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Titlewave can be accessed through the Destiny catalog. Once logged in you can create wishlists, collections and order books. Since it is tied to Destiny you can also see if you already own a book or title.

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This website offers booklists of books of all cultures and that are relevant to Social Justice

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Multicultural and Social Justice Books - Social Justice Books

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Curated Booklists Carefully selected multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators on 90+ topics. Reviews of Children's Literature Critical reviews of children's and young adult books from a variety of vetted sources, consolidated here for easy access. Articles & News Articles about selecting children's literature and news about Kid Lit.

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This website offers information and links to finding diverse books.

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A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, WNDB aims to create a world where every reader can find themselves in the pages of a book. To reach this goal, we've created programs to mentor diverse writers and illustrators, support diverse publishing professionals, and provide books to classrooms nationwide.

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Abdo can be purchased from directly or their books are available through many vendors.

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Classrooms can order through scholastic through their classroom book clubs.

The library can order directly or using book fair profits through the marketplace.

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Purchasing from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Independent Bookstores can be utilized for purchasing individual titles.

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Periodically projects can be placed on Donor's Choose if other funding is not available.

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About us

Founded in 2000 by a high school teacher in the Bronx, DonorsChoose empowers public school teachers from across the country to request much-needed materials for their students. Right now there are thousands of teacher requests that you can help bring to life with a gift of any amount.
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Support teachers and students with a

Monthly Donation

Choose a new project every month.

We'll charge you once a month, and you handpick the projects you want to support. No time to pick? We'll use your donation to help an urgent teacher request.
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We know that you care about how effectively your donation is being used. That's why we show you how every dollar was spent, how you made a difference, and how grateful the students and teachers are!

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by teachers, donors, administrators, and partner organizations across the country.
Learn how to get funded

Looking to help out? There are thousands of exciting teacher requests that would benefit from a donation of any size!
Find a request to support

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DonorsChoose: Support a classroom. Build a future.

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DonorsChoose connects teachers in high-need communities with donors who want to help.

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If your PTO runs your fair, ask them for scholastic dollars. A fair over $3000 can split their profits.
If you run it then this us a great source of library funding.

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Sadly Follett discontinued their fairs

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Create Wish Lists and proposals for purchases to submit when funding is available. Administration or PTO would be presented with a proposal as needed.

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Barnes and Noble offers fundraising events as may independent bookstores.

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This article offers tips on analyzing books for Bias

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Based on "Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism." Updated in 2013.*
Children's books continue to be an invaluable source of information and values. They reflect the attitudes in our society about diversity, power relationships among different groups of people, and various social identities (e.g., racial, ethnic, gender, economic class, sexual orientation, and disability). The visual and verbal messages young children absorb from books (and other media) heavily influence their ideas about themselves and others. Depending on the quality of the book, they can reinforce (or undermine) children's affirmative self-concept, teach accurate (or misleading) information about people of various identities, and foster positive (or negative) attitudes about diversity. Children's books teach children about who is important, who matters, who is even visible. Consequently, carefully choosing quality children's books is an indispensable educational and child-rearing task.

It is important to offer young children a range of books about people like them and their family - as well as about people who are different from them and their family. All of the books should be accurate and appealing to young children. Fortunately, there are some good anti-bias children's books, which are available as a result of the ongoing activism of many individuals and groups over many years. However, while choices have improved over past decades, the lack of quality multicultural kid's books currently being published has frustrated many communities. The number of children of color in the United States continues to rise, but the number of books published by or about people of color stays the same or even decreases.

Check the Illustrations

Look for Stereotypes: A stereotype is an oversimplified generalization about a particular identity group (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, ability/disability), which usually carries derogatory, inaccurate messages and applies them to ALL people in the group. Stereotypes dehumanize people. So, too, does misinformation. ( See Box 1 below for a list of common, harmful stereotypes).

Unfortunately, all of us absorb socially prevailing stereotypes about a range of people, even if we do not consciously subscribe to them. To alert you to stereotypes in children's books, as well as other media, it is useful to list all the stereotypes you know about various groups of people as precondition for critically reviewing children's books. The books you choose should depict people compassionately and as real human beings. Also consider if images depict all people as genuine individuals with distinctive (rather than stereotypical) features. Books containing stereotypes require you to engage children in critical thinking, but should probably be eliminated from your collection.

