Kids are natural activists. Anyone whose spent time with a 2-year-old knows that when a child wants something to change, they do everything they can to make it happen!
These books about activism and changing the world will inspire kids to raise their powerful voices to make a difference. Parents can use the books as conversation starters about how small and large actions can change the world, whether it's with one act of kindness or by leading others in a grand movement.
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The Artivist by Nikkolas Smith
Nikkolas Smith describes how he came to use his art to spread messages prompting social change. As a child he loved art, but also saw the injustice around him. When his art captured the media's attention he saw what a powerful tool it can be. I liked the way Smith's book shows children that their passions can be vehicles through which they effect change in the world and spread a message of hope and compassion. Ages 4 and up.
Something, Someday by Amanda Gorman, illustrated by Christian Robinson
National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman's book tells children they have the power to make a difference. There may be problems in the world but you can find a friend who thinks like you and fix it together. Robinson is one of my favorite illustrators and his collages sit on a white background, putting the focus on the spare text and powerful message. Ages 4 and up.
Change Sings: A Children's Anthem by Amanda Gorman, illustrated by Loren Long
Why yes, I do have two books by Amanda Gorman on this list! And why not? Her poems are amazing and her spoken-word style poetry is a good fit for picture books. The narrator picks up her guitar, tells the reader, "Change sings," and takes them on a journey through the neighborhood. She meets with others, taking actions in the community like delivering groceries, cleaning up a playground, and showing love to friends. At the end, a parade of diverse children play their instruments. Ages 4 and up.
A Is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara
A board book that's not just for babies! With a fun sense of humor, this alphabet book introduces young kids to the idea that life may not be all about acquiring the latest Thomas Train. The rhymes and wit make this introduction to social justice a worthwhile read. The book teaches generosity, compassion, consideration for others. Use the book as a starting point for further discussions about the topics. Ages 2 and up.
I Am One: A Book of Action by Susan Verde, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
This simple but effective book teaches kids that it's easy to begin making a difference it the world. It starts with one action. One seed planted, one brick to break down a wall, one word to start a friendship. Verde reminds children that when everyone starts one action, big changes can happen. Includes an author's note which will help parents continue the conversation. Ages 3 and up.
How to Change the World in 12 Easy Steps by Peggy Porter Tierney, illustrated by Marie Letourneau
Focusing on acts of kindness and compassion, and inspired by the teachings of Eva Kor, an Auschwitz child survivor, this book will encourage children to focus their energies on making positive changes in their communities. Standing up to bullies, forgiving others, speaking kindly may seem small, but they have a ripple effects which change the entire world. Ages 4 and up.
Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson, illustrated by Frank Morrison
The strength of children from the past serve as powerful inspiration for kids to keep working towards a more just world. In 1963 the Birmingham Children’s Crusade was a protest march led by children inspired to activism after hearing a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King. The children refused to back down, maintaining their dignity in the face of hatred, fear and racism. Back matter includes historical notes, sources and artist statements. Ages 5 and up.
MORE: Children's books about protest and civil disobedience
New in Town by Kevin Cornell
Sometimes you don't think about a book being a call to activism on the first reading. However, this clever and entertaining tale is a story of a determined change maker. The island town of Puddletrunk is in need of a bridge. Mortimer Gulch, a greedy troll continues to thwart the town's efforts for his own profit, until one day, a traveling repair man shows up. He's brought a few new ideas and is unswayed when it comes to improving the community. The illustrations are so clever and witty, kids will love to hunt out all their details. Ages 4 and up.
Be Strong by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Jen Hill
When she can't climb the rock wall in gym class, Tanisha does not feel strong. She asks others how to be strong and everyone has some advice for her. Tanisha learns from other that being strong means not giving up, standing up for herself and others, and working towards making a positive difference. For more books on finding inner strength, our list of books about fear and courage will come in handy.
Stillwater and Koo Save the World by Jon Muth
As in his other Stillwater books, Muth's Zen Buddist-inspired message is lear. Kindness will save the world. Koo wakes up one day and tells his uncle Stillwater that he wants to save the world. His wise uncle patiently explains that big change is often accomplished by starting with small tasks like raking the leaves, cleaning one's room and feeding ones's pets. Ages 3 and up.
