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The police killing of George Floyd and the
resulting protests have inspired a much-
needed national dialogue about race and
diversity. But if you’re not sure how to
initiate conversations about anti-Black
racism, police violence and the right to
peaceful protest with your kids, books are a
great way to break the ice.

These children’s books about race,
selected by Jennifer Rothschild of Arlington
Public Library, offer a jumping-off point
for families to discuss current events.

PRESCHOOL BOOKS
DAVID STUCK
‘BLACK IS A RAINBOW COLOR’
by Angela Joy,
illustrated by Ekua
Holmes In this joyous
celebration of all the
ways black is beautiful,
a young Black child
explores the world
around her as well as
the history and culture of her people.

It encouraged me to know that we weren’t
the only parents who wanted our chil-
dren to witness so many people from all
walks of life standing in solidarity against
racism. We stayed for just 30 minutes because I
didn’t want to prolong our possible expo-
sure to COVID-19. During that time, I
only feared for our safety once. I felt there
were some people walking too close to my
children, so as my husband led us, I stood
closely behind to prevent anyone from
touching them.

Overall, the protest was a good
experience, and I’m glad that I brought
my children. When they’re adults and
people talk about the protests of 2020,
I want them to be able to say that they
participated, too.

I also wanted to show them that despite
racism and the evil in the world, there are
16 Washington FAMILY JULY 2020
still more people for them than against
them. My hope as they grow and mature
is that the experience helps them to be
politically aware and involved so they can
stand against injustice. n
Rev. Lauren Harris (Twitter: @revlaurelj) is an
itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal
Church. She serves at New Life Laurel, a
church plant of Reid Temple A.M.E. Church
in Laurel, MD. She works for the Baltimore-
Washington Conference of The United
Methodist Church. She is the proud mother of
two children, one on the autism spectrum. She
blogs about her life as wife, mother and minister
at throwupandtheology.com and has been
published in Sojourners magazine, Gospel Today
magazine, The A.M.E. Church’s Christian
Recorder, and Modern Loss.

‘HANDS UP’
by Breanna J.

McDaniel, illustrated
by Shane Evans
A Black girl shows all
the ways she raises
her hands—to reach
a book, to worship, to
answer a question in
class and to join in a protest march.

‘DON’T TOUCH MY HAIR’
by Sharee Miller
Aria loves her soft and
bouncy hair, but so does
everyone else. People are
constantly reaching out
to touch it, even though
she doesn’t want them
to. How can she get
them to stop?



CHILDREN’S BOOKS ABOUT
RACE AND DIVERSITY
EARLY ELEMENTARY BOOKS
‘SOMETHING HAPPENED IN OUR
TOWN: A CHILD’S STORY ABOUT
RACIAL INJUSTICE’
by Marianne
Celano, Marietta
Collins and Ann
Hazzard, illustrated by
Jennifer Zivoin
A white family
and a Black family
answer their child’s
questions after a
Black man is shot by police in their town.

Written by child psychologists, this book
includes a note to parents and caregivers
about discussing racism and traumatic
events with children.

‘NOT MY IDEA: A BOOK ABOUT
WHITENESS’ by Anastasia Higginbotham
A white child is
confused after
being told by their
parents that they
“don’t see color.”
After doing library
research, the
child asks more
questions of their parents, thoughtfully
exploring the ways white people can
confront and dismantle racism.

‘CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR?:
POEMS OF RACE, MISTAKES, AND
FRIENDSHIP’ by Irene Latham and Charles Waters,
illustrated by Sean
Qualls and
Selina Alko
After being
partnered together
on a poetry project,
a white girl and a
Black boy write
paired poems each
offering their own
take on similar
experiences. MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS
Have a book about race that you want
to recommend to other parents or young
readers? Send your picks to
editor@washingtonfamily.com. ‘BLENDED’
by Sharon Draper
Biracial Isabella
struggles to find
her place as she
switches every
week between
her divorced
parents’ houses.

Her questions
about identity
and belonging are thrown into sharper
relief after a racist incident at school and a
dangerous encounter with the police.

YOUNG ADULT BOOKS
‘NEW KID’
by Jerry Craft
Jordan wanted
to go to art
school, but
instead is starting
at prestigious
Riverdale, where most of
the students
are white. It’s
a very different world from his diverse
neighborhood, and Jordan tries to fit in in
this award-winning graphic novel.

‘THIS BOOK IS ANTI-RACIST: 20
LESSONS ON HOW TO WAKE UP, TAKE
ACTION, AND THE DO THE WORK’
by Tiffany Jewell,
illustrated by
Aurélia Durand
This introduction
to racism gives
teens and tweens
the knowledge
and language
to discuss and
confront the
injustice they
experience or witness. Featuring a strong
visual design, calls to action and journal
prompts, this book helps explain and relate
racism’s complexities.

‘GHOST BOYS’
by Jewell Parker Rhodes
After being
murdered by
police who
thought his toy
gun was real,
12-year-old Jerome’s ghost
bears witness
to the resulting
grief and outrage.

He also meets
the ghosts of other Black boy victims,
including historical figures such as
Emmett Till.

‘HOW IT WENT
DOWN’ by Kekla Magoon
After a white man
shoots a Black
teenager, no one
can agree on what
happened. Told
from multiple
perspectives and
voices, Magoon
explores the competing narratives and lets
readers draw their own conclusions.

‘ALL AMERICAN BOYS’
by Jason Reynolds
and Brendan Keily
When white teenager
Quinn witnesses his
mentor, a policeman,
brutally beat Rashad,
a Black classmate, he
can’t believe it. After
security footage is
released, the event
becomes national
news and divides the school and community,
something both boys grapple with in this
award-winning dual. n
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