BOX 1: Common Harmful/Undermining Stereotypes

Strong, independent girls and women are "manlike"

Book-loving or nonathletic boys and men are "effeminate"

Latino men talk funny, are lazy, gang members, or wear oversize sombreros

Latina women are earth mothers or subservient

African American men are gang members, oversexed, or underemployed

African American women are too independent, oversexed, or "welfare moms"

Arab and/or Muslim men are terrorists

Arab and/or Muslim women are voiceless and passive

All Muslims are Arab / All Arabs are Muslim

American Indians live in teepees, carry bows and arrows, or are half-naked in winter

American Indians were only significant in the past (read)

Disabled people are not independent or are to be pitied

Disabled people must "overcome" their disabilities rather than just live with their disabilities

LGBTQ+ people are invisible

Poor people are invisible

Poor people are depicted as passively needing help from others

AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islanders) are depicted as the "model minority"

AAPI are exotic or their food is exotic/abnormal

All AAPI know martial arts or are meek and compliant

AAPI are portrayed with slanted eyes or just lines to represent eyes

Jewish people are all Zionists (read)

Jewish people are wealthy and yield undue influence in the financial and political world

Look for Tokenism: This is the "one only" message. Regularly seeing only "one" person of any group in a book teaches young children about who is more or less important. Examples of tokenism include books with only one African American child among many white children or having only one book about children with disabilities among many other books. Tokenism also becomes stereotypical. It only allows children to see one view of a group of people, rather than the diversity that exists among all groups.

Look for Invisibility: What children do not see in their books also teaches them about who matters and who doesn't in our society. Invisibility in their storybooks - as well as in textbooks as they get older - undermines children's affirmative sense of themselves and reinforces prejudiced ideas about people who are not seen (See Box 2 for examples of groups who tend to be invisible). The booklists on this website include a great variety of books with groups who are often excluded. (The titles are vetted by Teaching for Change.)

BOX 2: Examples of Groups of People Who Are Often Invisible in Children's Books or Mainstream Media

Families who live in rural areas

Blue-collar workers

Musicians, artists, and writers

Families with two dads or two moms

Single mothers or fathers

Homeless families

Families with an incarcerated parent

People of Middle Eastern descent

Families who practice Islam

Transgender adults and children

Check the Story Line and the Relationships Between People

Even if a book shows visual diversity, the story line may carry biases related to how it handles power relationships among people of various identities. Are whites or male characters the central figures with people of color or female characters in essentially supporting roles? To gain acceptance and/or approval does a child of color, a girl, or child with a disability have to exhibit extraordinary qualities or be the one to understand, forgive, or change? Are the achievements of girls and women based on their own initiative and intelligence, or are they due to their looks or relationship with boys/men?

Are people of color, women, low-income families, or people with disabilities depicted as needing help or in passive roles, while whites, men, and "able-bodied" people are in leadership and action roles? How are problems presented, conceived, and resolved? Who typically causes a problem and who resolves it? Your book collection needs a balance of different people in "doer" roles.

Look at Messages About Different Lifestyles

Do the lives of people of color or people living in poverty in the story contrast unfavorably with the norm of white, middle-class suburban life? Are negative value judgments implied about ways of life that differ from the dominant culture or economic class (e.g., people are to be pitied, or the story is about one person who "gets out" of the less desirable way of life)? Do images and information go beyond oversimplification and offer genuine insights into the lifestyle of the characters in the story? Does the setting reflect current life - or past assumptions about life? Does your book collection depict diversity among people within a specific racial/ethnic group, such as a range of family structures, living environments, socioeconomic conditions and types of work, and male/female roles within the family? (Remember that every racial/ethnic group has diversity, including people who self-identify as white).

