“School is a place where many issues facing our nation rise to the forefront. As teachers, how do we best prepare our students to face and discuss social justice concerns? For many of us, books offer a solid place to start.” – Katherine Bassett, National Network of State Teachers of the Year

Teaching social justice opens doors for students to think critically and actively about many of the issues facing our world today. The following social justice books for elementary readers provide opportunities for students to recognize and act on social inequalities and help build empathy and compassion by examining oppression and privilege. 

Social Justice Books for Elementary Readers

1. Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights
by Rob Sanders

Interest level: P-3

Protesting. Standing up for what’s right. Uniting around the common good. Kids have questions about all of these things they see and hear about each day. Through sparse and lyrical writing, Rob Sanders introduces abstract concepts, like fighting for what you believe in and turns them into something actionable. Bold, bright illustrations bring the resistance to life making it clear that one person can make a difference. Together, we can accomplish anything.

2. Lubaya’s Quiet Roar
by Marilyn Nelson

Interest level: K-3

In this stirring picture book about social justice activism and the power of introverts, a quiet girl’s artwork makes a big impression at a protest rally. This lyrical, impactful story shows how every child, even the quietest, can make a difference in their community and world. Young Lubaya is happiest when she’s drawing, often behind the sofa while her family watches TV. There, she creates pictures on the backs of her parents’ old protest posters. But when upsetting news shouts into their living room, her parents need the posters again. The next day her family takes part in a march, and there, on one side of the posters being held high, are Lubaya’s drawings of kids holding hands and of the sun shining over the globe – rousing visual statements of how the world could be. “Lubaya’s roar may not be loud, but a quiet roar can make history.”

3. Climate Action: What Happened and What We Can Do
by Seymour Simon

Interest level: 1-5

In easy-to-digest sections, science expert Seymour Simon explores the climate crisis, humanity’s role in causing it and discusses what youth activists and experts are doing to fix it. What are the effects of climate change and who are the people working to save our planet? This magazine-style book, which has eight sections and plenty of sidebars full of facts and case studies, spells out clearly what the dangers are and also instills some hope in readers by teaching ways they too can join the cause. This book addresses hot topics like droughts, wildfires, heat waves, deforestation, storms and flooding, sea-level rise, ocean acidification, and wildlife extinction. It then humanizes these topics by spotlighting a youth activist affected by and working on that exact problem.

4. Dangerous Jane
by Suzanne Slade

Interest level: 1-5

This energetic and inspiring picture book biography of activist Jane Addams focuses on the peace work that won her the Nobel Peace Prize. From the time she was a child, Jane’s heart ached for others. At first the focus of her efforts was on poverty and lead to the creation of Hull House, the settlement house she built in Chicago. For 25 years, she’d helped people from different countries live in peace at Hull House. But when war broke out, Jane decided to take on the world and become a dangerous woman for the sake of peace.

5. The Teachers March! How Selma’s Teachers Changed History
by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace

Interest level: 2-5

Demonstrating the power of protest and standing up for a just cause, here is an exciting tribute to the educators who participated in the 1965 Selma Teachers’ March, featuring evocative illustrations and eyewitness testimonies. Reverend F.D. Reese was a leader of the Voting Rights Movement in Selma, Alabama. As a teacher and principal, he recognized that his colleagues were viewed with great respect in the city. Could he convince them to risk their jobs – and perhaps their lives – by organizing a teachers-only march to the county courthouse to demand their right to vote? On January 22, 1965, the black teachers left their classrooms and did just that, with Reverend Reese leading the way.

6. A Fair Deal: Shopping for Social Justice
by Kari Jones

Interest level: 3-7

Fair trade is not about spending more money or buying more stuff. It’s about helping producers in developing countries get a fair price for their goods. In A Fair Deal: Shopping for Social Justice, Kari Jones provides a history of trade, explaining what makes trade systems unfair and what we can do about it. By examining ways in which our global trade systems value some people over others, the book illustrates areas in which fair trade practices can help families all around the world and suggests ways to get involved in making the world a more equitable place.

