Anti-Racist Books for Children and Teenagers' Bookshelves

This beautifully illustrated alphabet board book was initially written for the author's son. The colorful piece of literature covers topics from environmental justice to LGBTQ rights, and is written for the youngest of minds to understand. 

In this heartwarming picture book, you'll meet seven-year-old Lena who wants to paint a picture of herself, and explains to her mother she wants to paint her skin brown. Before she puts paint to paper, her mother encourages her to walk around their neighborhood to see that there are many different shades of brown to be celebrated.

The bestselling YA series poses the question: What if Europeans were the ones colonized? Sephy is a Cross, otherwise known as a member of the dark-skinned ruling class, while Callum is a Nought, who were once slaves to the Crosses and are deemed the underclass. The two friends have known each other all their lives, but soon they start to feel things for each other that terrify them both. You know the trope, but Blackman's characters put it on a whole new playing field. 

Whether you want to figure out how to combat racial prejudice in your own life or are looking to educate someone a little younger, you've found the perfect book. Jewell's words, mixed in with Durand's illustrations, makes understanding how to be an ally easy for absolutely everyone.

Another Newberry winner on the list, and does this book deserve it. Every Sunday, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town after leaving church. But one day, CJ starts to ask a lot of questions about what he sees on his commute and why his life is different from his friends'. Thankfully, his grandmother has the perfect answers to help CJ see the beauty in the world around him.

When Quinn sees his best friend's older brother, a cop, beating his classmate Rashad over "stealing," he doesn't say anything because he doesn't want to get involved. The next day, Rashad isn't at school. Instead, he's in the hospital, and a video of the incident goes viral across the country. Quinn must decide if he's going to stay silent or speak up for his classmate. Told between both boys, All American Boys provides a harrowing look into both sides of the well-known narrative.  

This New York Times Bestseller tells the story of high school junior Jade, who believes the only way she'll ever succeed is by leaving her poor neighborhood. In between studying to maintain her scholarship at her wealthy white private school, she's asked to join the "at-risk" mentorship program. At first, she's unsure what she can learn from the program, but the after-school activity soon does more for her than she could ever realize.