Consider the Effects on Children's Self and Social Identities

In addition to specific books, also examine your book collection. Do your books reinforce or counteract messages that teach children to feel inferior or superior because of their skin color, gender, family income, able-bodiedness, or type of family structure? At school, will all of the children you serve see themselves and their family's way of life reflected in your book collection? Will all children of color, including those with mixed heritage, girls, and children from the many types of family structures, children living in poverty, and children with disabilities see one or more characters with whom they can readily and positively identify? If they are visible in your book collection, are the illustrations and information accurate and respectful? Does your overall collection balance the backgrounds of all the children in your program? Does it also show diversity within the social indentity groups to which the children belong (e.g., a range of ways to be female and male, families reflecting different kinds of jobs within a racial/ethnic group). Does your book collection also include a balance between diversity within your classroom and beyond your classroom?

At home, does your book collection reflect diversity among the groups to which your family belongs? Does it have stories about people like you who have contributed to creating a more just world? Does it also include a range of books showing diversity beyond your family and neighborhood?

Look for Books About Children and Adults Engaging in Actions for Change

To fully develop a strong sense of self and a disposition toward cooperation and fairness, children need to know how to stand up for themselves and others when faced with unfairness. They also need to know about people from all social identity groups who have - and are currently - working for justice for all. In addition to previous criteria, here are more items to consider: The story line should be about children and adults working together, rather than perpetrating the myth that change happens because of special, individual people who do it by themselves. Does your book collection include a balance of people who have made important and honored contributions to American life as well as the world community - and not just the traditional white, male "heroes?" Do some of your books about important people include struggles for justice? Do they show people who were/are poor or from racial/ethnic groups of color? Are people with disabilities engaged in these struggles for justice?

Consider the Author's or Illustrator's Background and Perspective

All authors write from a cultural as well as from a personal context. In the past, most children's books were by authors and illustrators who were white and members of the middle class. As a result, a single cultural and class perspective dominated children's literature. There are now excellent books by people of color from a range of backgrounds - although not nearly enough. Consider the biographical material on the jacket flap or back of the book. What qualifies the author or illustrator to deal with the subject? If the book is not about people or events similar to the author or illustrator's background, what specifically recommends them as creators of the book? What is the author's attitude toward her/his story characters? Are the images accurate and do the illustrators respectfully render the people in the story? Do you have books reflecting a balanced range of author and illustrator identities and experiences?

Watch for Loaded Words

A word is loaded when it in any way demeans or makes people invisible because of any of their identities. One example is the generic use of the word "man" to stand for women as well as men (although the opposite never occurs). This traditional terminology is now questioned by many because of its sexist implications. Here are some examples of ways to avoid sexist language: community instead of brotherhood; firefighters inserted of firemen; human family instead of family of man; ancestors instead of forefathers; chairperson instead of chairman. Examples of adjectives applied to people of color that carry racist messages include: "savage," "primitive," "superstitious," "backward," "inscrutable" and "treacherous." Always consider the context in which a word is used and to whom it applies.

Look at the Copyright Date

Copyright dates indicate the publication year, not the time of its writing, which might be two to three years before the copyright date. Although a recent copyright date is no guarantee of a book's relevance or sensitivity, copyright dates are useful information. More children's books began to reflect the reality of a pluralistic society and nonsexist and non-ableist perspectives in the 1970s. Since then, the range of accurate, respectful, and caring books reflecting diversity has increased significantly (unfortunately the diversity of books published in the United States still does not accurately reflect the actual diversity of the people living here). When considering new books for your collection, begin with most recently published ones and then continue with descending copyright dates.

Assess the Appeal of the Story and Illustrations to Young Children

Although these guidelines focus on the messages about diversity and equality reflected in children's books, it is also important to take quality into account. Be sure the book is a "good read." If children find the story or illustrations boring, a book will not hold their attention, even if the book adds a specific kind of diversity you need. Check for active, interesting story lines where different kinds of people are integral to the people in the story, not the main topic. For example, in A Chair for My Mother, a young child tries to save money to get a comfortable chair for her waitress mother. Although the book shows a single parent, working-class family, and a resourceful girl, it is not didactic. Also look for illustrations that are colorful and recognizable to young children. Although they enjoy a range of styles, illustrations that are too subdued or abstract may not hold their attention.

