Search Results
Select any highlighted title for detailed information about that resource.
Social Studies
Social Studies > sociology
Social Studies > sociology > social issues
Social Studies > sociology > social issues > racism
    47
      In this part fictional slave narrative and part science fiction story, 47, a young slave without a name, learns from mysterious Tall John how to "neither a master nor a nigger be".
      Author: Mosley, Walter HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Amistad: A Long Road to Freedom
      When slaves on the ship Amistad rebelled and tried to return home to Africa, they were captured and embroiled in legal battles of slavery and abolition in the U.S. The book includes sections on Further Reading, Bibliography, Epilogue, and endpaper courtr
      Author: Myers, Walter Dean HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Birmingham Sunday
      This powerfully told story of the horrific bombing of a church in Birmingham, ALABAMA which ended with the killing of three young girls and galvanized the civil rights movement across the country. The photographs and writing style of the author make for a
      Author: Brimner, Larry Dane HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Birmingham, 1963
      A fictional narrator tells, in poetry, about the day she turned 10, which was also the day of the church bombing in Birmingham
      Author: Weatherford, Carole HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Black Hoops: The History of African Americans in Basketball
      This book provides a history of basketball and African Americans in basketball. To help readers understand these issues, the author provides historical backdrops that address racism, segregation, the struggle to desegregate sports, and the civil rights mo
      Author: McKissack, Frederick, Jr. HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation
      Andrea and Brian Pinkney bring their considerable talents to tell the story of the Montgomery bus boycott in wonderfully poetic language and blues rhythms. An Author's Note gives more historical information.
      Author: Pinkney, Andrea HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation
      Andrea and Brian Pinkney bring their considerable talents to tell the story of the Montgomery bus boycott in wonderfully poetic language and blues rhythms. An Author's Note gives more historical information.
      Author: Pinkney, Andrea HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Brothers War, The: Civil War Voices in Verse
      Well-known poet J. Patrick Lewis includes archival photographs and factual information to expand the emotional of his poems that give voice to individuals who were caught up in the Civil War. The book also includes a map, a timeline, a bibliography, and
      Author: Lewis, J. Patrick HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea
      This well illustrated book of poetry uses the metaphor of nurturing tea for the extended family.
      Author: Thomas, Joyce Carol HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading

    Building a New Land
      Each of the short chapters in this well written picture book addresses the lives, rights, changing roles, and contributions of African Americans in a different area of Colonial America. The author includes a timeline and a bibliography.
      Author: Haskins, James & Benson, Kathleen HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Champions on the Bench: The Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars
      In 1955, the Cannon St YMCA's Little League team (from SC) cannot play in the Little League World Series because all-white teams refuse to play them. The story told in this book is based on these real events.
      Author: Weatherford, Carole Boston HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Champions on the Bench: The Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars
      In 1955, the Cannon St YMCA's Little League team (from SC) cannot play in the Little League World Series because all-white teams refuse to play them. The story told in this book is based on these real events.
      Author: Weatherford, Carole Boston HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Children of Topaz, The
      The authors provide an introduction to the history of the Japanese internment camps in the United States during World War II as well as a Reference and Reading List. The book is a journal kept by a third-grade class taught by Anne Yamauchi in such a camp
      Author: Tunnell, Michael & Chilcoat, George HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Dear Willie Rudd
      Miss Elizabeth, thinking 50 years back, remembers Willie Rudd, the African American housekeeper who raised her, her mother, and her grandmother. She writes a letter to the long-dead Willie Rudd in which she explains the past and expresses her feelings.
      Author: Gray, Libba Moore

    Escape from Slavery: The Boyhood of Frederick Douglass in His Own Words
      This edited and illustrated book provides generous excerpts from Douglass's Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. No textbook description of slavery could have even a tiny portion of the power of this chilling account.
      Author: McCurdy, Michael (Ed.) HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Freedom on the Menu
      The author portrays the 1960's Civil Rights sit-ins at the Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina through the eyes of a young Southern black girls. Richly muted paintings illustrate the story.
      Author: Weatherford, Carole Boston HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Freedom Riders
      This book, illustrated with historical photographs, tells the story of two young men, one white and one black, whose common goal in life is to bring equality between the races. Their story is set during the historic freedom rides of the Civil Rights Move
      Author: Bausum, Ann HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case
      This somewhat repetitive account of the brutal death of Emmett Till, the Chicago 14-year-old boy visiting Mississippi, argues that the media coverage of the trial and the subsequent outrage of the public provided the catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement
      Author: Crowe, Chris HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Harlem Hellfighters, The
      This book is mostly about the "Harlem Hellfighters," the 369th Infantry Regiment in WWI. This story is set in the larger context of the role of African American men in war prior to WWI.
      Author: Myers, Walter Dean HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Harlem Stomp!
      Subtitled "A cultural history of the Harlem Renaissance," this book has 10 chapters that address how Harlem came to be a cultural "magnet" in the 1920s. The book interweaves history, poetry, and archival photos that brings the cultural history of Harlem t
      Author: Hill, Laban Carrick HSE Descriptors: social studies | language arts - reading

