SJPL Recommends: Antiracist Books for Grades 6-8Like this list

15 items

• The Talk

  Conversations About Race, Love & Truth

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  Thirty diverse and award-winning authors and illustrators capture frank discussions about racism, identity, and self-esteem.

• This Book Is Anti-racist

  Jewell, Tiffany

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  This book is written for the young person who doesn't know how to speak up to the racist adults in their life. It is written so children and young adults will feel empowered to stand up to the adults who continue to close doors in their faces. This…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• It's Trevor Noah

  Born a Crime : Stories From a South African Childhood

  Noah, Trevor, 1984-

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  The comedian traces his coming of age during the twilight of apartheid in South Africa and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed, offering insight into the farcical aspects of the political and social systems of today's world.

• Count Me in

  Bajaj, Varsha,

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  Told from two viewpoints, sixth-graders Karina and Chris use social media to stand up to racism in Houston, Texas, after an attack puts Karina's Indian American grandfather in the hospital.

• What Lane?

  Maldonado, Torrey,

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  Biracial sixth-grader Stephen questions the limitations society puts on him after he notices the way strangers treat him when he hangs out with his white friends and learns about the Black Lives Matter movement.

• The Boy on the Wooden Box

  How the Impossible Became Possible... on Schindler's List

  Leyson, Leon, 1929-2013,

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  Traces the story of Holocaust survivor Leon Leyson, who was the youngest child in his family and possibly the youngest of the hundreds of Jews rescued by Oskar Schindler.

• Ghost Boys

  Rhodes, Jewell Parker,

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  After seventh-grader Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat, he observes the aftermath of his death and meets the ghosts of other fallen black boys including historical figure Emmett Till.

• We Are Power

  How Nonviolent Activism Changes the World

  Hasak-Lowy, Todd, 1969-

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  Brings to light the incredible individuals who have used nonviolent activism to change the world.

• Stamped

  Racism, Antiracism, and You

  Reynolds, Jason,

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  A history of racist and antiracist ideas in America, from their roots in Europe until today, adapted from the National Book Award winner Stamped from the Beginning.

• A Good Kind of Trouble

  Ramée, Lisa Moore,

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  After attending a powerful protest, Shayla starts wearing an armband to school to support the Black Lives Matter movement, but when the school gives her an ultimatum, she is forced to choose between her education and her identity.

• All American Boys

  Reynolds, Jason,

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  When sixteen-year-old Rashad is mistakenly accused of stealing, classmate Quinn witnesses his brutal beating at the hands of a police officer who happens to be the older brother of his best friend. Told through Rashad and Quinn's alternating…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices

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  A collection of art, essays, letters, poems, and stories celebrates standing up against prejudice and racism.

• Red, White, and Whole

  LaRocca, Rajani,

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  Reha feels torn between two worlds: school, where she's the only Indian American student, and home, with her family's traditions and holidays.

• Dolores Huerta Stands Strong

  the Woman Who Demanded Justice

  Brill, Marlene Targ,

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  Follows Huerta's life from the mining communities of the Southwest where her father toiled, to the vineyards and fields of California, and across the country to the present day. As she worked for fair treatment for others, Dolores earned the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Stars Beneath Our Feet

  Moore, David Barclay,

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  Unable to celebrate the holidays in the wake of his older brother's death in a gang-related shooting, Lolly Rachpaul struggles to avoid being forced into a gang himself while constructing a fantastically creative LEGO city at the Harlem community…Read moreRead more of this annotation