MORE: Children's books about kindness
Malala's Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai, illustrated by Kerascoët
In her inspiring, autobiographical picture book, Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Malala Yousafzai, describes how, as a child, she wished for a magic pencil, like the one on a Pakistani TV show. She dreamed of how she would use this pencil to help her community. As she grew up, she learned how to use the power of her own voice to stand up for herself and others. Ages 5 and up.
MORE: Children's book biographies of women activists
Manjhi Moves a Mountain by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Danny Popovici
Dashrath Manjhi lives in a poor village in India, but just on the other side of the mountain is another village where crops flourish, schools educate children and hospitals heal the sick. But the road between villages is 34 miles. Manjhi wants to connect the two villages so they can prosper together. He takes up a chisel and hammer and begins to carve a path through the mountain. It takes him 22 years, but finally the road–all 360 feet of it–is finished. Based on a true story. Ages 5 and up.
All the Way to the Top by Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Nabi H. Ali
In this picture book biography, 8-year-old Jennifer Keelan, born with cerebral palsy, fights to secure passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act. All her life, Keelan has persevered to join in activities, even when others told her she couldn't do it. When politicians ignore Keelan and her fellow activists, she climbs the steps of the Capitol, even though it means crawling the entire way. Although the ADA is a big step forward for inclusion for people with disabilities, the text acknowledges that more work is needed. Ages 4 and up.
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E. B. Lewis
This is a touching book about the payoff for taking risks and making new friends. A fence, both metaphorical and physical, defines the boundary between Annie's white family and Clover's African-American one. Clover's mom has told her not to cross the fence because it is unsafe. Instead, Clover sits on the fence, watching the other girl play. Annie eventually approaches Clover and the two sides begin talking, a friendship is formed and the fence, finally crossed. The final image of a line of girls sitting on the fence points to the idea that the very act of trying something new (in this case making a new friend despite the pressures not to) can lead to profound social change. Ages 5 and up.
MORE: Anti-bias children's picture books to teach inclusion
The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth
We've read this book out loud many times over the years. I know that as we continue to read it, we will learn to think even more deeply about the answers to the three questions (What is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do?) in terms of how they apply to our own lives, and the book is a great foundation for us to reflect on the importance of doing good deeds and paying attention to the immediate moment. Ages 5 and up.
MORE: Children's books about mindfulness
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon
In this picture book autobiography, William Kamkwamba, describes how he helped bring electricity to his village in Malawi. William had to drop out of school because he had no money for the fees, but a picture of a windmill on a book lit a spark in him. He worked hard to research and build a windmill for his impoverished and drought-stricken village. A great growth mindset book, too! Ages 5 and up.
Jodie @ Growing Book by Book says
I love so many on the books on the list. I'm excited to check out the Pink Refrigerator which is new to me. Thanks for another great list!
Erica MomandKiddo says
The Pink Refrigerator is lots of fun and perfect for little ones.
Sharmila says
Hi, where can one find these books online? Thanks.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Click on the title or cover.
Jacquie says
LOVE the list! The Librarian of Basra is one of our faves. Can't wait to read a few that I don't recognize -- we've read about the trees of Kenya but not "Mama Miti" and also looking forward to A is for Activist.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thanks, Jacquie. There are loads of inspiring books out there. It was hard to narrow it down.
Maria Gianferrari says
And a new one by my friend, Laurie Ann Thompson that releases tomorrow: Emmanuel's Dream, about Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, a disabled rights activist. It's beautiful & very inspiring!
Erica MomandKiddo says
Sounds great! Thanks for the recommendation!
Julie says
Great list, as always. My five year old loved The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Another book along the same lines that we read multiple times is One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference by Kate Smith Milway.
I have lists of books on this topic packed away with all my teaching things that my students enjoyed. The only one I can remember off the top of my head, that you have not listed, is Baseball Saved Us and Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story. Both are by Ken Mochizuki. I used both of these every year with my 4-6 graders and each one was well received. The fact I can't remember any of the others is concerning.:)
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thanks for the recommendations, Julie!
Tamara @ www.adoptionmamablog.com says
I LOVE finding great lists of books for children. Thank you for a new list to add to my Library reading 🙂
Erica MomandKiddo says
So glad the list is helpful for you.
Betsy Schaffer says
Thank you for the fabulous list! Please check out, What Do You Do With an Idea, by Kobi Yamada
It's so inspiring!
Erica MomandKiddo says
That's been on my to-read list for ages!
Stacey says
A great list as always! I love the different types of books all with a great message. Hug Machine was one of our favorites last year and Each Kindness is one of my all time favorites. Thanks as always for sharing!
