MiniBury

Brought to you by the Addison Independent

  • Home
  • About MiniBury
  • Archives
  • The Addison Independent
  • Sign up for the newsletter
  • Events Calendar
  • Summer Camp Guide 2022*
  • Stuff To Do

Recommended Reading On Race, Inequality And Activism

06.02.2020 By: Megan James

Ilsley Library opened its new outside pickup service today!

Children’s Librarian Tricia Allen reports that “a good portion of the children’s item requests that I pulled from our shelves yesterday for our first day of book pickup were titles having to do with race, inequality, and activism.”

We asked Tricia and her fellow children’s librarian Kathryn Laliberte to recommend their favorite books for young readers that address those issues. Here’s what they said.

Three books that I would put in the hands of every family in Middlebury:

A Normal Pig by K-Fai Steele: Pip is a normal pig, who happens to look a little different than the other pigs in her class. A new student starts to point out all the ways Pip is different, making Pip feel like she doesn’t fit in. Her parents take her on a trip to the city, where Pip sees pigs of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds. Pip returns to school knowing that different does not mean bad. The parallels to life in a VT town were striking, and made me want to plan a family trip to NY, Boston, Chicago as soon as travel is possible once again. 

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander: Although this is a picture book in appearance, I would classify this as an illustrated poem. Like any poem, there is much more to this book than the words (or illustrations) on the page. Described as “a love letter to Black life in the United States…It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world’s greatest heroes.” This is a book that can open any number of conversational doors with kids. There is a great deal of back matter to help parents with facts and background.

I Walk with Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness by Kerascoet: This wordless picture book tells the story of a new girl being bullied and running home alone in tears after her first day of school. Her classmate witnesses this and spends the rest of the day and night thinking about the event. The next day they are up early to arrive at the new girls’ door and walk with her to school, classmates joining their growing group along the way. The question of “What can I do?” is one that is haunting everyone right now. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the problems and events in our world right now. I love that this book demonstrates that even small acts are important and shows children a very real thing that they can do right now: be there for the people in their community. 

Short List of Titles for Young Children:

A is for Activist, written and illustrated by Innosanto Nagara.

All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold, Suzanne Kaufman.

Chocolate Me! by Taye Diggs ; illustrated by Shane W. Evans.

The colors of Us by Karen Katz.

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson ; illustrated by Rafael López.

Freedom Over Me: Eleven slaves, their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan.

Let it Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters by Andrea Davis Pinkney ; illustrated by Stephen Alcorn.

Let’s Talk About Race by Julius Lester ; illustrated by Karen Barbour.

Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X by Ilyasah Shabazz, illustrated by AG Ford

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni ; illustrated by Bryan Collier.

Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh

Skin Again written by Bell Hooks ; illustrated by Chris Raschka.

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Ekua Holmes

The Youngest Marcher: the Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist  written by Cynthia Levinson ; illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton.

Related Posts

  • a bit of light reading

    YES, we have another secret to share; we're featured in KidsVT this month! Ok, not so…

  • Want To Be A Reading Mentor?

    The literacy mentoring program Everybody Wins! Vermont was on pause last school year because of…

  • Summer Reading!

    Summer reading programs are a great way to get kids to read during summer vacation. …

Megan James

Upcoming Events

Jun
29
Wed
9:15 am Drop-In Storytime With Miss Tricia @ Ilsley Library
Drop-In Storytime With Miss Tricia @ Ilsley Library
Jun 29 @ 9:15 am – 10:00 am
Children ages 5 and under and their caregivers enjoy stories and songs with Miss Tricia!
9:30 am Vergennes Playgroup @ Vergennes Congregational Church
Vergennes Playgroup @ Vergennes Congregational Church
Jun 29 @ 9:30 am – 11:00 am
Addison County Parent Child Center and Evergreen Preschool are excited to announce they will be starting their playgroup again. Come join the fun every Wednesday for the month of May at the Vergennes Congregational Church.
9:30 am Virtual Mama Group @ Zoom
Virtual Mama Group @ Zoom
Jun 29 @ 9:30 am
Meet other mamas in this virtual gathering led by Middlebury mom Angela Scavo. Email Angela for the meeting link.
11:00 am Singalong With Linda Bassick @ Vergennes City Green
Singalong With Linda Bassick @ Vergennes City Green
Jun 29 @ 11:00 am
Little ones and their caregivers gather on the green for a singalong!
3:30 pm D&D @ Ilsley @ Ilsley Library
D&D @ Ilsley @ Ilsley Library
Jun 29 @ 3:30 pm
We’ve got dungeons! We’ve got dragons! We’ve got shiny dice! On Wednesdays, any and all middle schoolers can come beat the villain (or your DM)! Participants will create characters, paint a minifigure to act as [...]
7:00 pm Bristol Band Music in the Park @ Bristol Town Green
Bristol Band Music in the Park @ Bristol Town Green
Jun 29 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
The Bristol Band, which has been making music since 1870, plays under the gazebo on the green. Special events include: June 22: BBQ July 13: First Baptist Church brownie sundaes August 3: St. Ambrose BBQ
9:30 pm Stargazing Open House @ Mittelman Observatory
Stargazing Open House @ Mittelman Observatory
Jun 29 @ 9:30 pm – 11:00 pm
The college telescopes are open to the public for stargazing, weather permitting. Observatory open house nights are free and open to the public. However, these events will take place only if the sky is expected [...]
Jun
30
Thu
10:00 am Little Fishes Storytime @ Platt ... @ Platt Memorial Library
Little Fishes Storytime @ Platt ... @ Platt Memorial Library
Jun 30 @ 10:00 am
Toddlers and preschoolers enjoy stories and activities.
10:30 am Bixby Storytime @ Vergennes City Green
Bixby Storytime @ Vergennes City Green
Jun 30 @ 10:30 am
Join the Children’s Librarian outdoors by the gazebo on the city green for stories, songs, and rhymes. This program is designed for preschool-aged children and their caregivers. Kids of all ages are welcome!
10:30 am Bristol Storytime @ Lawrence Memorial Library
Bristol Storytime @ Lawrence Memorial Library
Jun 30 @ 10:30 am
Find Marita, her ukulele and friends at the library for stories, songs, and activities.
View Calendar
Add
  • Add to Timely Calendar
  • Add to Google
  • Add to Outlook
  • Add to Apple Calendar
  • Add to other calendar
  • Export to XML

Helpful Websites

  • Addison Central School District
  • Addison County Readers
  • Addison County WIC page
  • Addison Independent
  • Addison Northwest School District
  • Bristol Recreation Department
  • Building Bright Futures
  • Experience Middlebury
  • Find and Go Seek
  • Ilsley Public Library
  • Junebug
  • Kids VT
  • Let's Grow Kids
  • Mary Johnson Children's Center
  • Memorial Sports Center (Ice Rink)
  • Middlebury Area Land Trust (MALT)
  • Middlebury College Events
  • Middlebury Community Music Center
  • Middlebury Parks and Recreation
  • Middlebury Weather
  • Mount Abraham Unified School District
  • National Association of Education of Young Children
  • Rikert Nordic Center
  • Simon Says
  • Snow Bowl
  • VT Dept. of Health
  • WIC Health

Copyright © 2022 · Modern Blogger Pro Theme By, Pretty Darn Cute Design