We have gathered some resources to help you inform yourself and to help in talking to your children about race, ethnicity and racism. We will periodically edit this list and welcome your suggestions.

Books on Racism and Kids, Antiracism and Talking about Race

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race. Beverly Daniel Tatum.

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism. Robin J. DiAngelo.

Raising White Kids: Bringing up Children in A Racially Unjust America. Jennifer Harvey.

My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies. Resmaa Menakem.

How to Be An Antiracist. Ibram X. Kendi.

Half and Half: Writers on Growing Up Biracial and Bicultural. Claudine Chiawei O’Hearn.

Real American. Julie Lythcott-Haims.

This Book Is Anti-racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work. Tiffany Jewell.

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. Ibram X. Kendi. (Audiobook also available for free on Spotify.)

So You Want to Talk About Race? Ijeoma Oluo.

Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World and Become a Good Ancestor. Layla F. Saad.

Some Readings and Reading Lists on Race, Racism and Black American History

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. Michelle Alexander.

The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration. Isabel Wilkerson.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley.

The End of Policing. Alex Vitale. An excerpt containing a brief summary of the history of policing has been published here in Vice.

The 1619 Project. The project was released by the New York Times on the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans being brought to the American colonies and consists of a collection of essays and creative pieces exploring the centrality of slavery and its legacy to American life, history and culture. There is an accompanying podcast listed below.

This List of Books, Films and Podcasts about Racism is a Start, Not a Panacea. An NPR-compiled list of books, films and podcasts on systemic racism, along with critical commentary about the limits of such lists. The highlighted works focus on a range of topics from housing discrimination to mass incarceration to healthcare.

The Anti-Racist Reading List: 38 books for those open to changing themselves, and their world. Ibram X. Kendi. An article listing a range of books by category, including memoirs, essays and non-fiction. The books are also listed on the Chicago Public Library site.

NYPL Schomburg Center Black Liberation Reading List. Description: In response to the uprisings across the globe demanding justice for Black lives, the Schomburg Center has created a Black Liberation Reading List. The 95 titles on the list represent books we and the public turn to regularly as activists, students, archivists, and curators, with a particular focus on books by Black authors and those whose papers we steward. (Most of the books are available for free digitally via the NYPL e-reader app.)

What is an Anti-Racist Reading List For? Lauren Michele Jackson. An article critiquing anti-racist reading lists.

Picture Books for Children

Lovely. Jess Hong. (Preschool - 2) "Big, small, curly, straight, loud, quiet, smooth, wrinkly. Lovely explores a world of differences that all add up to the same thing: we are all lovely!”

The Day You Begin. Jacqueline Woodson. (K- 2) There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you. There are many reasons to feel different. Maybe it's how you look, talk, or where you're from; maybe it's what you eat, or something just as random. It's not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you yet, but somehow you do it.

Everywhere Babies. Susan Meyers. (Preschool) A simple and wonderful preschool book showcasing a diverse and inclusive view of babies being babies.

All the Colors We Are. Katie Kissinger. (PreK - 2) Explains, in simple terms, the reasons for skin color, how it is determined by heredity, and how various environmental factors affect it.

Happy in Our Skin. Fran Manushkin. (Pre - K) Depicts families of different colors and orientations as they play at a park, swim, and celebrate at a block party.

A Friend for Henry. Jenn Bailey. (Pre - 1) A story from the perspective of a boy on the autism spectrum who celebrates the everyday magic of finding a first friend. Shows cross-race friendships.

Sam & Eva. Debbie Ridpath Ohi. (Pre - 2) This simple story celebrates creativity and cooperation in this story of two young artists, Sam and Eva, who don't see eye to eye. Shows cross-race friendship.

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match/Marisol McDonald No Combina. Monica Brown. (Pre-3) Try as she might, in a world where everyone tries to put this biracial, Peruvian-Scottish-American girl into a box, Marisol McDonald doesn't match. And that's just fine with her.

Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story About Racial Injustice. Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, Ann Hazzard. (Pre - 2) After discussing the police shooting of a local Black man with their families, Emma and Josh know how to treat a new student who looks and speaks differently than his classmates. Includes an extensive Note to Parents and Caregivers that provides general guidance about addressing racism with children, child-friendly vocabulary definitions, and conversation guides.
- Online read aloud
- Additional book list and online resources
- Read aloud tips / discussion questions

Children’s books featuring kids of color being themselves. Because that’s enough.

20 Picture Books for 2020: Readings to Embrace Race, Find Solace & Do Good by Embrace Race.

Resources for Talking to Kids about Race and Racism

Association for Library Service to Children: Talking with Young Children (0-5) about Race (May 2018). This article is meant for librarians who serve youth, but is relevant to parents in how we can read and talk about race with our children.

We Stories: Developing Cross-Race Friendships Has Profound Benefits for All Children, and Books Can Help (September 2019). A post from We Stories, a St. Louis-based organization designed to engage white families in anti-racist in parenting.

Teaching for Change: Teaching Young Children about Race: A Guide for Parents and Teachers. Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olson Edwards.

Reading Picture Books with Children Through a Race-Conscious Lens. Sarah Hannah Gómez and Megan Dowd Lambert share expertise and experience on 1) how to guide children to and through picture books with positive racial representations; and 2) how to support children in resisting or reading against problematic, racist content. Option of viewing hour-long recorded conversation, flipping through slides and/or getting quick 3-page tipsheet.

How to Encourage Cross-Racial Friendships Among Children. The challenges we face as a country and as communities around racial equity and racial inequality won’t be solved simply by increasing the number of cross-racial friendships among children (and adults, for that matter), but it certainly would help! Professor Amber Williams researches the why and how of cross-race friendships among kids.

How Children Learn About Race. A close look at the childhood landscape of racial learning. Beyond what we say to them explicitly, what other factors shape what our children learn about race? How do differences in racial and class identities shape the ways children learn and are taught about race?

ABC’s of Social Justice: A Glossary of Working Language for Socially Conscious Conversation. A working glossary of all the language used in conversations regarding social justice, diversity, and allyship. In every context, the meaning of these words may change and evolve. This glossary and its definitions provide a starting point for engaging in open and honest conversation, and is a tool meant to build a shared language of understanding.

Understanding Anti-Bias Education: Bringing the Four Core Goals to Every Aspect of Your Curriculum. Excerpt from the Second Edition of Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves by Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olson Edwards. This is geared towards educators, but is helpful for understanding the hows and whys of anti-bias education.

How to Talk to Kids about Race. An instagram guide by @theconsciouskid.

Aha! Parenting Blog: Talking with Children about Racism, Police Brutality and Protests. A recent post from an LHNS resource.

Social Justice Summer Curriculum for Children of Color. By Chicana M(other)work.

Social Media Resources on Antiracist Education and Parenting

The Conscious Kid (@theconsciouskid). Parenting and Education through a Critical Race Lens. Diverse #OwnVoices Books. Black and Brown Owned. COVID-19 #RENTRELIEF For Families

Here Wee Read (@hereweeread). Diversity & Inclusion Expert: Helping you find diverse books, educational products and raise curious kids. 

Britt Hawthorne (@britthawthorne). Anti-bias and antiracism educator.

Tiffany Jewell (@tiffanymjewell). Anti-bias and anti-racist educator.

Multimedia Resources for Adults and for Talking to Kids

1619 by The New York Times - This podcast series is part of a larger project by the NYT focused on exploring the centrality of slavery and its legacy to American life, history and culture. The podcasts are easily consumed and provide multiple entry points based on listener interest. There are episodes on our economic system, the birth of American music, healthcare and discrimination faced by black farmers.

Scene on Radio: Seeing White. Fourteen part audio documentary series addressing question of where the notion of whiteness comes from and what purpose it serves. Includes interviews with leading historians, academics and experts on race including Nell Irvin Painter, Ibram X. Kendi and Dorothy Roberts, among others.

Tim Wise - Talking white privilege and systemic oppression. Third Space with Jen Cort.

Code Switch. A podcast that covers race, ethnicity and culture, and how these intersecting topics play out in our lives and communities. Produced by journalists of color, Code Switch focuses on how people navigate through the different spaces of their lives, while providing in-depth and nuanced stories of culture, news and history. “Race and Identity, Remixed.

