Let the Children March, written by Monica Clark-Robinson and illustrated by Frank Morrison, is a brilliant and bold children’s picture book that brings the Birmingham Children’s Crusade of 1963 to life for young readers. In the South, Jim Crow laws enforced segregation, which led to unequal access to education, employment, […]
Joanne Robertson’s The Water Walker
The Water Walker (2017), written and illustrated by Joanne Robertson, a member of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, brings attention to the work of Mother Earth Water Walkers. The group began walking around large bodies of water, beginning with Lake Superior in 2003, to bring attention to the water crisis. Robertson’s book, written […]
Rob Sanders’ Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag
Written by Rob Sanders and illustrated by Steven Salerno, Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag (2018), is an invaluable contribution to children’s literature that should be […]
Daniel Vandever’s “Fall in Line, Holden!”
Written and illustrated by Daniel W. Vandever, “Fall in Line, Holden!” (2017), subtly references the American government’s forceful separation of indigenous children from their families, community, and culture. Sent to boarding schools, indigenous children were required to adopt Western names, hairstyles, language, and culture in a violent effort at assimilation. […]
Diana Cohn’s ¡Sí, Se Puede! / Yes, We Can!
¡Sí, Se Puede! / Yes, We Can! (2005), a bilingual text written by Diana Cohn and illustrated by Francisco Delgado, explores the Los Angeles Janitor Strike of 2010 from the perspective of a family participating in it. The text opens with the mother of a young boy, Carlitos, tucking him […]
Innosanto Nagara’s A is for Activist
With the help of a Kickstarter Campaign, Innosanto Nagara’s A is for Activist was published in 2012. As the title suggests, it is the obvious alphabet book choice for any budding social justice warrior’s collection.
Raise Them Righteous 