children / young adult social justice book lists

amalee is being raised by her single father and his group of eccentric friends, and when he becomes seriously ill everyone pitches in to try to cope with the ensuing fear and chaos.

one of her moms is pregnant! what will this mean for a child who will soon be an older sibling? her mothers prepare her for the big change in their family, and finally the baby arrives. the girl feels confused and ambivalent, but she grows at last toward happy acceptance of the baby and of her new status in the family.--goodreads.

at new york city's central park zoo, two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches.

what makes a family? a single mom? two dads? this book talks about all different families. families are ever changing in today's society. this shows that all families should be embraced and celebrated. families are what you make them and the ultimate connecting factor is love.

"katie views life from the hood of her mother's parka. she has mixed feelings when mama decides it is time for katie to walk on her own" cf. our choice, 2003.

the jar of coins is full. the day has come to buy the chair - the big, fat, comforable, wonderful chair they have been saving for. the chair that will replace the one that was burned up - along with everything else - in the terrible fire. a book of love and tenderness filled with the affirmation of life.

families can come in all shapes and sizes, and this heartwarming picture book affirms that no matter what your family looks like, love is the most important part! hi, i'm rumi. some of my friends have one mom and one dad. some have one mom or one dad. i have two dads. daddy and dada. daddy sings songs with me. dada reads me stories. every family is different. and that's pretty cool. this sweet, open-hearted book began as a love letter from authors ryan brockington and isaac webster to their daughter--and became a joyous celebration of love, family, and acceptance for all to read and share.

in his letters to his favorite author, ten-year-old leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world.

from the moment donovan wakes in the morning, he painstakingly prepares for his special role in the wedding ceremony of his two mothers.

"ho now creates a beautiful book about family: what makes individuals and what connects us to one another. this book is a perfect addition to any children's shelf, whether aimed at families, adoption, multicultural stories, or topics of love and ­acceptance." --school library journal (starred review) from new york times bestselling joanna ho, of eyes that kiss in the corners, and award-winning educator liz kleinrock comes a powerful companion picture book about adoption and family. a young girl who is a transracial adoptee learns to love her asian eyes and finds familial connection and meaning through them, even though they look different from her parents'. her family bond is deep and their connection is filled with love. she wonders about her birth mom and comes to appreciate both her birth culture and her adopted family's culture, for even though they may seem very different, they are both a part of her, and that is what makes her beautiful. she learns to appreciate the differences in her family and celebrate them. an amazon best book of the month for january 2024!

talittuq is excited to start his first day of grade two. he is looking forward to the new school year, but as he meets his friends again for the first time after summer vacation, he notices that a lot of his friends' families are very different from his own. some have one mom and one dad, and some have only a mom. some kids live with their grandparents. some live with two dads or two moms. as talittuq hears about all the fun his friends have had with their families, he learns that families come in many different shapes and sizes, and what holds them all together is love!

represents a variety of families, some big and some small, some with only one parent and some with two moms or dads, some quiet and some noisy, but all alike in some ways and special no matter what.

when a teacher asks the children in her class to think about what makes their families special, the answers are all different in many ways -- but the same in the one way that matters most of all. one child is worried that her family is just too different to explain, but listens as her classmates talk about what makes their families special. one is raised by a grandmother, and another has two dads. one is full of stepsiblings, and another has a new baby. as one by one, her classmates describe who they live with and who loves them -- family of every shape, size and every kind of relation -- the child realizes that as long as her family is full of caring people, her family is special. a warm and whimsical look at many types of families written by award-winning author sara o'leary, a family is a family springs to life with quirky and sweet illustrations by qin leng.

a beautiful picture book about the joyful magic in the tradition of hair oiling and a celebration of the bond between parent and child. meenu loves magic hair days, when mommy mixes sweet-smelling oils together and massages the potion into meenu's scalp and hair. it always leaves meenu with a fuzzy, magical feeling. and after bath time, when mom washes the oils out, meenu's hair is soft and shining. when meenu decides one day to mix the oils without any help, she discovers something's wrong: no matter how many oils she mixes, the magic just isn't there! what is she missing? but when mommy comes to help, massaging meenu's head, the fuzzy, magical feeling returns! was it really in the oils, or something else? inspired by anu chouhan's own memories and family, this author-illustrator debut is a lovely depiction of a cultural tradition and a delightful story that emphasizes that magical bond between parents and children.

three young children experience the joys and challenges of being raised by two mothers.

photographs and simple text reveal the true story of a fawn which, abandoned by her mother and brought to live on a farm, is raised by kate, a great dane which has never had puppies of her own.