Check for age appropriateness. Most booksellers list any picture book as appropriate for early childhood even if the story line is really for primary grade children. Sometimes a book for older children will work if you simplify the story or "tell" the story rather than read it. In some cases, this is the only way to get books that present specific groups of children (e.g., stories with Cambodian children or children with learning disabilities). Some additional issues to consider:

Many children's books use animal characters instead of people and there are some excellent books that explore diversity with animal characters (e.g., And Tango Makes Three or A Coyote Solstice Tale). Children enjoy these. However, such books are not a substitute for exploring issues of diversity and anti-bias fairness with people as the main characters.

Some early childhood teachers wonder if it is necessary for every book in their collection to show diversity. Every book needs to be accurate, caring, and respectful. However, you will want individual books about specific kinds of people (e.g., a biracial family or a family with adopted children). Diversity becomes essential in the balance of your book collection, where you want to avoid invisibility or tokenism of any group.

Folk and fairy tales have long been a mainstay of children's literature. In the cultures from which they come, folk and fairy tales were used to teach important lessons and values related to their culture of origin. Children love them in their original versions - not their commercially sanitized adaptations. However, folk and fairy tales also carry messages that convey sexism, classism, and racism and must be used thoughtfully as part of introducing young children to diversity and anti-bias values of quality and fairness.

Overuse of folk tales to "teach" about a specific ethnic/cultural group leads to misinformation and confusion. They are about animals and occasionally people from a mythical past and are designed to teach core values and beliefs in their culture of origin. They are not about how people actually live in contemporary society - and that is what young children need to understand. Information and images about how people really live now is what enables young children to build connections to people who are from different cultures while countering stereotypes that children have already absorbed (e.g., how American Indians really live).

Finally there is the somewhat sensitive issue of what to do about "classic" or "well-beloved" children's books. Many of these are wonderful as children's literature, but unfortunately they often convey values of sexism, racism, ableism, or even colonialism. People who love the books that pose this dilemma argue that it is OK to use them because they "reflect their times," which they imply somehow excuses their biased messages. For example, I adored the Babar series of books as a young child and was unpleasantly shocked to realize as an adult how much the images and story lines reflected messages of European colonialism in Africa. I chose not to use them with my own children, wanting them to learn accurate information about how people in Africa really live. Not sharing childhood favorites may sadden some, but it is far better than the harm caused by reinforcing messages of racism and colonialism.
In a nutshell - as you choose books or critically examine your current book selection, always keep in mind the power of books - their words and their images - to nurture or, conversely, to undermine a child's sense of self, positive attitude toward others, and motivation to act for fairness.
Additional Resources

Louise Derman-Sparks is an internationally respected anti-bias educator and author (along with Julie Olsen Edwards) of Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. She has co-authored several additional books with Dr. Carol Brunson Day (Teaching/Learning Anti-Racism), the ABC Task Force ( Anti-Bias Curriculum: Tools for Empowering Young Children), Dr. Patricia Ramsey (What If All the Kids Are White?), and Dr. John Nimmo and Debbie Leekeenan ( Leading Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs: A Guide for Change). She speaks throughout the United States and abroad, and served on the NAEYC Governing Board from 1998 to 2001. Louise has a lifelong commitment to building a more just society for all people. Her children Douglass and Holly, now grown, were her inspiration. A Pacific Oaks College faculty member for 33 years - when its mission and pedagogy reflected anti-bias education principles - Louise is now retired.
*In 1980, the Council on Interracial Books for Children published the book Guidelines for Selecting Bias-Free Textbooks and Storybooks. A shorter version of the book in pamphlet form, "Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism," followed. One of the first guides written for teachers and families, it became an invaluable tool for hundreds of thousands of people. Both the book and pamphlet have been out of print for several years. Rethinking Schools published their adaptation of the original Guidelines in 1994.

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Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children's Books - Social Justice Books

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By Louise Derman-Sparks Based on "Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism." Updated in 2013.* Children's books continue to be an invaluable source of information and values. They reflect the attitudes in our society about diversity, power relationships among different groups of people, and various social identities (e.g., racial, ethnic, gender, [...]

