Civics in the Classroom: Engaging Titles for Children and Teens
Civics education is an essential study for students of all ages: not only do conversations around civics promote active and aware future citizens, but provide students with an opportunity to engage in discussions about current events and the world around them.
The titles featured below center on topics featured in the K-12 Civics for All curriculum, making it easy for educators to use these books in their instructional plans.
The New York Public Library’s Center for Educators and Schools is hosting Community, Solidarity, Action: Teaching Civics with NYPL, an all-day educator professional development event featuring guest speaker Dr. Sonja Cherry Paul on November 8, 2022. Register here—and sign up for the Center’s newsletter to learn about future events!
Children's Titles
Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round: My Story of the Making of Martin Luther King Day
by Kathlyn J. Kirkwood; illustrated by Steffi Walthall
This moving middle grade memoir-in-verse tells about what it means to be an everyday activist and foot solider for racial justice, as Kathlyn recounts how she went from attending protests as a teenager to fighting as an adult for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday to become a national holiday.
Just Help: How to Build a Better World
by Sonia Sotomayor; illustrated by Angela Dominguez
In a story inspired by her own family's desire to help others, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor takes young readers on a journey through a neighborhood where kids and adults, activists and bus drivers, friends and strangers all help one another to build a better world for themselves and their community.
Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation
by Duncan Tonatiuh
Years before the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling Brown v. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez, an eight-year-old girl of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage, played an instrumental role in Mendez v. Westminster, the landmark desegregation case of 1946 in California.
Stamped (for Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You
adapted by Sonja Cherry-Paul, from Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds, a remix of Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi; with art by Rachelle Baker
In this chapter book adaptation, kids will discover where racist ideas came from, identify how they impact America today, and meet those who have fought racism with antiracism. Along the way, they'll learn how to identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their own lives.
What Can a Citizen Do?
by Dave Eggers; illustrated by Shawn Harris
Rhyming text explores citizenship, showing readers how seemingly unrelated actions, such as planting a tree or joining a cause can create a community.
Young Adult Titles
Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists: A Graphic History of Women's Fight for Their Rights
by Mikki Kendall; art by A. D'Amico; colors by Shari Chankhamma; letters by Erica Schultz
A fun and fascinating graphic novel–style primer that covers the key figures and events that have advanced women’s rights from antiquity to the modern era. In addition, this compelling book illuminates the stories of notable women throughout history—from queens and freedom fighters to warriors and spies—and the progressive movements led by women that have shaped history, including abolition, suffrage, labor, civil rights, LGBTQ liberation, reproductive rights, and more.
Art of Protest: Creating, Discovering, and Activating Art for Your Revolution
by De Nichols; illustrated by Diana Dagadita, Saddo, Olivia Twist, Molly Mendoza, and Diego Becas
From Keith Haring to Extinction Rebellion, the civil rights movement to Black Lives Matter, what does a revolution look like? Discover the power of words and images in this thought-provoking look at protest art by artivist De Nichols.
Take the Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance
edited by Bethany C. Morrow
An anthology of young adult stories and poems conveys acts of resistance by people marginalized by racism, discrimination, and hatred, offering contributions by diverse literary masters ranging from Jason Reynolds and Samira Ahmed to Laura Silverman and Sofia Quintero.
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
by Jason Reynolds; adapted from Stamped From the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi
A history of racist and antiracist ideas in America, from their roots in Europe until today. Stamped shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas—and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives.
We Are Not Yet Equal: Understanding Our Racial Divide
by Carol Anderson with Tonya Bolden
From the end of the Civil War to the tumultuous issues in America today, an acclaimed historian reframes the conversation about race, chronicling the powerful forces opposed to black progress in America. This young adult adaptation of the bestselling White Rage is essential antiracist reading for teens.
Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.