    How I Discovered Poetry
      Marilyn Nelson describes her childhood in America in the 1950s, as the daughter of an African American Army officer. The poems span from her fourth to fourteenth year and touch aspects of civil rights, "Red Scare," atom bomb and the stirrings of the femin
      Author: Nelson, Marilyn HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading | social studies | language arts - writing

    I See the Rhythm
      The author and illustrator use different type faces, colors, a timeline, and paintings to involve the reader in the history, mood and movement of African American music. Types of music included are blues, ragtime, jazz, swing, bebop, cool jazz and gospel.
      Author: Igus, Toyomi HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading

    Let Them Play
      This beautifully illustrated book tells the true story of the 1955 state champion little league team from South Carolina, who were all African-American and who encountered segregation problems as they continued to win.
      Author: Raven, Margot HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Letters from a Slave Girl
      Drawn from her 1861 autobiography, these fictionalized letters tell the story of Harriet Jacobs, a slave from North Carolina who went through great struggles to escape slavery. The book ends with two family trees, one a Black family and one White, a glos
      Author: Lyons, Mary HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Linda Brown, You Are Not Alone
      Well-known children's author Joyce Carol Thomas has collected pieces by 12 writers to commemorate the Supreme Court ruling Brown vs. Board of Education. The reading level varies significantly from piece to piece.
      Author: Thomas, Joyce Carol HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Mandela
      This picture book biography tells Nelson Mandela's story, from his childhood to his imprisonment and ultimate freedom.
      Author: Cooper, Floyd HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Many Thousand Gone: African Americans from Slavery to Freedom
      This is a beautifully illustrated collection of true stories about the struggle that African Americans faced in gaining their freedom. The book is divided into 3 parts: Slavery in America; Running-Aways; and Exodus to Freedom. An Afterword, bibliogra
      Author: Virginia Hamilton HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading | social studies | language arts - writing

    Marching for Freedom
      The compelling story of the events in Selma, Alabama that led to the voter rights march to Montgomery in 1965. Interviews with some of the marchers and black and white photographs highlight the struggles of African Americans to get the right to vote.
      Author: Partridge, Elizabeth HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Martin Luther King
      Folk art paintings accompany this biography of Dr. King. A timeline of important events in his life concludes the book.
      Author: Bray, Rosemary HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Mei Ling in China City
      Twelve year old Mei Ling Lee helps her parents during the Moon Festival celebration and raises money for Chinese women and children refugees in 1942. She also has a friend whose family was relocated to Manzanar War Relocation Center because she is Japanes
      Author: Smith, Icy HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Mei Ling in China City
      Twelve year old Mei Ling Lee helps her parents during the Moon Festival celebration and raises money for Chinese women and children refugees in 1942. She also has a friend whose family was relocated to Manzanar War Relocation Center because she is Japanes
      Author: Smith, Icy HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Miss Crandall's School
      In innovative sonnet form, the authors tell the story of Prudence Crandall who ran a school for "young ladies and little misses of color" in Canterbury, Connecticut, in 1831 until boycotts, vandalism and persecution forced the school to close. An introdu
      Author: Alexander, Elizabeth & Nelson, Marilyn HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading | social studies

    Nightjohn
      An escaped slave returns to the South to teach others how to read. This 92-page book is very bleak, and the violence is quite graphic.
      Author: Paulsen, Gary HSE Descriptors: social studies

    No Crystal Stair
      Nelson combines research with family stories to document the life of her great-uncle Lewis Michaux, an extraordinary literary pioneer of the Civil Rights era and his Harlem bookstore's role in the Civil Rights movement.
      Author: Nelson, Vauna, Micheaux HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading | social studies

    Oh, Freedom!
      Most of the book is transcripts of interviews children conducted with people who were involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Several essays that provide a chronology of African-American life and a foreword by Rosa Parks complement the interviews.
      Author: King, Casey, & Osborne, Linda HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Othello, A Novel
      The author retells Shakespeare's play Othello as a novel, relocating the setting to late 15th century England and changing the racial identities of Iago and Emilia to African. Boldface type calls attention to passages from Shakespeare. Iago manipulates
      Author: Lester, Julius HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading

    Other Side, The
      Spurred by a letter from her grandmother saying that "they're pulling Shorter down," the poet returns to the people and places of her childhood in Shorter, Alabama. The poems are accessible and concise but filled with powerful feeling. Photographs from
      Author: Johnson, Angela

    Pink and Say
      This long picture book tells the story of Pinkus Aylee, an African-American soldier in the Civil War, and of his mother, Moe Bay and of his friendship with a young White boy. A moving book that may be more appropriate for adults than for children, it cel
      Author: Polacco, Patricia HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Princess of the Press
      This biography of Ida Wells- Barnett chronicles her remarkable career in civil rights as a journalist against lynching, publisher of African American newspapers, speaker and activist for women's right to vote, and founder of the National Association for t
      Author: Medearis, Angela HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Remembering Manzanar
      Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government ordered forced evacuation of Japanese Americans who lived in the western U.S. This is the story of one relocation camp, Manzanar. The text is supported with archival photographs, end notes, Int
      Author: Cooper, Michael L. HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Richard Wright and the Library Card
      This is a 'slice of life' biography about the author Richard Wright set in his late adolescence/ young adulthood. Events deal with discrimination, Richard's discovery of literature, and how he decided to become an author.
      Author: Miller, William HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading | social studies

