Children / Young Adult Social Justice Book Lists

When Mariatu set out for a neighborhood village in Sierra Leone, she was kidnapped and tortured, and both of her hands cut off. She turned to begging to survive. This heart-rending memoir is a testament to her courage and resilience. Today she is a UNICEF Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. Red Maple Non-Fiction Award winner. 2011

Eight-year-old Garang, orphaned by a civil war in Sudan, finds the inner strength to help lead other boys as they trek hundreds of miles seeking safety in Ethiopia, then Kenya, and finally in the United States.

Every September 21 on the International Day of Peace, children around the world wish in many different languages for peace.--Title page verso.

Michel Chikwanine was five years old when he was abducted from his schoolyard soccer game in the Democratic Republic of Congo and forced to become a soldier for a brutal rebel militia. Against the odds, Michel managed to escape and find his way back to his family, but he was never the same again. After immigrating to Canada, Michel was encouraged by a teacher to share what happened to him in order to raise awareness about child soldiers around the world, and this book is part of that effort. Told in the first person and presented in a graphic novel format, the gripping story of Michel's experience is moving and unsettling. But the humanity he exhibits in the telling, along with Claudia Dávila's illustrations, which evoke rather than depict the violent elements of the story, makes the book accessible for this age group and, ultimately, reassuring and hopeful. The back matter contains further information, as well as suggestions for ways children can help. This is a perfect resource for engaging youngsters in social studies lessons on global awareness and social justice issues, and would easily spark classroom discussions about conflict, children's rights and even bullying.

'Hannah is tired of holiday gatherings - all her family ever talks about is the past. In fact, it seems to her that's what they do every Jewish holiday, but this year's Passover Seder will be different. Hannah will be mysteriouly transported into the past ... and only she knows the unspeakable horrors that await.'--back cover.

Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl is among the most enduring documents of the 20th century. Since its publication in 1947, Anne Frank's story has become familiar to millions all over the world, and remains a beloved and deeply admired testament to the indestructible nature of the human spirit.

A poignant First World War story of friendship Jim and Jules are childhood friends, born on the same day in the same village. All their lives, Jim has been first--born two minutes before Jules, always faster, always stronger. When the First World War breaks out in Europe, the two young men enlist in the fight with 30,000 other Canadians. On the Front, conditions aren't epic and glorious but muddy and barbaric. Here, too, Jim is the first to attack. Jules is always two minutes behind: lagging in drills, missing the boat, handed chores instead of honors. On November 11, 1918, Jim and Jules are sent out to fight one last time. Jim, always first over the top of the trench, is shot and dies at 10:58 am, two minutes before the Armistice takes effect at 11:00 am. New in paperback and illustrated by political cartoonist Jacques Goldstyn, this picture book, inspired by true events, is a simple, poignant, and thought-provoking story.

Gifts from the Enemy is the powerful and moving story based onFrom a Name to a Number: A Holocaust Survivor's Autobiography by Alter Wiener, in which Alter recalls his loss of family at the hands of the Nazis and his internment in five prison camps during World War II. This picture book tells one moving episode during Alter's imprisonment, when an unexpected person demonstrates moral courage in repeated acts of kindness to young Alter during his imprisonment. Written by acclaimed children's writer Trudy Ludwig, author ofBetter Than You andConfessions of a Former Bully, and illustrated by award-winning children's book illustrator Craig Orback,Gifts from the Enemy teaches children in age-appropriate language about the dangers of hatred, prejudice, and stereotyping and that there are good and bad in every group of people. The accompanying questions and activities for readers provide teachers and parents with helpful direction in presenting this history and the valuable story.Gifts from the Enemy highlights how acts of social justice and kindness can change lives.