Webinar: How Do I Make Sure I’m Not Raising the Next Amy Cooper? From EmbraceRace. 57-minute recorded webinar with transcript and additional resources.

Webinar: “I [STILL] can’t breathe”: Supporting Kids of Color Amid Racialized Violence. From EmbraceRace. A 59-minute recorded webinar with transcript and additional resources.

The Integrated Schools Podcast: Raising White Kids with Jennifer Harvey. A 58-minute interview, transcript included.

Institutional Racism and Traumatic Stress with Dr. Alfiee. An episode of the Being Well Podcast with Dr. Rick Hanson, discussing the impact of institutional racism on mental health and the burdens facing youth in particular.

CNN/Sesame Street Racism Townhall. There are different segments, some of which are done with muppets and directed at young kids and some addressed to parents and/or older kids.

WNYC: Talking to White Kids about Race and Racism. This hour-long program is about talking to white kids about race and racism. It explores a variety of approaches for kids of different ages and includes perspectives from parents, racial justice experts and teens.

Some Resources on Equity and Integration in Schools

The Problem We All Live With. A 2015 two-part audio-series from This American Life and Nikole Hannah-Jones looking at desegregation as a path to equity in education.

Nice White Parents. A five part audio-series from NYT and Serial critically examining white parents’ relationship to public schools and the impact of white parents and their choices on school segregation and integration.

Some Places to Start to Engage in Racial Justice Work (not an exhaustive list)

Answering White People’s Most Commonly Asked Questions about the Black Lives Matter Movement: A Q&A by - and for - people with privilege who want to learn more about racial justice. Courtney Martin (June 2020).

Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ). Mission statement: Through community organizing, mobilizing, and education, SURJ moves white people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for justice, with passion and accountability.

Movement for Black Lives. The Movement for Black Lives is an ecosystem of individuals and organizations creating a shared vision and policy agenda to win rights, recognition, and resources for Black people.

Black Lives Matter. #BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. 

Books for Caregivers

The Gender Creative Child: Pathways for Nurturing and Supporting Children Who Live Outside Gender Boxes. Diane Ehrensaft. Available in LHNS lending library. Dr. Diane Ehrensaft coined the term gender creative to describe children whose unique gender expression or sense of identity is not defined by a checkbox on their birth certificate. She guides parents and professionals through the rapidly changing cultural, medical, and legal landscape of gender and identity. She explains the interconnected effects of biology, nurture, and culture to explore why gender can be fluid, rather than binary.

Gender, Your Guide: A Gender-friendly Primer on What to Know, What to Say, and What to Do in the New Gender Culture. Lee Airton. Gender is changing, and this change is gaining momentum. We all want to do and say the right things in relation to gender diversity--whether at a job interview, at parent/teacher night, and around the table at family dinners. But where do we begin? From the differences among gender identity, gender expression, and sex, to the use of gender-neutral pronouns like singular they/them, to thinking about your own participation in gender, Gender: Your Guide serves as a complete primer to all things gender.

Parenting Beyond Pink & Blue: How to Raise your Kids Free of Gender Stereotypes. Christia Spears Brown. A guide that helps parents focus on their children's unique strengths and inclinations rather than on gendered stereotypes to more effectively bring out the best in their individual children, for parents of infants to middle schoolers.

The Conscious Parent's Guide to Gender Identity: A Mindful Approach to Embracing your Child's Authentic Self. Darlene Tando. Provides a relationship-oriented approach to supporting your child's journey in questioning their gender identity. Conscious parenting means being present with your children and taking the time to understand their point of view. Using this mindful method, you can support and guide your children as they discover their authentic selves.

Becoming An Ally to the Gender-expansive Child: A Guide for Parents and Carers. Anna Bianchi. For anyone eager to understand their child's gender experience, or to learn how best to accept, support and protect them, this book will provide knowledge, reassurance and the confidence to do so. The author shows how the inner journey of the adult inevitably impacts on the outer journey of the child and, given the significance of this, offers a step-by-step guide to becoming an ally to the gender-expansive child.