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thanks, Stacey. Those are two of my favorites, as well. I think Each Kindness is a really important book.
Melissa Taylor says
great ideas - thanks for the inspiration!
Alex Baugh says
These are all such wonderful and inspiring books for kids. These really show kids that they can do something to make the world a bettter place.
Erica MomandKiddo says
I agree, even small acts can make a difference.
Katie says
Thanks so much for sharing this great list with the Kit Lit Blog Hop! I share a lot of these with my 3rd graders as we study people from different continents, but I found a few new to add to my list!
maryanne @ mama smiles says
What an inspiring book list! Pinning this to request from the library, and I suspect we will add some of these books to our home library.
Julie Grasso says
This is one inspiring list, and we have seen The Most Magnificent Thing quite a few times and we really want to read it. The other books are also epic, so thank you for such a wonderful list and for joining us on the Kid Lit Blog Hop
Sharon Rue says
Just read this list and love it. I don't know these books because I'm a grandmother of a 15 year-old and not sure he had any of these in his (younger) library. However, I am Steward of a Little Free Library and will see about getting ALL of these for my young patrons.
I would add to this list one of the "books" - a traditional folk tale, told by many different authors over the decades: The Little Red Hen. I realized some years ago how much that simple lesson of an industrious, hard-working Little Hen has influenced my adult life.
Thank you for publishing this list (and thanks to my friend Sally for forwarding it to me.)
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thank you, Sharon! I'm so happy the list is useful for you and I do agree about The Little Red Hen, that would be a great addition!
Jeff Hoffart says
Lists like this are so extremely important to ensure people become aware of the great resources that help kids become global citizens, advocates, and change makers!
I am a teacher and Tosca Killoran and I created a book entitled "A is for Action: The ABCs of Taking Action", which is a great next step from the wonderful "A is for Activist" book! I would recommend it as an addition to this great list.
Our book hit #1 on 2 of Amazon's Best Seller's lists and walks kids through the process of taking action, digging into the skills, behaviors and habits of mind for youth to make sustainable change in our world:
-building self-esteem and confidence in problem-solving
-inspiring and empowering kids to solve personal, local and global issues
-includes activities and online component (curriculum resources, extension activities, videos and more)
Thanks again for curating this list and if you get the chance, definitely take a look at our book!
Stacie Theis says
This is a wonderful list of stories. I love the cover for Grandfather Ghandi. Thank you for sharing these books on the hop!
Amy Logan says
Hi there! I just came across this blog and have a book that goes along with what you are promoting. It's called A Girl With A Cape: The true story about the superhero in all of us. It's a picture book I wrote and published in 2013. I've been touring the schools (been to about 200 since 4/13) and getting the students to Rock the CAPE (CAPE= Create A Positive Environment). I'd LOVE to get you a book and see what you think. Just trying to make the world a better place - one person at a time 😉
Thanks for sharing these book titles!
You matter,
amy
Malealyn says
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. Perfect addition to this list
Erica MomandKiddo says
Absolutely!
Stephanie says
Yes - I just found this site and was going to suggest Miss Rumphius, too!
Doing Good Togetherâ„¢ says
Great list! We've featured some of these titles in our kids' Book Club. Glad to see so many titles covering such diverse issues.
Adele says
Please amend your review of Malala - she survived the attempted assassination.
Erica MomandKiddo says
My review only states that Iqbal was assassinated but you are right that if someone didn't know Malala was alive when she was awarded the Nobel Prize they might misunderstand.
Catherine Witz says
I would add these to the list: The Girl with a Brave Heart and Tenzin's Deer--- sweet story about a boy who finds an injured deer. He takes care of it and tends to the deer's wounds and gets the deer back on its feet again. In the end, he releases the deer. Later on in life, that boy goes on to be a Doctor, a Surgeon. The first time I read that book to our Son, we both cried. Our Son, wanted the boy to keep the deer as a pet and not release it back into the wild. Both of these books are from Barefoot Books. Great list of books, will have to check these out at the library.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thanks for the recommendations!
Amy says
I can't believe there's a book called A is for Activisit and I've never seen it before! Can't wait to add some of these to our collection
Raising Creative Children says
Amy, we have A is for Activist and highly recommend it! It's a great book for babies, young people, and adults!
Erica MomandKiddo says
I agree!
