Culturally Responsive Back-to-School Titles for Students and Educators
The New York Public Library’s Center for Educators and Schools is celebrating back to school with teachers, students, and families across New York City with engaging titles for every age. Whether you’re looking for a picture book to read to your little one in preparation for their first day of school or you’re a teacher searching for professional titles, the Library is here to support you.
Elementary Titles
Accidental Trouble Magnet
by Zanib Mian; illustrated by Nasaya Mafaridik
Imaginative Omar goes through the ups and downs of starting a new school and making new friends with the help of his wonderful (and silly) family.
The Day You Begin
by Jacqueline Woodson; illustrated by Rafael López
Other students laugh when Rigoberto, an immigrant from Venezuela, introduces himself but later, he meets Angelina and discovers that he is not the only one who feels like an outsider.
My First Day
written and illustrated by Phùng Nguyên Quang & Huỳnh Kim Liên
Follows the metaphorical travels of a determined young Vietnamese boy who embarks on a boat voyage marked by a single oar, giant waves, eerie forests and heavy rainfall.
The Queen of Kindergarten
by Derrick Barnes; illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Instilled with confidence by her parents, a young girl has a great first day of kindergarten.
School is Wherever I Am
by Ellie Peterson
A little boy discovers that school is wherever you are as he explores the world around him, discovering thousands of things outside the classroom.
This Is a School
by John Schu; illustrated by Veronica Miller Jamison
A loving letter to schools and the people that make up the communities within.
Tomatoes In My Lunchbox
by Costantia Manoli; illustrated by Magdalena Mora
A young girl feels out of place on her first day of school in a new country until she discovers that it only takes one friend to make her new surroundings feel like home.
Your Name is a Song
by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow; illustrated by Luisa Uribe
Frustrated by teachers and classmates mispronouncing her name, a little girl tells her mother she never wants to come back to school. In response, the girl's mother teaches her about the musicality of African, Asian, Black-American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names on their lyrical walk home through the city.
Middle School Titles
Ahmed Aziz's Epic Year
by Nina Hamza
Moving from Hawaii to Minnesota, Ahmed Aziz is having the worst year until he deals with bullies, makes new friends and uncovers his family’s past—all while finding himself in three books assigned for his English class.
Ellen Outside the Lines
by A.J. Sass
When a school trip to Barcelona to reconnect with her best friend doesn’t go as planned, Ellen, a neurodivergent 13-year-old, must expand her horizons as she makes new friends and learns to let go of old ones.
The Marvellers
by Dhonielle Clayton
The first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute along with Marvellers from around the world, 11-year-old Ella must prove her innocence, with the help of a new friend, when a dangerous criminal escapes and her mentor disappears
New Kid
by Jerry Craft
After his parents send him to a prestigious private school known for its academics, Jordan Banks finds himself torn between two worlds.
Jennifer Chan is Not Alone
by Tae Keller
When Jennifer Chan, a new girl who believes she can find aliens, goes missing, Mallory Moss sets out to find her and must figure out why Jennifer might have run—and face the truth inside herself.
High School Titles
The Chandler Legacies
by Abdi Nazemian
Brought together through the Circle, a coveted writing group where life-changing friendships are born and secrets are revealed, five students at an elite boarding school challenge the long-standing culture of abuse through their writing.
Debating Darcy
by Sayantani DasGupta
A life-long speech competitor, Leela Bose meets her match in Firoze Darcy, a debater from an elite private school, and as the tournament progresses, Leela finds her own winning streak at stake—as well as her heart.
Hollow Fires
by Samira Ahmed
After discovering the body of fourteen-year-old Jawad Ali in Jackson Park, seventeen-year-old journalism student Safiya Mirza begins investigating his murder and ends up confronting white supremacy in her own high school.
Kings of B'More
by R. Eric Thomas
When his best friend announces he is moving, Harrison gives him a send-off à la Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and as they do things they’ve been scared to do, they learn the scariest thing is saying goodbye to someone you love.
Like Ability: The Truth About Popularity
by Lori Getz
A workbook for teens about what popularity is, why some kinds are healthier than others, and how teens can grow their social intelligence.
Professional Titles
The Civically Engaged Classroom: Reading, Writing, and Speaking for Change
by Mary Ehrenworth
The work of engaging young people isn't about giving students a voice: they already have their own voices. The work is about teaching them to use those voices with power.
Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy
by Gholdy Muhammad
Presents a four-layered equity framework that is grounded in history and restores excellence in literacy education.
An Educator's Guide to STEAM: Engaging Students Using Real-World Problems
by Cassie F. Quigley and Danielle Herro
This practical book will help readers understand what STEAM is, how it differs from STEM, and how it can be used to engage students in K-8 classrooms.
Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues : Education for the Liberation of Black and Brown Girls
by Monique Morris
The co-founder of the National Black Women’s Justice Institute passionately argues for a path towards safety, justice, and community in schools so that girls of color can flourish.
Teaching When the World is on Fire: Authentic Classroom Advice, From Climate Justice to Black Lives Matter
by Lisa Delpit
Delpit turns to a host of crucial issues facing teachers in these tumultuous times. Delpit's master-teacher wisdom tees up guidance from beloved, well-known educators along with insight from dynamic principals and classroom teachers tackling difficult topics in K-12 schools every day.
We Got This: Equity, Access, and the Quest To Be Who Our Students Need Us to Be
by Cornelius Minor
Shows how authentically listening to kids is the closest thing to a superpower that teachers have. Cornelius identifies tools, attributes, and strategies that can augment listening.
We Want To Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom
by Bettina Love
Argues that to achieve educational justice, educators must teach students about racial violence, oppression, resistance, joy, and how to make sustainable change in their communities.
On Saturday, August 27th from 10 AM to 3 PM, join The New York Public Library’s Center for Educators and Schools and the United Federation of Teachers for a Back to School Giveaway Celebration for students, educators, and their families. This event will feature storytimes and crafts for families, information for educators, and fun giveaways to get ready for back-to-school! Pick up a free NYPL book bag and grab a book for your home library, too, while supplies last.
Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.