Raising My Rainbow: Adventures in Raising A Fabulous, Gender Creative Son. Lori Duron. The author's frank, heartfelt, and funny account of her and her family’s adventures of distress and happiness raising a gender-creative son. The story of her family as they navigate the often challenging but never dull privilege of raising a slightly effeminate, possibly gay, totally fabulous son.

Transitions of the Heart: Stories of Love, Struggle and Acceptance by Mothers of Transgender and Gender Variant Children. Rachel Pepper. A collection of 32 personal essays from mothers of transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals. Although this may still provide help for families learning about their children, it does not offer advice or direction-just sharing experience.

Fixing Sex: Intersex, Medical Authority, and Lived Experience. Katrina Alicia Karkazis. This book examines contemporary controversies over the medical management of intersexuality in the United States from the multiple perspectives of those most intimately involved.

The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias. Dolly Chugh. A guide from an award-winning social psychologist at the New York University Stern School of Business on how to confront difficult issues including sexism, racism, inequality, and injustice so that you can make the world (and yourself) better.

Picture Books for Children

Bunnybear. Andrea J. Loney. (Pre-K – 1) Although Bunnybear was born a bear, he feels more like a bunny. The other bears don't understand him, and neither do the bunnies. Will Bunnybear ever find a friend who likes him just the way he is?

I am Jazz. Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings. (K – 5)  From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew that she was a girl with male anatomy. She loved pink and dressing up as a mermaid and didn't feel like herself in typical boys' clothing.

Red: A Crayon's Story. Michael Hall. (Pre-K – 1)  A blue crayon mistakenly labeled as "red" suffers an identity crisis. Almost everyone tries to “help” him be red until a friend offers a new perspective. He’s blue! About finding the courage to be true to your inner self.

Neither. Airlie Anderson. (K - 2) Because Neither is unlike both the rabbits and birds of the Land of This and That, it sets out to find a new place where all kinds of creatures are welcome.

Julián Is a Mermaid. Jessica Love. (Pre-K – 2) While riding the subway with his abuela, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. When Julián gets home all he can think about is dressing up like them. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes — and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself? A story about the power of been seen and affirmed.

Lucia the Luchadora. Cynthia Leonor Garza. (Pre-K – 1) Lucía zips through the playground in her cape just like the boys, but when they tell her "girls can't be superheroes," suddenly she doesn't feel so mighty until her abuela reveals a secret that gives her courage. 

Want to Play Trucks? Ann Stott. (Preschool - K) Jack and Alex meet almost every morning in the sandbox at the playground. Jack likes trucks big ones, the kind that can wreck things. Alex likes dolls pink ones, with sparkles. And tutus. But Jack doesn’t want to play dolls, and Alex doesn’t want to play trucks.

Jack (Not Jackie). Erica Silverman. (K - 3) One of very few books I’ve come across to include a transgender boy. A big sister realizes that her little sister, Jackie, doesn't like dresses or fairies-she likes ties and bugs! Will she and her family be able to accept that Jackie identifies more as "Jack"?

What Riley Wore. Elana Arnold. (Pre - 2) Riley wears whatever clothes feel right each day. On Monday, Riley feels shy and wears a bunny costume to school. On Tuesday, a scary trip to the dentist calls for a super hero cape. For a trip out with Otto and Oma, a ball gown is the perfect outfit.

Links

Understanding Gender. Basic gender literacy is essential for children to understand their own gender, engage in healthy relationships, identify and place media and social messages in context, and have agency in determining aspects of their gender now and in the future. Societal ideas about gender will affect every critical aspect of their lives, from education to career, finances, relationships and more.

Gender Spectrum’s Resources for Parenting and Family. A comprehensive collection of research, resources, and stories to help any parent, family member, or guardian learn more about gender diversity.

The Gender Unicorn. A graphic that portrays the distinction between gender, sex assigned at birth, and sexuality.

Be Prepared for Questions About Gender. Practice responding to questions your child may have regarding gender stereotypes.

Dear (Cis) People Who Put Your Pronouns On Your “Hello My Name Is” Name Tags

Puberty Blockers Linked to Lower Suicide Risk for Transgender People

From Lissa Moran’s Sexual and Gender Diversity workshop, below is a list of Twitter and Instragram accounts to follow for exposure. She noted: “If any of these folks, or other folks whom you follow in order to educate yourself, have Cashapp, Venmo, etc. links available, drop them some dollars. Their labor is valuable.”