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October 2024

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Presentation by Stacey DeCotis

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Diverse & Inclusive Book Lists for all ages

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Knowledge Quest

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How diverse is your school library collection? Can students find themselves displayed throughout the library? Why does this matter?

Books as Mirrors

When author Grace Lin was little, books about Asian Americans were not available for her to read. This made her wonder about her culture. She started to believe it had no value. Watch this riveting video clip about Lin's story to get a true sense of why diverse books matter to our students. Share the video with teachers to remind them of how important it is to read diverse books.

Kid Power

Marley Dias could not find herself in any of the books assigned by her teacher. Most of the books were about boys and their dogs. She wanted to read books about girls that looked like her. She wanted to make a difference. Dias started a social media campaign to collect 1,000 books featuring black girls. She brought a great deal of attention to the importance of having a diverse book collection. Watch an interview with Dias to learn more about her work and #1000BlackGirlBooks.

Lesson Ideas That Meet the AASL Standards for Learners

Share the Dias interview with students. Ask children why it's important to see yourself in the books. Explain that your job is to make sure every child has access to the books they want to read, and you need their help. What types of books would they like to see in the library? Have them write ideas on a sheet of paper. Collect their responses and curate a list based on their suggestions. AASL Standard: lV.B.2 Collecting information representing diverse perspectives.

Show older students this video about the book publishing process. Ask students to think about what they can do to persuade publishing companies to consider diverse books. AASL Standard: V.A.1 Reading widely and deeply in multiple formats and write and create for a variety of purposes.

Need Money?

Need Help Finding Titles?

Search weneeddiversebooks.org for ideas and resources. Visit their "Diversity Book Lists & Activities for Teachers and Parents" page and scroll down to "Seeing Yourself in Children's Books." Here you'll find book lists to consider when making purchases.

Attend a free webinar from AASL on February 20. Michelle Easley, the president of the Georgia Library Media Association, will present "A Practical Approach to Growing a Diverse School Library Collection and Program." Attendees will learn how to look at collections and policies to see if they support diversity. Lists of publishers and titles will be shared.

The "Horn Book Guide" offers reviews of new children's books published in the United States. The online version refines searches with keywords and publication dates.

The American Indian Library Association has a book review page and award winners on their website.

Visit "Biracial Bookworms" and find award-winning diverse books and book reviews. This site was developed by Bethany Edwards, an international school educator and school specialist.

What resources do you use to find diverse books? Please share in the comment box below.
Mentioned Video Clips:
Asian American Author Series: Grace Lin (https://youtu.be/wbBKgoDP-oY)

NJ Eleven-Year-Old Launches #1000BlackGirlBooks (http://www.fox29.com/news/nj-11-year-old-launches-1000blackgirlbooks)

Diversity in Literature Matters (https://kidlit.tv/2018/01/diversity-in-literature-matters/)

Categories: Blog Topics, Collection Development, Student Engagement/ Teaching Models

Tags: #AASLstandards, diversity, Grace Lin, library collection, library lessons, Marley Dias

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Diversify Your Collection With Student's Help | Knowledge Quest

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How diverse is your school library collection? Can students find themselves displayed throughout the library? Why does this matter? Books as Mirrors When author Grace Lin was little, books about Asian Americans were not available for her to read. This... Read More ›

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https://www.leeandlow.com/prek-grade-2/spanish-and-bilingual-/collections

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Evaluating texts for Bias regarding Native Americans

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Evaluating texts for Bias regarding Native Americans

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This is a great resource to help guide us as we evaluate our collections

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Publisher and reviewer of books about Native Americans, particularly those aimed at schoolchildren.

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Mid America, Lookout Books and a few other vendors send preview kits. You just send them back if you don't want to purchase. I have sometimes asked for a few titles per box.

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Junior Library Guild is a subscription service, each category is around $200 for a book a month. My kids call it the Magic Box. I am currently getting some graphic novel and primary sets and they are processed and ready to go. This is another thing I put a proposal together for and asked for school funding. I skipped last year but am doing it this year. I find that items under $1000 are sometimes manageable in the school based budgets.