    Secret Life of Bees, The
      Fourteen-year-old Lily and Rosaleen, the black servant who has look after her since her mother died 10 years earlier, run from Lily's abusive father and the brutality and racism of the police. Against the historical events of 1964 in South Carolina, they
      Author: Kidd, Sue Monk

    She Would Not Be Moved
      Kohl tells the historically correct version of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Rosa Park's role in it. This revised biography of Rosa Parks stresses her activist background and the violent environment of racism to counter the prevailing picture of her as a
      Author: Kohl, Herbert HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Sioux, The
      This book is part of the "Lifeway Series," which also includes titles called The Cherokee, The Iroquois, and The Navajo. This title examines the origins, history, culture, beliefs, and language of the Native American tribe the S
      Author: Bial, Raymond HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story
      Faced with discrimination for being Korean-American in the 1930s did not deter Sammy Lee from wanting to become an Olympic diver - a dream he realized with great determination.
      Author: Yoo, Paula HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story
      Faced with discrimination for being Korean-American in the 1930s did not deter Sammy Lee from wanting to become an Olympic diver - a dream he realized with great determination.
      Author: Yoo, Paula HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Story Painter: The Life of Jacob Lawrence
      This biography of the African American painter Jacob Lawrence, known for his series Migration and Toussaint L'Ouverture, is illustrated by the painter's works.
      Author: Duggleby, John HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading

    Sweethearts of Rhythm: The story of the greatest all-girl swing band in the world
      The 16-member, all-woman, racially diverse swing band The International Sweethearts of Rhythm from the war years of the 1940's are brought to life by the idiomatic speech and rhythms of Nelson's poetry and by Pinkney's vibrant illlustrations. The individ
      Author: Nelson, Marilyn HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading | social studies

    This Is the Dream
      Accessible poetry and vivid illustrations portray the dreams and accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement. The illustrator uses interesting collages for some borders and the endpapers.
      Author: Shore, Diane & Alexander, Jessica HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Toussaint L'Ouverture
      The author wrote the biography of Haiti's hero, Toussaint L'Ouverture, who led the fight for liberation from France and Spain, to accompany Jacob Lawrence's paintings.
      Author: Myers, Walter Dean HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Unbreakable Code, The
      A young Navajo boy, who must leave his Southwest home, draws courage from his grandfather's story about being a "Code Talker" during WWII.
      Author: Hunter, Sara HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Wake Up Our Souls
      Well-written biographies and stunning reproductions of the work of approximately 30 African American artists introduce us to painters, photographers, and mixed-media artists born between 1830 and the present. The design makes the book beautiful and the e
      Author: Bolden, Tonya HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading

    We Are the Ship: The Story of the Negro League Baseball
      This book is about the beginnings and history of Negro League Baseball. The accomplishments of many of the better players are described. Paintings of the players are included. There is a bibliography and filmography at the end of the book.
      Author: Nelson, Kadir HSE Descriptors: | social studies

    Well, The
      Set in Mississippi in the early 1900's, African American David Logan and his family share their well with blacks and whites in their community which leads to racial violence.
      Author: Taylor, Mildred

    Witness
      Structured as a play with characters, acts, and text, this story depicts a small Vermont town facing issues of racism and bigotry introduced by the Klu Klux Klan in the 1920's. The courage of two young girls and the adults who support them leads the way t
      Author: Hesse, Karen HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Wreath for Emmett Till, A
      Told in a poetic form known as heroic crown sonnets, the thoughtfully illustrated poem causes the reader to experience the murder of 14 year old Emmett Till in Mississippi. The author provides an introduction to the poetic form, biographical information
      Author: Nelson, Marilyn HSE Descriptors: social studies | language arts - reading

Social Studies > sociology > social issues > racism > integration
    As Good as Anybody
      Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, who had both experienced discrimination, joined forces in the Civil Rights Movement.
      Author: Michelson, Richard HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Black Hoops: The History of African Americans in Basketball
      This book provides a history of basketball and African Americans in basketball. To help readers understand these issues, the author provides historical backdrops that address racism, segregation, the struggle to desegregate sports, and the civil rights mo
      Author: McKissack, Frederick, Jr. HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation
      Andrea and Brian Pinkney bring their considerable talents to tell the story of the Montgomery bus boycott in wonderfully poetic language and blues rhythms. An Author's Note gives more historical information.
      Author: Pinkney, Andrea HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation
      Andrea and Brian Pinkney bring their considerable talents to tell the story of the Montgomery bus boycott in wonderfully poetic language and blues rhythms. An Author's Note gives more historical information.
      Author: Pinkney, Andrea HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Freedom on the Menu
      The author portrays the 1960's Civil Rights sit-ins at the Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina through the eyes of a young Southern black girls. Richly muted paintings illustrate the story.
      Author: Weatherford, Carole Boston HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Freedom Walkers
      This detailed account of the Montgomery bus boycott that began the Civil Rights Movement includes material on the leadership of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rev. Ralph Abernathy, but also focuses on other heroes like Rev. Robert Graetz, Joanne Robinson and
      Author: Freedman, Russell HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Hammerin' Hank Grenberg: Baseball Pioneer
      The story of Hank Greenberg, first Jewish ballplayer inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Sommer explores the world of baseball as it became more inclusive and gives details of how Greenberg was an exceptional player.
      Author: Sommer, Shelley HSE Descriptors: social studies | language arts - reading