Twitter:
@Thotscholar
@Emmy_Zje
@brynismyname
@itsdanawhite
@wrenmckinley1
@thatboyyoulike
@AllegraHirschma
@MissLoreleiLee
@interACT_adv
@allpronouns

Instagram:
@transgenderdistrict
@theconsciouskid
@translawcenter
@katrinakarkazis

Pediatric Gender Clinics:UCSF Child and Adolescent Gender Center
Stanford Pediatric and Adolescent Gender Clinic
Kaiser Pediatric Gender Care Services
Interactive Map: Clinical Care Programs for Gender-Expansive Children and Adolescents

Podcasts and Videos

How to support gender-creative children. Conversation with Dr Diane Ehrensaft. (1 hr 13 min long. transcript available)

Dr Laura Anderson on Gender Nonconformity and Differently Wired Kids. Covers a lot of ground in a conversation with Laura who explains what gender nonconformity is, how children’s gender identity is formed, what the latest research says about a connection between autism and gender expansive behavior, what children who are gender nonconforming and the parents raising them need in terms of support, and much, much more. (54 minutes long. Starts at 3:45. transcript available as PDF)

Mothering Boys – Secrets to Understanding Our Sons (with Best-Selling Author Maggie Dent). Janet Lansbury speaks with author Maggie Dent about her newest book, Mothering Our Boys, in which she focuses on the common misconceptions we hold about boys and how these perceptions can negatively inform our attitudes and expectations. (23 min long, transcript available)

Can A Child Be Raised Free Of Gender Stereotypes? This Family Tried. The story of a couple and the challenges they faced in trying to shield their child from gender stereotypes. And we meet their daughter, now a teenager, to hear her take on how she was raised.
(52 min long)

Health Across the Gender Spectrum. This podcast series offers an intimate, story-based introduction to the real-life experiences of six transgender children and their families, along with two transgender experts in the field of medicine and health.

Disclosure on Netflix. In this documentary film, leading trans creatives and thinkers share heartfelt perspectives and analysis about Hollywood's impact on the trans community.

Transhood on HBO. Filmed over five years in Kansas City, Transhood chronicles the lives of four young people (aged 4, 7, 12, and 15 at the start of filming) and their families as they navigate growing up transgender in America’s heartland. By sharing personal realities of how gender expression is reshaping their lives, the film explores how these families struggle and stumble through parenting, and how the kids are challenged and transformed as they experience the complexity of their identities.

5 Tips for Being an Ally 3.5-minute clear and concise video by Franchesca Ramsey

Pansexuality 2-minute video definition by The Advocate

Asexuality 4-minute video definition by The Advocate

Trans 101 - The Basics. The 8-minute introduction video of a series on Gender Diversity by https://trans101.org.au, they dive into being Trans, Gender Identity, and what it's all about!

Picture Books for Children

And Tango Makes Three Justin Richardson. (Pre - 3) Two daddy penguins raise one adorably fluffy penguin chick.
Bravest Knight Who Ever Lived Daniel Errico. (Pre - 3) Knights, dragons, and princesses are the things all good fairytales are made of, but what happens when the tale has an LGBTQ ending?
Mommy, Mama and Me/ Daddy, Papa and Me Lesléa Newman. ( ) A baby enjoys a number of fun activities with her two mothers/two fathers.
This Day in June Gayle Pitman. (Pre - 2) Celebrate Pride (or any day of the year) with this festive picture book.

Stella Brings the Family Miriam Schiffer. (K - 2) Stella has a stellar solution to a Mother's Day dilemma.
Children's Books Featuring LGBTQ History
Children's Books Featuring 2 Moms or 2 Dads

Links

LGBTQ Definitions. Definitions for elementary school children (though may be useful for younger children as well).

Questions About Who Can Marry. How to respond to questions children may ask.

Videos

Our Family. “This short film is a collaboration between Our Family Coalition and Not In Our Town to encourage conversation about the many diverse family constellations, to give children the opportunity to see and appreciate their own families, and to be open and respectful to those who are different from them.”

