Great Books to Read Aloud to Your Children

Preschool

The Land of Many Colors  Klamath County YMCA Family Preschool 1993 Scholastic Big Book A story about war and peace.

This is Our House Michael Rosen 1996 Candlewick
A group of children stand up to a prejudiced bully.

Two Mrs. Gibsons  Toyomi Igus  1996 Children’s Book Press
A story about family differences.

We Are All Alike We Are All Different  Cheltenham Kindergarteners 1991 Scholastic Celebrates similarities and differences

What If Zebras Lost Their Stripes John Reitano 1998 Paulist Press
A story about racial prejudice.

Yo Yes  Chris Raschka 1993 Scholastic Two very different little boys make friends.

Primary

Chicken Sunday Patricia Polacco 1992 Putnam
A story of interracial friendship and dealing with bullying.

The Hating Book Charlotte Zolotow 1969 Harpur & Row
Two friends learn that hate hurts

I Hate English Ellen Levine 1989 Scholastic
A girl from China struggles to learn English

I Have a Sister My Sister is Deaf Jeanne Whitehouse Peterson 1977 HarperCollins
Examines deafness from a child’s viewpoint.

I Love My Hair Natasha Tarpley 1998 Little, Brown
A young girl celebrates her hair and family heritage.

Play Lady  Eric Hoffman 1999 Redleaf Press
A group of children help a friend who has been attacked because she is Korean.

The Other Side Jacqueline Woodson 2001 Putnam
Two very different little girls make friends.

Sister Anne’s Hands  Marybeth Lorbiecki 1998 Puffin
A young girl discovers skin color differences and racial discrimination.

The Sneetches Dr. Seuss 1961 Random House
A classic fable about bias and prejudice

Upper Elementary

Amazing Grace: The Story of the Hymn Linda Garfield 2001 Tundra
Tells how a former slave ship captain found forgiveness

Baseball Saved Us Ken Mochizuki 1995 Lee & Low
Story about a young Japanese boy in an internment camp during WWII.

Batboy and His Violin Gavin Curtis 2001 Aladdin
A boy who loves classical violin becomes batboy for his father's team in the National Negro League.

Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles 2005 Aladdin
It is 1964 and two good friends, one black, one white discover that segregation must be fought not just with the law, but also with personal bravery.

Mayfield Crossing by Vaunda M. Nelson 2002 Putnam
In this short chapter book children attending a recently integrated school take positive action to address the prejudices of their classmates.

Mississippi Bridge by Mildred D. Taylor 2000 Puffin
Seen through the eyes of a young boy this story shows the injustice of racism and how individuals can rise above it.

Passage to Freedom by Ken Mochizuki 2003 Lee & Low
True story of the Japanese consul to Russia who wrote visas that saved the lives of 10,000 Polish Jews during WWII.

Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco 1994 Philomel
It's the Civil War. Two Union soldiers one white and one black befriend each other. They are captured and sent to Andersonville Prison where skin color determines their treatment.

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