Every day, in the work we have chosen, we stand for the rights of children. Some new books, for children and those who care for them, enlighten and support us in challenging times. 

Every day, we all lift our hands up high. Even the littlest of little ones understands that raising their hands brings results and this picture book is a celebration of Hands Up! Playing peek-a-boo, having someone help put on a cozy sweater, swinging between daddy and mommy on a walk—we raise our hands! Later we may answer a question at school, shoot a basketball, show off on a bike—and then might need to be helped to our feet, all requiring hands up. As adults, we vote with our hands and we raise them together in unity. We are never too young to learn that each of us deserves to make ourselves count! Hands Up! by Breanna J. McDaniel, illustrated by Shane W. Evans (Dial, 2019) Ages 3 – 7.

We all know that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream for his children, but those words almost did not make it into the history books. A Place to Land by Barry Wittenstein and illustrated in pencil and watercolor collage by Jerry Pinkney (himself an activist for social justice) tells the little-known story of the night before the 1963 March on Washington. Surrounded by his advisors and the ghosts of past civil rights heroes—and for the sake of those yet to come—King decided NOT to include his vivid dream in the speech he was preparing, fearing that it had been over-used. But on that August afternoon he redirected his words to land in the place of hope where not only his four, but all children, would be free at last. This is an extraordinary picture book that can be appreciated on many levels. A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation by Barry Wittenstein, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney (Holiday House, 2019) Ages 7 – 12.

And real kids can make a real difference. Greta’s Story, a chapter book based on Greta Thunberg’s bestseller “No One is Too Small to Make a Difference,” discusses the teenager’s passion to save the planet for the future of herself and children who come after her. It’s also the best explanation I’ve read of Greta’s diagnosis of Asperger’s and depression, and how instrumental and inspirational these different abilities were in propelling her to such extraordinary action. Greta’s Story: The Schoolgirl Who Went on Strike to Save the Planet by Valentina Camerini, illustrated by Veronica Carratello (Simon and Schuster, 2019) Ages 7 – 12.

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“There were so many things I could not do.” So begins Let the Children March, a stirring narrative of the May 1963 Children’s March in Birmingham, Alabama, as told by a young marcher. For three days, children and teenagers marched in Birmingham despite fire hoses, police dogs, and for many of them, jail time, in a unified effort to end segregation. The Children’s March may have been eclipsed by events later in the year: the March on Washington, the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church and the assassination of John Kennedy, but it was one of the steps that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and it was truly a statement by children whose actions made a real difference. Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson, illustrated by Frank Morrison (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018) Ages 6 – 10.

One child CAN make a difference. Motivated by stories of people of all ages who changed the world starting with a single step, Andrea Beaty in another inspiring picture book brings us Sofia Valdez, Future Prez (now in grade two), who petitions  the bureaucracy in her southwestern city for a safe and accessible park to replace the dangerous landfill where her beloved Abuelo has been injured. One child cannot do all the hard work, but so much good can happen with the help of the community. Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts (Abrams, 2019) Ages 5 – 8.

Concerned about divisiveness in America after the 2016 election, Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson collected poems, short essays and art as a comforting and reassuring resource for young people who felt afraid and isolated. We Rise We Resist We Raise Our Voices is a stunning anthology for everyone in these troubled times. The works of more than 50 familiar contributors to the world of children’s literature speak beautifully of kindness, of home, of respect, of love. Ashley Bryan in his foreword writes, “just to touch this book will lift your spirits.” That is the truth. We Rise We Resist We Raise our Voices edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson (Crown, 2018) All ages.