    In Nueva York
      This collection of short, interlocking stories depicts life in one of New York City's Puerto Rican communities.
      Author: Mohr, Nicholasa HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading

    Linda Brown, You Are Not Alone
      Well-known children's author Joyce Carol Thomas has collected pieces by 12 writers to commemorate the Supreme Court ruling Brown vs. Board of Education. The reading level varies significantly from piece to piece.
      Author: Thomas, Joyce Carol HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Martin's Big Words
      Brief and easy-to-read biographical statements are accompanied by MLK's words and award-winning illustrations. An abbreviated Civil Rights chronology and bibliography conclude the book.
      Author: Rappaport, Doreen HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Miss Crandall's School
      In innovative sonnet form, the authors tell the story of Prudence Crandall who ran a school for "young ladies and little misses of color" in Canterbury, Connecticut, in 1831 until boycotts, vandalism and persecution forced the school to close. An introdu
      Author: Alexander, Elizabeth & Nelson, Marilyn HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading | social studies

    Raisin in the Sun, A
      When an African-American family chooses to integrate an all-white neighborhood, all of their value systems and relationships come under pressure.
      Author: Hansberry, Lorraine HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading

    Separate Is Never Equal
      A Spanish family's children are barred from attending the school of their choice in California. They fight the ruling in court and win the past practice of segregation based on ethnicity.
      Author: Tonatiuh, Duncan HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading | social studies

    She Would Not Be Moved
      Kohl tells the historically correct version of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Rosa Park's role in it. This revised biography of Rosa Parks stresses her activist background and the violent environment of racism to counter the prevailing picture of her as a
      Author: Kohl, Herbert HSE Descriptors: social studies

Social Studies > sociology > social issues > racism > prejudice
    Anne Frank: Beyond the Diary
      This nonfiction reference book is filled with photographs and details about Anne Frank, her family, and the world in which she lived.
      Author: Verhoeven, Rian & van der Rol, Ruud HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Baseball Saved Us
      A young boy in an internment camp finds baseball to be his saving grace, although his determination and spirit is what sees him through.
      Author: Mochizuki, Ken HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Bearing Witness
      This selection of powerful personal stories of the Holocaust in various literary and artistic forms gives testimony of the extraordinary bravery of ordinary people. A map of concentration camps, a bibliography, and brief introductory notes for each excer
      Author: Rochman, Hazel & McCampbell, Darlene (Eds.) HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Becoming Billie Holiday
      Weatherford uses the titles of Billie Holiday songs as titles for poems that tell the story of Billie's life and road to fame.
      Author: Weatherford, Carole Boston HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Borning Room, The
      The narrator remembers growing up in southern Ohio in the 19th century, remembers farm life, celebrates her relatives with their varying ideas about slavery and religion, remembers her part in hiding slaves.
      Author: Fleischman, Paul HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The
      Bored and lonely after his family moves from Berlin to a place called "Out-with" (Auschwitz) in 1942, Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer, befriends a boy in striped pajamas who lives behind a wire fence. Bruno climbs into the camp to spend more time with hi
      Author: Boyne, John HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Champions on the Bench: The Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars
      In 1955, the Cannon St YMCA's Little League team (from SC) cannot play in the Little League World Series because all-white teams refuse to play them. The story told in this book is based on these real events.
      Author: Weatherford, Carole Boston HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Champions on the Bench: The Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars
      In 1955, the Cannon St YMCA's Little League team (from SC) cannot play in the Little League World Series because all-white teams refuse to play them. The story told in this book is based on these real events.
      Author: Weatherford, Carole Boston HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Chicken Sunday
      Two African-American boys and their white friend, a girl, try to earn enough money to buy Miss Eula Mae the Easter bonnet she's been longing for. The children befriend a Jewish shopkeeper who helps them succeed.
      Author: Polacco, Patricia

    Christmas Menorahs, The
      This picture book recreates the true story of how families and a community decided to stand together to combat bigotry and acts of hatred.
      Author: Cohn, Janice

    Code Talkers
      After attending a white boarding school where his Navajo language and culture were belittled and punished, Ned Begay served as a code talker with the US Marines during operations in the Pacific during World War II. The narrator tells his story to his gra
      Author: Bruchac, Joseph HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Do I Dare Disturb the Universe:
      Charlise Lyles grew up in Cleveland in the 1960s and 1970s. This memoir focuses on life in the projects, her family's struggle to survive, her mother's relentless work to provide opportunities for children. Mostly, though, it's about Charlise-- her though
      Author: Lyles, Charlise

    Freedom Rides: Journey for Justice
      These are stories about the Freedom Riders during the early years of the Civil Rights movement. The detail and "human" perspective provided goes well beyond most written descriptions. This is an engaging account of the actions of incredibly brave heroes.
      Author: Haskins, James HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Golem
      Illustrated with beautiful cut-paper collages, the author/illustrator retells the legend of the Golem (a man created from clay), who saves the Jews of 16th Century Prague from persecution. A lengthy endnote recounts the history of the Golem and the perse
      Author: Wisniewski, David HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading

    Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
      Bessie was 103 and Sadie was 105 when they collaborated with Amy Hill Hearth to write this story of their lives and times. Additionally the Delany sisters offer their perspectives on society, living conditions, people, events, etc. from the past century.
      Author: Delany, Sarah & Delany, A. Elizabeth HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Heroes
      Donnie, a Japanese American boy, finally escapes the role of "bad guy" in war games with his peers with the help of his father and uncle.
      Author: Mochizuki, Ken

    I Am an American: A True Story of Japanese Internment
      Both the close, personal view and the broader societal view of the U.S. and especially Japanese Americans during WW II are portrayed here. The text is illustrated with photographs taken at the time. An index and a few maps are also included.
      Author: Stanley, Jerry HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Indian School
      Subtitled "Teaching the White Man's Way," this book chronicles efforts to "civilize" Native American children and youth in the late 19th and early 20th century. Archival photographs, an index, a reading list, a bibliography, and a list of web sites comple
      Author: Cooper, Michael L. HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Jim the Boy
      In a coming-of-age story set in Appalachia, Jim grows up as a town boy with his mother and uncles but finally makes friends with a mountain boy and meets his mountain grandfather.
      Author: Early, Tony

    Journey, The
      The text tells the history of the Japanese in America. The photographs depict sections of an enormous mural which the author created to "open the past, hoping to chase away the demons of prejudice and injustice."
      Author: Hamanaka, Sheila HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Let Them Play
      This beautifully illustrated book tells the true story of the 1955 state champion little league team from South Carolina, who were all African-American and who encountered segregation problems as they continued to win.
      Author: Raven, Margot HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Perfect Shot, The
      Ostensibly a murder mystery, this book explores many issues--civil rights, prejudice, judicial system, stereotyping, meaningful teaching--while offering exciting descriptions of basketball. Brian must decide whether to speak out when his girlfriend, her
      Author: Alphin, Elaine Marie HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Picture Book of Jesse Owens, A
      This very readable biography tells the life story of Jesse Owens, the 1936 Olympic star, and the prejudice he combated throughout his life. The book ends with a page of notes and a page of dates.
      Author: Adler, David HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Princess of the Press
      This biography of Ida Wells- Barnett chronicles her remarkable career in civil rights as a journalist against lynching, publisher of African American newspapers, speaker and activist for women's right to vote, and founder of the National Association for t
      Author: Medearis, Angela HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Richard Wright and the Library Card
      This is a 'slice of life' biography about the author Richard Wright set in his late adolescence/ young adulthood. Events deal with discrimination, Richard's discovery of literature, and how he decided to become an author.
      Author: Miller, William HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading | social studies

    Salt: A Story of Friendship in Time of War
      Set in the Indiana Territory, this story of two friends - Anikwa, a Miami Indian and James, the son of a white trader become friends despite the conflict of their heritage. This book is uniquely crafted in two style of poetic verse. Salt plays a symbolic
      Author: Frost, Helen HSE Descriptors: social studies | language arts - reading

    smoky night
      1
      Author: bunting, eve HSE Descriptors: literature and arts | literature and arts | literature and arts | literature and arts | literature and arts

    Star of Fear, Star of Hope
      As a young girl living in France during the Nazi occupation, Helen can't understand why her best friend Lydia must wear a yellow star. The friends part when Lydia leaves a birthday party to warn her family that the Nazis are rounding up Jews. The friend
      Author: Hoestlandt, Jo HSE Descriptors: social studies

    This Land is My Land
      By telling his own story in words and in art, Littlefield describes what it is to be Native-American in the United States. He pays tribute to his ancestors and to the Native-American culture and history.
      Author: Littlechild, George

    To Kill A Mockingbird
      In this classic American novel set in the 30s, Lee tells the story of two children growing up in the South with their lawyer father who represents an African-American man accused of raping a white woman. The novel is rich and complex in plot and theme.
      Author: Lee, Harper HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading

    Walking the Choctaw Road
      A collection of twelve stories from the Mississippi and Oklahoma branches of the Choctaw People, including traditional lore arising from beliefs and myths, historical tales pased down through generations, and personal stories of contemporary life.
      Author: Tingle, Tim HSE Descriptors: social studies | language arts - reading

    Widow's Broom, The
      A widow helps a witch recover from a fall, and in gratitude the witch leaves behind her broom to help the woman do her work. Suspicious neighbors try to burn the broom, but in the end the broom settles in with the woman.
      Author: Van Allsburg, Chris

Social Studies > sociology > social issues > racism > race relations
    Abraham's Battle
      An ex-slave named Abraham, a young Confederate soldier, and a girl from Gettysburg meet in the cataclysmic days of the Civil War battle. Abraham meets Lincoln after the President gives his famous address.
      Author: Banks, Sara Harrell HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Amistad: A Long Road to Freedom
      When slaves on the ship Amistad rebelled and tried to return home to Africa, they were captured and embroiled in legal battles of slavery and abolition in the U.S. The book includes sections on Further Reading, Bibliography, Epilogue, and endpaper courtr
      Author: Myers, Walter Dean HSE Descriptors: social studies