Irene Ritchie says
THE PRINCE WHO LOVED ANIMALS New!! By Irene Ritchie and Eddy Pursubaryanto
Prince Hastipaka did not like his father King Cakrapada of Nartaka killing animals to make money for the Kingdom so he went to the forest to help the animals. With advice from a mouse deer and a Myna Bird, he stopped the collection of elephant tusks, trophy hunting for tiger heads and the taking of rhinoceros's horns for medical purposes. He got the approval of the forest animals to set up environmentally friendly activities so that animals and humans could live peacefully together.
Please add my book to your list to make children more aware of animals.
Megan says
Miss Rumphius is my favorite book to read with the kiddos when we talk about changing our world.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Great addition to the list!
Judy says
What Do You Do with an Idea?
by Kobi Yamada
Is a lovely book.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thanks!
Raising Creative Children says
We've already read A is for Activist to our child several times and we all love it so much. The evocative imagery, alliteration are great for now. And when our child is older, the book has so many openings for important conversations! We highly recommend!
Kiren says
These books are GREAT! I have no words to describe them.If my kids will read them they'll engage loads of information about our world
Stephanie says
You need to add the tomorrow book by Jamie French, it's incredible!
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thanks for the recommendation!
Mary Lynne Foster says
Wonderful list! This year our whole school has focused on social justice. One thing we did was read a series of books, one a month, in every classroom. We hoped that this would spur conversations at home as sibling in different grades would be sharing the experience. This list is perfect for continuing that work next year. Although I won't be there, I'm very excited about presenting this to our Social Justice Committee.
There are a couple of other books that spring to mind. One is "The Lady in the Box", a realistic fiction story of two children trying to help Dory, a homeless woman living in a box over a heating grate outside a restaurant. At first they try to help by leaving food. When they try to sneak a blanket out their mother confronts them. When they all go to see Dory she is not there. Mom finds out that the restaurant told her to leave. After reading him the riot act, Mom and kids find her and bring her back to her warm spot. As a family they decide to start serving at a soup kitchen. I liked this book because there is no tied-up-in-a-bow happy ending. It presents a problem that can't be solved overnight, but shows what one family can do to at least get her warm place back, and then go on to serve now that they are more aware of the problem and the human cost.
Another book, that might be slightly off topic is Let Them Play, the true story of a black Little League team in South Carolina in the '50s.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Let Them Play is a great book.
Ann Berlak says
Wonderful list. How can I get the beautifully illustrated timely and timeless bi-lingual book Joelito’s Big Decision/ La gran decisión de Joelito on the list for BOOKS TO INSPIRE KIDS TO CHANGE THE WORLD. It’s about a boy, a burger, a friendship and the fight to raise the minimum wage. It shows the next generation that the struggle for economic justice didn’t end with Cesar Chavez.
The book was written to inspire kids to change the world. Innosanto Nagara, author of "A is for Activist", saw an early version and pronounced it "perfect" except for the cover, so he designed the cover for me. Spanish bi-lingual
Jenne says
Rosie Revere Engineer is an entertaining book inspiring girls to enter STEM fields and to learn about the history of women in STEM (and World War II).
beatrice mutola says
A mazing
Esther says
I realize this is a belated response, but I just love the book "My Brother Martin," by Christine King Farris & illustrated by Chris Soentpiet. Text AND illustrations are amazing.
Erica says
Thank you for the recommendation!
April Graney says
Love these suggestions. Also check out The Marvelous Mud House http://www.aprilgraney.com/p/the-marvelous-mud-house.html
Erica says
Thanks for the recommendation.
Kirsten says
I love books that inspire and educate children on how they can make our planet a better place. Readers may enjoy a book about endangered species titled Judge Birdie #1: The Case of the Disappearing Amur Leopard.
Ruby Zhang says
Love your blog. Love this book list. I have read some of them to my kid. Malala, a Brave Girl from Pakistan/Iqbal, a Brave Boy from Pakistan is my son's favorite one. Although the topics in this book are a bit serious, it can catch the heart of a kid. I will check out others and add them to my book list.
Erica says
I'm glad your son enjoyed the book!
Shreiya Aggarwal says
Stories inspire them most. I myself is an early education blogger and understands child's psychology so well. Good stories have a deep impact on shaping children's brain and in the early age they will boost their character building from the root level. I published one such post recently https://kidpillar.com/best-moral-stories-for-kids/. You can see if this can be useful 🙂