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Want to know the best websites to buy authentic books in Spanish for children?
As a bilingual teacher and mom of five bilingual kids, I own a wide variety of books. When browsing Scholastic's monthly 'Club Leo,' there is always something new but most of the texts are translated from popular English book series. This is a great start to building any bilingual or Spanish classroom library but I am always looking for authentic texts that have been published in Spanish speaking countries or by native Spanish speakers.
I have compiled a list of 10 15 bookstores and websites that sell a variety of Spanish and bilingual titles for Children.
Best Websites to Buy Books in Spanish:

Enjoy browsing these websites for authentic books and texts for kids in Spanish. Let me know if you find any titles you love.
Are there any other online (or brick and motor) bookstores that sell a wide variety of Spanish or Bilingual books that you love to shop at? Let us know!

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10 Best Websites to Buy Books in Spanish - Spanish Profe

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Want to know the best websites to buy authentic books in Spanish for children? As a bilingual teacher and mom of five bilingual kids, I own a wide variety of books. When browsing Scholastic's monthly 'Club Leo,' there is always something new but most of the texts are translated from popular English book series.

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A collective of women & non-binary (identifying on the female spectrum) Latinx MG & YA authors. Our mission is to spotlight the new contributions of Las Musas in the evolving canon of children's literature and celebrate the diversity of voice, experience, and power in our communities.

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A collective of women & non-binary (identifying on the female spectrum) Latinx MG & YA authors. Our mission is to spotlight the new contributions of Las Musas in the evolving canon of children's literature and celebrate the diversity of voice, experience, and power in our communities.

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*#bookaday was created by Donalyn Miller & was the inspiration for my creating #ClassroomBookADay sharing a picture book read aloud every day of the school year.
I am once again sharing a new list of picture books I recommend for Native American Heritage Month (and all year long!). I shared 30 titles last year (see below) and have a new, no duplicates set of 30 for this year. Indigenous representation has consistently been a small percentage in the overall span of children's literature each year, and yet we are starting to see more with new imprints (Heartdrum) and a focus on representing more accurate, authentic history.

The National Congress of American Indians says this about Native American Heritage Month:

"The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges."

A bit about my background:
For four of my seventeen years in education, I taught 7th & 8th grade ELA at the Indian Community School of Milwaukee, a 4K-8th grade intertribal private school for urban Native youth. During that time, being brought into teachings, getting to know so much more about Native culture and tribal nations who were the first peoples on these lands, and participating in ceremonies / powwows / culture mentoring / Menominee language classes, my understanding of the need for authentic and accurate Native representation in children's books became even more urgent. When completing my MLIS and taking a Multicultural Children's Literature course, I had a 20 page research paper assignment for which I needed to select a topic. Still feeling urgency around Native representation, I chose to dive deeper into specifics through my Critical Analysis of Native American Representation in Picture Books (I ended up writing 23 pages!). That knowledge and experience comes with me into any booklist I create recommending books with Native authors/characters, while also acknowledging that I am a white person from outside Native communities who will make mistakes and still miss things that could be problematic that cultural insiders would notice. But it is crucially important to keep growing in our knowledge and provide this type of representation that centers contemporary Native culture and historical accuracy for all kids to benefit from.

Previous posts on Native books which include more context on my background / stance and some additional resources:
November 2021:
Native American Heritage Month - A Picture Book for Each Day (that you should share all year, too!)
October 2019:
Picture Books for #ClassroomBookADay During November & All Year Long
September 2018:
Picture Book Recommendations First/Native Nations

What I learned from my research led to compiling this resource for critical considerations of Native Representation in any books we are recommending, sharing with, or handing to kids. I hope this helps you build your capacity for critically analyzing kidlit with Native representation.

Before getting to my recommendations, I'd first like to share voices of Native scholars / organizations / sites that are my go-to resources for finding Native perspectives and guidance on evaluating books with Native peoples and content. After that I have included a list of book resources for educators to deepen their knowledge. Please visit/follow them, get the books, read their work, and use their recommendations to guide your book selection. They have all informed my work, practice, & understanding of Native Nations' cultures and representation.