    At Her Majesty's Request
      Queen Victoria oversees the education and upbringing of an African princess after she was rescued from execution by a ship captain who brought her to England.
      Author: Myers, Walter Den HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Barack Obama, Son of Promise, Child of Hope
      Framed by the story of an African American mother and her son, who keeps interjecting questions and comments, the narrative tells the story of Barack Obama around the theme of hope and the importance of education. Both the words of Nikki Grimes and the ar
      Author: Grimes, Nikki HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading | social studies

    Birmingham, 1963
      A fictional narrator tells, in poetry, about the day she turned 10, which was also the day of the church bombing in Birmingham
      Author: Weatherford, Carole HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Black and White Airmen: Their True Story
      The history of airmen in WWII is told through the experiences of two men from Cincinnati, one African American and one Caucasian. Information about race relations at the time is woven throughout the narrative.
      Author: Fleischman, John HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Blanche on the Lam
      A spunky African-American woman, who works as a housekeeper for a wealthy southern family with many secrets, must solve a murder in order to clear herself. Blanche relies on her own intelligence and an "old girl" network of domestics. The language is oc
      Author: Neely, B. HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading

    Boy Named Reckoning, A: A: The True Story of Dr. Carlos Montezuma, Native American Hero
      The author has pieced together the writings of Dr. Carlos Montezuma to tell his life story in letter form. He was a Native American boy who was kidnapped, sold into slavery and eventually educated in Chicago. He devoted the rest of his life to lobbying fo
      Author: Capaldi, Gina HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading | social studies

    Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation
      Andrea and Brian Pinkney bring their considerable talents to tell the story of the Montgomery bus boycott in wonderfully poetic language and blues rhythms. An Author's Note gives more historical information.
      Author: Pinkney, Andrea HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation
      Andrea and Brian Pinkney bring their considerable talents to tell the story of the Montgomery bus boycott in wonderfully poetic language and blues rhythms. An Author's Note gives more historical information.
      Author: Pinkney, Andrea HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Chicken Sunday
      Two African-American boys and their white friend, a girl, try to earn enough money to buy Miss Eula Mae the Easter bonnet she's been longing for. The children befriend a Jewish shopkeeper who helps them succeed.
      Author: Polacco, Patricia

    Do I Dare Disturb the Universe:
      Charlise Lyles grew up in Cleveland in the 1960s and 1970s. This memoir focuses on life in the projects, her family's struggle to survive, her mother's relentless work to provide opportunities for children. Mostly, though, it's about Charlise-- her though
      Author: Lyles, Charlise

    Fiery Vision: The Life and Death of John Brown
      Brown is one of the controversial figures in American history who continues today to evoke both anger and admiration. This gripping biography of John Brown, abolitionist and crusader for equality of races, describes the events of his life that led to Har
      Author: Cox, Clinton HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Fiery Vision: The Life and Death of John Brown
      Brown is one of the controversial figures in American history who continues today to evoke both anger and admiration. This gripping biography of John Brown, abolitionist and crusader for equality of races, describes the events of his life that led to Har
      Author: Cox, Clinton HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Freedom School, Yes
      When their house is attacked because her mother volunteered to take in the young white woman who has come to teach black children at the Freedom School, Jolie is afraid, but she overcomes her fear after learning the value of education. Based on interviews
      Author: Littlesugar, Amy HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Freedom's Children
      Thirty African Americans tell their youthful experiences in the civil rights movement. The book includes a chronology, a who's who, a list of acronyms, and a bibliography.
      Author: Levine, Ellen HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Freedom's Fruit
      Mama Marina, a conjure woman in the Low Country of the Carolinas in the time of slavery, uses a magic spell to free her daughter and the man she loves. The book includes an Author's Note that compares the American folktale with the Greek myth of Persepho
      Author: Hooks, William

    Great Migration, The
      This book consists of reprints of a series of sixty paintings, by Jacob Lawrence, depicting the migration of African-Americans from the South to the North. In search of a better life, people moved by the thousands, from rural lifestyles to urban poverty.
      Author: Lawrence, Jacob HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Gwendolyn Brooks
      This biography describes the influences and hardships of the early years and the political activism of the later years of the African American poet Gwendolyn Brooks. The book includes a chronology, archival photos, an index, a list of published works and
      Author: Hill, Christine M. HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading | social studies | language arts - writing

    Hammerin' Hank Grenberg: Baseball Pioneer
      The story of Hank Greenberg, first Jewish ballplayer inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Sommer explores the world of baseball as it became more inclusive and gives details of how Greenberg was an exceptional player.
      Author: Sommer, Shelley HSE Descriptors: social studies | language arts - reading

    I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This
      A moving story of the friendship between two motherless 12-year-old girls--one black and one white--presents issues of racial prejudice, poverty, and child abuse.
      Author: Woodson, Jacqueline

    I Have a Dream
      The text of the "I Have a Dream" speech is accompanied by illustrations from noted Coretta Scott King Award and Honor Book artists. The Foreword by Mrs. King explains the project, and notes from each artist explain details of the illustrations.
      Author: King, Dr. Martin Luter, Jr. HSE Descriptors: social studies

    January's Sparrow
      After a fellow slave is beaten to death, Sadie and her family flee the plantation for freedom through the Underground Railroad. As they make a new life in Michigan, they must remain alert for the slave catchers.
      Author: Polacco, Patricia HSE Descriptors: social studies