even though his classmates from first grade on have considered him strange and a loser, donald zinkoff's optimism and exuberance and the support of his loving family do not allow him to feel that way about himself.

john william smith barely more than a boy clears land, builds a one-room house, plants three apple trees, then sits down to sip his tea and watch the sunset. he has everything a young man could want. but after many sunsets alone, john william decides he needs a wife. so he marries the wonderful annie. as time passes, john william expands their home to accommodate children, an injured cousin, a widowed sister, and many more additions to the family. his toolbox is never far from his side, waiting for the next time annie will say, 2john william, dear, i think we need.{u2026}3 will the house ever be complete? based on the true story of john william and annie smith.

celebrate the special connection between father and daughter in this gorgeously evocative picture book, recounting the year a little girl and her mother spend in america while waiting for her father to join them from the philippines. from acclaimed author michelle sterling and illustrator sarah gonzales, a poignant story perfect for fans of joanna ho, linda sue park, and matt de la peña. new country, new school, new friends. a lot can happen in a single year. but one thing's for certain: maribel won't forget her papa, even when he's 8,000 miles away in the philippines. after all, papa is all around. he is the memory of feeding koi fish in their pond every morning. he is the constellation map as maribel dreams of showing him her new world. he is the packages and letters sent back and forth. he is everywhere except the place he's wanted the most. but the bond between maribel and papa transcends oceans. so as the snow melts and turns to rain, as flowers blossom and welcome sun-kissed days, and as the leaves start to change and snow begins to fall once more, can maribel wait just a little bit longer

when rosie comes home to find her mom dancing alone in the living room {u2014} on a school day {u2014} she knows something wonderful is about to happen. so when one of her two mothers announces, 2your mum and i are getting married!3 they canʼt wait to start planning the big day. rosie has so many questions. will she get to be a flower girl? can she get a new dress? will there be food and a fabulous wedding cake? at this party, friends, family and fun come together for a joyous celebration of love in a changing world.

a brother and sister are thrilled that their mom and mum are getting married! ! a beautiful celebration of a loving family celebrating an important day together. a modified version of mom and mum are getting married! with simplified text for younger readers.
"a board book retelling of the classic picture book mom and mum are getting married!, one of the first ever children's books on same-sex marriage."-- provided by publisher.

and these are the things we find by the sea my mommy, my mama, my brother, and me. with this gentle refrain, the debut picture book from celebrated author and playwright natalie meisner (double pregnant) reflects on her own two-mom, two-son family's early days growing up in lockeport, nova scotia. living by the sea offers myriad charms for the two young brothers in this poetic ode to beachcombing. when the fog disappears, the path to the beach beckons, with all the treasures it leaves behind: lobster traps, buoys, fused glass, urchins, a note in a bottle. but best of all is all the neighbours they meet along the way. an unforgettable instant classic for families of all shapes and sizes. featuring glorious watercolours by mathilde cinq-mars, which capture the warmth and magic of time spent with family by the sea.

two children, one with two blue dads and one with a more traditional family, compare notes and wonder what is so different about dads who are blue.

"family isn't always your relatives. it's the ones who accept you for who you are. the ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what."-- back cover

a loving couple dream of a baby born far away and know that this is the baby they have been waiting to adopt.

a young girl describes how her two daddies help her through her day, including her poppa cooking eggs and toast, her daddy fixing her knee when she is hurt, and both fathers being there for her when she needs love.

a young boy describes to two other children how his two mommies help him with all his needs.

a beginner's exploration of love, relationships, and families - the latest in the first conversations board book series, which offers adults the opportunity to begin important conversations with young children in an informed, safe, and supported way. developed by experts in the fields of early childhood and activism against injustice, this topic-driven board book offers clear, concrete language and beautiful imagery that young children can grasp and adults can leverage for further discussion. while young children are avid observers and questioners of their world, adults often shut down or postpone conversations on complicated topics because it's hard to know where to begin. research shows that talking about issues like love, relationships, and families from the age of two not only helps children understand what they see, but also increases self-awareness, self-esteem, and allows them to recognize and confront things that are unfair, like discrimination and prejudice. this fourth book in the series begins the conversation on love with a supportive approach that considers both the child and the adult. stunning art accompanies the simple and interactive text, and the backmatter offers additional resources and ideas for extending this discussion.

vee's favorite bedtime story is the night she met her parents. when vee was nine months old, they flew to china to bring her home. but when she struggles to keep up in chinese dance class and a woman at the grocery store makes vee feel like she doesn't belong, her white parents don't always understand. vee wants to embrace every part of herself, but it's hard when it feels like she has to choose. with help from another adoptee, can vee find a way to celebrate being in between?