7. Rise Up! The Art of Protest
by Jo Rippon

Interest level: 3-7

Celebrate the right to resist! Human rights belong to every single one of us, but they are often under threat. Developed in collaboration with Amnesty International, Rise Up! encourages young people to engage in peaceful protest and stand up for freedom. Photographs of protest posters celebrate the ongoing fight for gender equality, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, refugee and immigrant rights, peace and the environment.

8. Voices of Justice: Poems About People Working for A Better World
by George Ella Lyon

Interest level: 3-7

A bold, lyrical collection of poems that highlight some of the most celebrated activists from around the world and throughout history. In the face of injustice, the world has always looked to brave individuals to speak up and spark change. Nelson Mandela used his voice to bring down Apartheid. Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Birut Galdikas gave a voice to the primates who couldn’t speak for themselves. The Women of Greenham Common used their collective voice to fight against preparations for nuclear war. And today’s youth, like Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, the Stoneman Douglas High School students and Greta Thunberg, unite their voices to stop gun violence, save the planet and so much more.

9. You Can Change the World: The Kid’s Guide to A Better Planet
by Lucy Bell

Interest level: 3-7

Kids around the world are working together to make our planet a better, safer, happier place, and now you can join in with this practical guide! You Can Change the World empowers kids to make changes in their lives and communities with the powerful message that anyone can make a difference in the world. This colorfully illustrated book is packed with information, ideas and activities for everyday sustainability – like mending clothes, composting and avoiding single-use plastics. Interspersed throughout are features on children around the globe who are making a difference, such as Greta Thunberg or Solli Raphael, reminding kids that ordinary people can spark extraordinary change.

10. Marley Dias Gets It Done, And So Can You!
by Marley Dias

Interest level: 4-9

In this accessible guide with an introduction by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay, Marley Dias, the young organizer of the #1000blackgirlbooks campaign, explores activism, social justice, volunteerism, equity, inclusion and using social media for good. Drawing from her experience, Marley shows kids how they can galvanize their strengths to make positive changes in their communities, while getting support from parents, teachers and friends to turn dreams into reality. Focusing on the importance of literacy and diversity, Marley offers suggestions on book selection and delivers hands-on strategies for becoming a lifelong reader.

11. Resist: 35 Profiles of Ordinary People Who Rose Up Against Tyranny and Injustice
by Veronica Chambers

Interest level: 4-7

A perfect tool for young readers as they grow into the leaders of tomorrow, Veronica Chambers’ inspiring collection of profiles will inspire readers of all ages to stand up for what’s right. You may only be one person, but you have the power to change the world. Before they were activists, they were just like you and me. From Frederick Douglass to Malala Yousafzai, Joan of Arc to John Lewis, Susan B. Anthony to Janet Mock – these remarkable figures show us what it means to take a stand and say no to injustice, even when it would be far easier to stay quiet. Resist profiles men and women who resisted tyranny, fought the odds and stood up to bullies that threatened to harm their communities. Along with their portraits and most memorable quotes, their stories will inspire you to speak out and rise up every single day.

Plus, Four Great Books for Upper Grades

Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead
by Cecile Richards 
Interest level: 5-12

Equality and Social Justice
by Rachael Morlock 
Interest level: 6-10

An Indigenous Peoples’ History of The United States
by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz 
Interest level: 7-12

The Suffragist Playbook
by Rebecca Roberts and Lucinda Robb 
Interest level: 7-12

More Social Justice Booklists and Resources

Social justice is an important topic, and one that can be easily woven throughout your curriculum. To learn more, or to discover more social justice books for elementary readers, check out the following links: 

Social Justice Book List – NNSTOY (National Network of State Teachers of the Year)

Creating Classrooms for Social Justice – Edutopia 

A Collection of Resources for Teaching Social Justice – Cult of Pedagogy

Multicultural and Social Justice Early Elementary Chapter Books – Social Justice Books: A Teaching Project for Change

Children’s Books That Incorporate Principles of Restorative Justice – Educators for Social Justice

Booksource Social Justice Collections 

Social Justice Grades K-2	Social Justice Grades 3-6