Picture Books for Children

The Family Book Todd Parr (Pre). An all-inclusive look at a diverse array of families.

Families! Families! Families! Suzanne Lang (Pre - 1). A host of silly animals in dozens of combinations demonstrate all kinds of nontraditional families!

The Great Big Book of Families Mary Hoffman (K - 2). Features illustrations and descriptions of different types of families and how their lives are similar and different.

A Family is A Family is A Family Sara O’Leary (K - 2). What makes your family special? Students in this picture book come from many different types of families but they all have one thing in common: the love they share.

Love Makes A Family Sophie Beer (Pre) This fun, inclusive board book celebrates the one thing that makes every family a family . . . and that's LOVE.

One Family George Shannon (Pre - 2). Celebrates families of different sizes, ages, races, and gender orientations in a story that introduces numbered groups from one to ten.

Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born Jamie Lee Curtis (Pre - 2). A young girl asks her parents to tell her again the cherished family story of her birth and adoption.

We Belong Together: A Book About Adoption and Families. Todd Parr (Pre - 1). A book about the many ways people choose to be a family.

A Mother for Choco Keiko Kasza (Pre - K). A lonely little bird named Choco goes in search of a mother.

Two Homes Claire Masurel (Pre - 1.) A young boy named Alex enjoys the homes of both of his parents who live apart but love Alex very much.

Living with Mom and Living with Dad Melanie Walsh (Pre - 2). A little girls describes living in the two homes of her separated parents.

Uncle Bobby’s Wedding. Sarah Brannen. (Pre - 2) Chloe is not happy that Uncle Bobby is getting married, but as she gets to know Jamie, she realizes that having another uncle will be fun.

And Tango Makes Three Justin Richardson (Pre - 3). 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 Baby? Cory Silverberg (Pre - 2). A brightly illustrated picture book about conception, gestation, and birth, which reflects the reality of our modern time by being inclusive of all kinds of kids, adults, and families, regardless of how many people were involved, their orientation, gender and other identity, or family composition.

Who's In Your Family?

Definitions of the myriad of families we come from. 

Videos

Our Family. “This short film is a collaboration between Our Family Coalition and Not In Our Town to encourage conversation about the many diverse family constellations, to give children the opportunity to see and appreciate their own families, and to be open and respectful to those who are different from them.”

Experts say that the implicit and explicit messages early childhood practitioners (and caregivers) send about disability have important consequences for young children's developing identities and sense of belonging. Here are a list of resources for both adults and kids on disability and inclusion.

Articles

Practicing Inclusion, Doing Justice: Disability, Identity, And Belonging in Early Childhood. Margaret R. Beneke, Jennifer R. Newton, Meghan Vinh, Sheresa Boone Blanchard, and Peggy Kemp. Drawing on research and examples from practice, the authors of this article explain how early educators can challenge and change deficit-based assumptions about disability and other forms of diversity by practicing inclusion.

How to Teach Children About Disabilities and Inclusion. Baylor University. Overview of the importance of educating kids about disability and inclusion and age-appropriate teaching methods on the subject from Baylor University’s master’s in social work program.

Children’s Books

Pre-K

My Brother Charlie. Holly Robinson Peete. "Charlie has autism. His brain works in a special way. It's harder for him to make friends. Or show his true feelings. Or stay safe." But as his big sister tells us, for everything that Charlie can't do well, there are plenty more things that he's good at. He knows the names of all the American presidents. He knows stuff about airplanes. And he can even play the piano better than anyone he knows.

Best Friends. Sheri Safran. A positive celebration of friendship for all children, including those with special needs.

That's what friends do. Kathryn Cave. If you are lost in the wood, I will find you. If you're afraid of the cold and the dark, I'll sit beside you. With subtle text and expressive illustrations, That's What Friends Do beautifully evokes the joys of giving and receiving true friendship. 

One, two, three jump! Carol Thompson. Little Movers Run, climb, crawl or jump - everybody loves to move! Fast or slow, up or down, alone or with our friends! Carol Thompson's exquisite illustrations allow us to share and explore the struggles, achievements and sheer delight of children learning to manage and explore early movement challenges.