    January's Sparrow
      After a fellow slave is beaten to death, Sadie and her family flee the plantation for freedom through the Underground Railroad. As they make a new life in Michigan, they must remain alert for the slave catchers.
      Author: Polacco, Patricia HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Life Is So Good
      This is the autobiography of George Dawson, grandson of slaves, who began to learn to read at age 98. Like Having Our Say, this book offers an African American perspective to 100 years of history. Moreover, Dawson's character and philosophy for l
      Author: Dawson, George & Glaubman, Richard HSE Descriptors: language arts - writing | social studies

    Malcolm X
      In a clear, simple, and beautifully illustrated text, Walter Dean Myers emphasizes the life not death of Malcolm X as he grew to be a great leader for racial equality. Quotations and a timeline make the text especially useful in the classroom.
      Author: Myers, Walter Dean HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Martin's Big Words
      Brief and easy-to-read biographical statements are accompanied by MLK's words and award-winning illustrations. An abbreviated Civil Rights chronology and bibliography conclude the book.
      Author: Rappaport, Doreen HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Princess of the Press
      This biography of Ida Wells- Barnett chronicles her remarkable career in civil rights as a journalist against lynching, publisher of African American newspapers, speaker and activist for women's right to vote, and founder of the National Association for t
      Author: Medearis, Angela HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Remember
      Spare text and very moving photographs recount times surrounding Brown vs. Board of Education school desegregation from the perspective of children.
      Author: Morrison, Toni HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Remember the Bridge
      Illustrated by prints and black-and-white photographs and bracketed by two "bridge" poems, the poetry relates the experience of African Americans from Africa to the Civil Rights Movement.
      Author: Weatherford, Carole HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Rosa
      Giovanni tells the story of Rosa Parks' infamous bus ride. In the telling, the author speaks to the strength of the African-American community in their struggle for equal rights. The author weaves other tales (Emmett Till) into the story to give the rea
      Author: Giovanni, Nikki HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Shake Rag
      As a boy, Elvis Presley discovers "good news" music at a traveling church that gives his guitar playing a distinctive sound when he records later in 1954.
      Author: Littlesugar, Amy

    This Vast Land
      A fictional account of a young man on the real Lewis and Clark Expedition emphasizes and personalizes the confrontation of races and the conflict between civilization and the wilderness. There are allusions to sex, though minimal.
      Author: Ambrose, Stephen HSE Descriptors: social studies

    To Be a Slave
      Reminiscences of slaves and ex-slaves report their experiences of being owned and sold as property in the United States during the 19th Century. Many accounts of brutality are unsettling. This is a reprint of a 1968 edition with new introductory materia
      Author: Lester, Julius HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Uncle Jed's Barbershop
      A woman tells the story of her Uncle Jed, an African-American barber who traveled a regular route, saving his money for his own shop. When she became sick, he gave up his money for her operation, and when the Depression came, he lost everything again. F
      Author: Mitchell, Margaree K. HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Under the Sun
      After his father sends him and his mother to relatives outside Sarajevo to escape the perils of the war in the former Yugoslavia, 13-year-old Ehmet must find the way through land mines, burned villages, and hostile bands of armed men to his grandparents i
      Author: Dorros, Arthur HSE Descriptors: social studies

Social Studies > sociology > social issues > racism > segregation
    Abe's Honest Words
      As part of Rappaport's series of well researched biographies that includes excerpts from speeches this is equally engaging and well developed. The narrative that contextualizes the life and times of Abraham Lincoln is enhanced by quotes from Lincoln's wri
      Author: Rappaport, Doreen HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Abe's Honest Words
      As part of Rappaport's series of well researched biographies that includes excerpts from speeches this is equally engaging and well developed. The narrative that contextualizes the life and times of Abraham Lincoln is enhanced by quotes from Lincoln's wri
      Author: Rappaport, Doreen HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Black and White Airmen: Their True Story
      The history of airmen in WWII is told through the experiences of two men from Cincinnati, one African American and one Caucasian. Information about race relations at the time is woven throughout the narrative.
      Author: Fleischman, John HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Black Hoops: The History of African Americans in Basketball
      This book provides a history of basketball and African Americans in basketball. To help readers understand these issues, the author provides historical backdrops that address racism, segregation, the struggle to desegregate sports, and the civil rights mo
      Author: McKissack, Frederick, Jr. HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Black Jack: The Ballad of Jack Johnson
      An interesting account of fightin' Black Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight of the world in 1910. The prejudicial issues of the era made this a monumental task. Bold words and bold color art combine to create a rhythmic text that captures the ener
      Author: Smith, Charles R., Jr. HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading | social studies

    Duke Ellington
      This is the story of one of the greatest musicians and composers of the 20th century, Duke Ellington. (Coretta Scott King Award Winner; Caldecott Honor Book)
      Author: Pinkney, Andrea Davis HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading

    Finding Lincoln
      Louis needs to write an essay but in Alabama in 1951, he's not allowed in the "whites only" library. Lewis solves his dilemma with bravery and the help of a kind librarian. Historical notes are included at the end of the story.
      Author: Malaspina, Ann HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Finding Lincoln
      Louis needs to write an essay but in Alabama in 1951, he's not allowed in the "whites only" library. Lewis solves his dilemma with bravery and the help of a kind librarian. Historical notes are included at the end of the story.
      Author: Malaspina, Ann HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Forbidden Schoolhouse
      With the help of her family and a few powerful friends, Prudence Crandall began a school for African-American girls in Canterbury, Connecticut, in 1833 despite boycotts, vandalism, and legal battles. An appendix provides historical research on the student
      Author: Jurmain, Suzanne HSE Descriptors: social studies

    From Miss Ida's Porch
      People from the street gather on Miss Ida's porch to hear stories, especially stories about important Black musicians (Lena Horne, Duke Ellington, Marian Anderson) and their personal connections to them. These I-remember-when stories are both heartfelt a
      Author: Belton, Sandra HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Grandmama's Pride
      This is a most beautiful book focusing on the segregation practiced in the south during the 1950's leading to the civil rights laws passed in the 60's. The illustrations make the book come alive with details showing the inequalities practiced in every day
      Author: Birtha, Becky HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Grandmama's Pride
      This is a most beautiful book focusing on the segregation practiced in the south during the 1950's leading to the civil rights laws passed in the 60's. The illustrations make the book come alive with details showing the inequalities practiced in every day
      Author: Birtha, Becky HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Hell Fighters: African American Soldiers in World War I
      This book tells the story of the "Hell Fighters," a voluntary infantry that was one of the few African American regiments to see action during World War I.
      Author: Cooper, Michael L. HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Home of the Brave
      In a dream-like story and illustrations, Allen Say captures the infamy, dislocation, and loss experienced by Japanese Americans in the internment camps during World War II.
      Author: Say, Allen HSE Descriptors: social studies

    I Am an American: A True Story of Japanese Internment
      Both the close, personal view and the broader societal view of the U.S. and especially Japanese Americans during WW II are portrayed here. The text is illustrated with photographs taken at the time. An index and a few maps are also included.
      Author: Stanley, Jerry HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Keep on Singing
      The story of the life of the singer Marian Anderson is told in ballad form. The author's notes at the end of the book include additional biographical information.
      Author: Livingston, Myra Cohn HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading | social studies

    Momma, Where Are You From?
      When a young girl asks her mother where she comes from, she receives a loving description of her hard-working childhood in the segregated South told in rich, rhythmic language with lush illustrations.
      Author: Bradby, Marie HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Nazi Olympics, The
      Published by the U. S. National Holocaust Museum, this history documents the manipulation of the 1936 Olympics in Berlin by Hitler and the Nazi party and presents the controversy of whether to participate or not on the part of nations and individuals. Ar
      Author: Bachrach, Susan HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Ruth and the Green Book
      An easy narrative about travel in this country by car for African Americans in the 50s and 60s. Ruth's story is fiction, but the "The Negro Motorist Green Book" and its role in helping a generation of African American travelers avoid some of the indigniti
      Author: Ramsey, Calvin A. HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading | social studies

    Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow
      The story of Satchel Paige's baseball career told by a fictional baseball player who once batted against Paige. Biographical and historical information are included in a preface and appendix.
      Author: Sturm, James and Tommaso, Rich HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Shattered
      This collection contains twelve stories about the impact of war on children and teenagers, some fictional, some personal experiences. A trailer with historical background crawls across the bottom of the page. Biographies of the authors are included.
      Author: Armstrong, Jennifer (ed.) HSE Descriptors: social studies

    So Far From the Sea
      A Japanese American visits Manazar, a Japanese relocation camp in World War II, to visit the grave of a grandfather.
      Author: Bunting, Eve HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Sweethearts of Rhythm: The story of the greatest all-girl swing band in the world
      The 16-member, all-woman, racially diverse swing band The International Sweethearts of Rhythm from the war years of the 1940's are brought to life by the idiomatic speech and rhythms of Nelson's poetry and by Pinkney's vibrant illlustrations. The individ
      Author: Nelson, Marilyn HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading | social studies

    Uncle Jed's Barbershop
      A woman tells the story of her Uncle Jed, an African-American barber who traveled a regular route, saving his money for his own shop. When she became sick, he gave up his money for her operation, and when the Depression came, he lost everything again. F
      Author: Mitchell, Margaree K. HSE Descriptors: social studies

    Voice of Her Own, A
      This biography of Phillis Wheatley, a American Revolution era slave who became the first Black woman poet, includes excerpts of her poetry, an epilogue, and notes by the author and illustrator.
      Author: Lasky, Kathryn HSE Descriptors: social studies | language arts - writing

    We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March
      Tells the story of the Birmingham Children's March through four participants. As the events unfold, the different perspectives and motivations of the participants shed light on the dynamics of the civil rights movement. In addition to the personal stori
      Author: Levinson, Cynthia HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading | social studies

    When Marian Sang
      This book is an introduction to the life of Marian Anderson, depicting her music, her inspiration, and her struggles as a singer against segregation .
      Author: Ryan, Pam Munoz HSE Descriptors: language arts - reading | social studies


Ohio Aspire

Contact us

Ohio Aspire
p: 800.765.2897 option 2
p: 330.672.2007 option 2
f: 330.672.4841
ohiopdn@literacy.kent.edu

Explore more resources at:

Ohio Aspire
PDN Library