Award-winning illustrator Hanane Kai uses a deft hand to create powerful illustrations that help children visualize the people impacted by poverty, hunger, war, racism, and more. In Global Conflict, children can get answers to questions like: what is global conflict? And how does it affect people in countries all over the world? Children will begin to understand the way others struggle with these issues and discover ways they can help. Perfect for parents, teachers, and gift givers looking for: learning and homeschool books kids racism books diverse children's books Each book in this series uses relatable comparisons, carefully researched text, and striking illustrations to help kids understand the many difficulties that children just like them face in the world today. All of the images are sensitively rendered and perfectly suited for younger children. These books are an excellent cross-curricular resource--use them to explore important issues and tie them into discussions about food, wealth, compassion, empathy, and current affairs.

A biography of a Czech girl who died in the Holocaust, told in alternating chapters with an account of how the curator of a Japanese Holocaust center learned about her life after Hana's suitcase was sent to her.

Separated from his parents in Poland during World War II, a young Jewish boy enslaved in a concentration camp, keeps hope alive while playing Schubert on his harmonica whenever the camp's commandant orders him to play.

The author describes her experiences during World War II when she and her family were sent to the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz.

In this companion book to the award-winning Stolen Child, a young girl is forced into slave labour in a munitions factory in Nazi Germany. In Stolen Child, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch introduced readers to Larissa, a victim of Hitler's largely unknown Lebensborn program. In this companion novel, readers will learn the fate of Lida, her sister, who was also kidnapped by the Germans and forced into slave labour {u2014} an Ostarbeiter. In addition to her other tasks, Lida's small hands make her the perfect candidate to handle delicate munitions work, so she is sent to a factory that makes bombs. The gruelling work and conditions leave her severely malnourished and emotionally traumatized, but overriding all of this is her concern and determination to find out what happened to her vulnerable younger sister. With rumours of the Allies turning the tide in the war, Lida and her friends conspire to sabotage the bombs to help block the Nazis' war effort. When her work camp is finally liberated, she is able to begin her search to learn the fate of her sister. In this exceptional novel Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch delivers a powerful story of hope and courage in the face of incredible odds.

Tells the true story of Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat stationed in Lithuania in 1940 who risked the safety of his own family members and put his job on the line by issuing vvisas to as many as 10,000 Jews who were facing death at the hands of the Nazis.

Dan, Jen, Jeff, and Luke enjoy dividing into soldiers and enemies to play war, but when Sameer, a new boy in the neighborhood, tells of losing his family in a real war, they feel differently about the game.

Rose Blanche follows a truck into the countryside to a barbed wire fence, behind which some children stand. She makes daily visits bringing food. Not recommended for young children.

Tells the true story of the teachers, students, and community of Whitwell Middle School in Tennessee who created a memorial for the children of the Holocaust.

In this allegory of the Holocaust, Little Rabbit learns the value of sticking together as the Terrible Things carry away the creatures of the forest clearing.

Deborah Ellis presents the stories of children of the war-torn Middle East, based on interviews with Israeli and Palestinian children. In a rehabilitation center for disabled children, twelve-year-old Nora says she loves the color pink and chewing gum and explains that the wheels of her wheelchair are like her legs. Eleven-year-old Mohammad describes how his house was demolished by soldiers. And we meet twelve-year-old Salam, whose older sister walked into a store in Jerusalem and blew herself up, killing herself and two people, and injuring twenty others. All these children live both ordinary and extraordinary lives. They argue with their siblings. They dream about their wishes for the future. They have also seen their homes destroyed, their families killed, and they live in the midst of constant upheaval and violence. This simple and telling book allows children everywhere to see those caught in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as children just like themselves, but who are living far more difficult, dangerous lives.

The Education Library holds several volumes of the Azrieli Series of Holocaust Survivor Memoirs. To locate other volumes pick Advanced Search, enter Azrieli as a series.

"The true story of Walter and his Jewish family, who were hidden from capture in the Netherlands throughout the Second World War. The story spans Walter's life from six to fourteen and is accented by Walter's letters, first as a child to his grandparents, and later, sharing memories with his granddaughter."-- Publisher