Just because. Rebecca Elliott. This heartwarming picture book about being perfectly loved, no matter what, tells of a brother's love for his sister. He is so enthusiastic about just how loving and special she is, and delights in telling us about all the fun things they do together.  This amusing and often touching story encompasses the issue of disability in a charming celebration of sibling friendship to which all children can relate.

Dad and Me in the Morning. Patricia Lakin. Early one morning, a young boy wakes to the light of his alarm clock. He puts on his hearing aids and clothes, then goes to wake his father. Together they brave the cold as they walk down the dirt road that leads to the beach. Lakin’s understated story reminds readers that sometimes the best way to communicate doesn’t involve words

The Black Book of Colors. Menena Cottin. Living with the use of one's eyes can make imagining blindness difficult, but this innovative title invites readers to imagine living without sight through remarkable illustrations done with raised lines and descriptions of colors based on imagery. 

Russ and the Firehouse. Janet Elizabeth Rickert. Russ, a five-year-old with Down syndrome, visits his uncle's firehouse and gets to help with the daily chores.

Susan Laughs. Jeanne Willis. Susan laughs, she sings, she rides, she swings. She gets angry, she gets sad, she is good, she is bad. In fact, Susan is the same as any other child. It is only when we turn the last page that we discover that Susan is in a wheelchair – a revelation that paves the way for discussion about an important issue. 

Can i play too? Mo Willems. Gerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can. In Can I Play Too? Gerald and Piggie meet a new snake friend who wants to join in a game of catch. But don't you need arms to catch?

A boy and a jaguar. Alan Rabinowitz: Alan loves animals, but the great cat house at the Bronx Zoo makes him sad. Why are they all alone in empty cages? Are they being punished? More than anything, he wants to be their champion—their voice—but he stutters uncontrollably.

Zoom! Robrt Munsch. Lauretta's mother takes her to buy a new wheelchair, but Lauretta isn't satisfied with a regular five-speed or ten-speed model. No, she insists on the 92-speed, black, silver, and red dirt-bike wheelchair. When she gets a speeding ticket during a one-day tryout, her parents insist that the chair be returned to the store . . . until Lauretta's older brother has an accident and only one person can whisk him to the hospital on time--Lauretta, in her amazing wheelchair!

Ben's Adventure: day at the beach. Elizabeth Gerlach. In this fun first adventure in the series, you'll smile as you join Ben on his first adventure to the beach. He uses a wheelchair but shows he is just like any other child. The important themes of inclusion and empathy, friendship and connection are suitable for everyone, helping us to accept and embrace differences and appreciate what makes us unique.

My Friend Isabelle. Elizabeth Woloson. Isabelle and Charlie are friends. They both like to draw, dance, read, and play at the park. They both like to eat Cheerios. They both cry if their feelings are hurt. And, like most friends, they are also different from each other. Isabelle has Down syndrome. Charlie doesn't. Written by Isabelle's mother, this charming tale encourages readers to think about what makes a friendship special

Strictly No Elephants. Lisa Mantchev. In this bestselling and internationally beloved picture book, the local Pet Club won’t admit a boy’s tiny pet elephant, so he finds a solution—one that involves all kinds of unusual animals.

K-3rd grade

Thank you Mr. Fauker. Patricia Polacco. Patricia Polacco is now one of America's most loved children's book creators, but once upon a time, she was a little girl named Trisha starting school. Trisha could paint and draw beautifully, but when she looked at words on a page, all she could see was jumble. 

The terrible thing that happened to Barnaby Brocket. John Boyne. Barnaby Brocket is an ordinary 8-year-old boy in most ways, but he was born different in one important way: he floats. Unlike everyone else, Barnaby does not obey the law of gravity. His parents, who have a horror of being noticed, want desperately for Barnaby to be normal, but he can't help who he is. 

Seal surfer. Michael Foreman. A boy and his grandfather watch as a baby seal is born on the rocks near their home and from that day a special friendship is created between them.