American Indian Youth Literature Award

American Indians in Children's Literature

Oyate

Cynthia Leitich Smith

Indigo's Bookshelf

A Broken Flute by Seale & Slapin
A Broken Flute is a book of reviews that critically evaluate children's books about Native Americans written between the early 1900s and 2003, accompanied by stories, essays and poems from its contributors. The authors critique some 600 books by more than 500 authors, arranging titles A to Z and covering pre-school, K-12 levels, and evaluations of some adult and teacher materials. This book is a valuable resource for community and educational organizations, and a key reference for public and school libraries, and Native American collections.

Lessons from Turtle Island: Native Curriculum in Early Childhood Classrooms by Jones & Moomaw
How do you help young children learn more about Native Americans than the cultural stereotypes found in children's books and in the media?
Lessons from Turtle Island is the first complete guide to exploring Native American issues with children. The authors-one Native, one white, both educators-show ways to incorporate authentic learning experiences about Native Americans into your curriculum. This book is organized around five cross-cultural themes: Children, Home, Families, Community, and the Environment. The authors present activities, from children's books they recommend, to develop skills in reading and writing, science, math, make-believe, art, and more. The book provides helpful guidelines and resource lists for selecting appropriate toys, children's books, music, and art, and also includes a family heritage project.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians but Were Afraid to Ask (original & young readers edition) by Anton Treuer
From the acclaimed Ojibwe author and professor Anton Treuer comes an essential book of questions and answers for Native and non-Native young readers alike.
Ranging from "Why is there such a fuss about nonnative people wearing Indian costumes for Halloween?" to "Why is it called a 'traditional Indian fry bread taco'?" to "What's it like for natives who don't look native?" to "Why are Indians so often imagined rather than understood?", and beyond, Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition) does exactly what its title says for young readers, in a style consistently thoughtful, personal, and engaging.

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Dunbar-Ortiz & For Young People edition by Mendoza & Reese
Spanning more than 400 years, this classic bottom-up history examines the legacy of Indigenous peoples' resistance, resilience, and steadfast fight against imperialism.
Going beyond the story of America as a country "discovered" by a few brave men in the "New World," Indigenous human rights advocate Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz reveals the roles that settler colonialism and policies of American Indian genocide played in forming our national identity.
The original academic text is fully adapted by renowned curriculum experts Debbie Reese and Jean Mendoza, for middle-grade and young adult readers to include discussion topics, archival images, original maps, recommendations for further reading, and other materials to encourage students, teachers, and general readers to think critically about their own place in history.

Find title details & shop this list at Bookshop.org.

2021 List

I Sang You Down From the Stars
Jingle Dancer
Nimoshom and His Bus
The Train
The Forever Sky
Wilma's Way Home
Sus Yoo The Bear's Medicine
Birdsong
Mission to Space
Look, Grandma! Ni, Elisi!
At the Mountain's Base
Wolf Cub's Song
We All Play
We Are Water Protectors
Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know
The First Blade of Sweetgrass
Sharice's Big Voice
When We Are Kind
Greet the Dawn the Lakota Way
The Girl and the Wolf
A Day with Yayah
Shaped by Her Hands: Potter Maria Martinez
When Turtle Grew Feathers
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story
Hungry Johnny
We Are Still Here!: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know
Josie Dances
On the Trapline
The Water Lady
Bowwow Powwow

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A #BookADay for Native American Heritage Month 2022

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bookaday was created by Donalyn Miller & was the inspiration for my creating #ClassroomBookADay sharing a picture book read aloud every day of the school year. I am once again sharing a new list of picture books I recommend for Native American Heritage Month (and all year long!).

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Lee & Low Storytime: Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match, read by Monica Brown | Picture Book Read Aloud

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The AASL National Conference is the only national conference dedicated solely to the needs of school librarians and their roles as educational leaders. A one-of-a-kind conference, the 2023 AASL National Conference will feature daily keynotes, more than 150 concurrent sessions, author panels, research into practice sessions, more than 150 exhibitors, the best practice IdeaLab, author signings, and endless networking opportunities. Content provided at the conference will be rooted in AASL's National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries.

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Registration - 2023 AASL National Conference

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The ONLY national conference focused solely on school librarians' unique and critical role in Prek-12 education.