Resources for Adults

Care work: Dreaming Disability Justice. Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. In this collection of essays, longtime activist and performance artist Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha explores the politics and realities of disability justice. Personal narratives and accounts of organizing are voiced from Black and brown and queer disabled people, radically reimagining the ways our society is structured, uplifting visions and models for care webs that create collective access

Brilliant Imperfection: Grappling with Cure. Eli Clare. Uses memoir, history, and critical analysis to explore cure—the deeply held belief that body-minds considered broken need to be fixed. At each turn, Clare weaves race, disability, sexuality, class, and gender together, insisting on the nonnegotiable value of body-mind difference. Into this mix, he adds environmental politics, thinking about ecosystem loss and restoration as a way of delving more deeply into cure. Ultimately Brilliant Imperfection reveals cure to be an ideology grounded in the twin notions of normal and natural, slippery and powerful, necessary and damaging all at the same time. 

Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century. Alice Wong. One in five people in the United States lives with a disability. Some disabilities are visible, others less apparent—but all are underrepresented in media and popular culture. Now, just in time for the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, activist Alice Wong brings together this urgent, galvanizing collection of contemporary essays by disabled people.

All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living Racialized Autism. Lydia X. Z. Brown. Delve into poetry, essays, short fiction, photography, paintings, and drawings in the first-ever anthology entirely by autistic people of color, featuring 61 writers and artists from seven countries. The work here represents the lives, politics, and artistic expressions of Black, Brown, Latinx, Indigenous, Mixed-Race, and other racialized and people of color from many autistic communities, often speaking out sharply on issues of marginality, intersectionality, and liberation.

When we share our family stories and traditions with one another, we not only strengthen our own family’s identity, we also create awareness, appreciation and acceptance of other families and their unique makeup. Below is a short list of books that give us a peek into the rituals, customs and stories of some families. As you read with your child, engage your child in conversation that helps them understand and respect the differences and similarities they notice. 

Picture Books for Children

Bilal Makes Daal Aisha Saeed (Pre - 3). Bilal’s father cooks his favorite meal for him and his friends.

Dumpling Soup Jama Kim Rattigan (PreK - 3). A young girl finally can help make dumplings for her family’s New Year’s celebration.

Owl Moon Jane Yolen (Pre - 2).  A winter tradition shared between a father and child.

This is the Rope Jaqueline Woodson (PreK - 3). A rope passed down through generations holds special meaning for a young girl.

Too Many Tamales Gary Soto (Pre - 3). While making tamales with her mother, Maria loses her mother’s wedding ring.

Saturday Oge Mora (Pre - 3). A weekly ritual goes awry one Saturday.

This is How We Do It Matt Lamothe (PreK - 3). A day in the life and daily rituals of seven children from around the world.

Last Stop on Market Street Matt de la Peña (Pre - 2). A young boy and his grandmother partake in their weekly tradition of volunteering at a soup kitchen after church.

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga Traci Sorrell (Pre - 2). A Cherokee story of expressing Gratitude.

Under my Hijab Hena Khan (PreK - 1). As a young girl observes six very different women in her life who each wear the hijab in a unique way, she also dreams of the rich possibilities of her own future, and how she will express her own personality through her hijab.

Definition of an ally

Someone who supports and stands up for the rights and dignity of individuals and identity groups other than their own. 

Articles and Links

What is Allyship? More on the definition and what it entails

Growing as an Ally. Tips from diversity and anti-bias speaker and trainer, Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee

Allyship Strategies. More tools from diversity and anti-bias speaker and trainer, Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee

"Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" . Peggy McIntosh. The groundbreaking 1989 essay from feminist scholar Peggy McIntosh 

"Windows, Mirrors and Sliding Glass Doors." Rudine Sims Bishop. On the importance of books for children that celebrate and recognize both their similarities and differences.

Speak Up!. A helpful guide on responding to everyday bigotry.

Video

Three Ways to be a Good Ally. An accessible video from Queer Kid Stuff that breaks down being an ally to the LGBTQ community.  May be useful to teach older elementary children as well.

Implicit Bias- Jerry Kang “UCLA law professor Jerry Kang exposes the phenomenon of automatic processing and how it relates to explicit and implicit bias.”

Teaching Tolerance interview with Robin diAngelo The transformative educational resource for teachers interviews the author of White Fragility on being a White ally.