CHSSP Books to Spark Inquiry Database

Title

Author

Illustrator

Publisher

ISBN

Annotation

Teaching Notes

Charlotte's Takes

Racial Diversity

Social Justice

Religious Diversity

LGBT

Disability

Women

Economics

Family Diversity

Environment

Civics/Citizenship

California

Bilingual

Perspective

Cause & Consequence

Change over Time

Compare & contrast

Continuity & Change

Before the Ever After

Jacqueline Woodson

Nancy Paulsen Books

978-0-399-54543-6

Woodson delivers a poignant new novel in verse that highlights an important topic within the sports world, especially football. Zacharias Johnson, Jr. (aka ZJ) is the son of a football star. However, outside of the spotlight, things aren’t as perfect as they appear. ZJ’s father is having health issues from repeated hard hits and head injuries while playing pro. He struggles with headaches, anger, and heartbreaking memory loss. ZJ’s life quickly turns from charmed to tragic as he has to face that his father and family are forever changed.

Powerful book that is a must-read and my current favorite. Told in verse.

Birchbark House, The

Louise Erdrich

Hyperion Books for Children

978-078681454-1

Omakayas, a seven-year-old Native American girl of the Ojibwa tribe, lives through the joys of summer and the perils of winter on an island in Lake Superior in 1847. (The struggle to survive and the strength of the Ojibwa tribe provides exciting action in this series, based on the author's own family history.) Annotation adapted from Titlewave

Blended

Sharon M. Draper

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

978-1-4424-9501-2

Eleven-year-old Isabella's blended family is more divided than ever in this thoughtful story about divorce and racial identity.

Would ring true for many students. Told in chapters that are titled "Mom's Week" and "Dad's Week."

"Very relevant now...would help to teach people who don't have firsthand experience about police brutality and BLM...divorced parents...light-skinned people of color...ending is so sad."

Ghost

Jason Reynolds

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

978-1-4814-5016-4

"Amazing book...Ghost is a relatable character...explains domestic violence...Coach is a good father figure for Ghost...ending is great."

Give us the Vote! Over 200 Years of Fighting for the Ballot

Susan Goldman Rubin

Holiday House

978-0-8234-3957-7

Perfect for students who want to know more about voting rights, this nonfiction book contains an extensive view of suffrage from the Founding Fathers to the 19th Amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to today's voter suppression controversies, and explains the barriers people of color, Indigenous people, and immigrants face. Includes a bibliography, source notes, texts of the Constitution and amendments, a timeline, and an index.

How Women Won the Vote

Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Ziyue Chen

Harper Collins

978-0-06-284130-8

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History

Vashti Harrison

Little, Brown and Company

978-0-316-47511-2

A collection of short biographical essays of Black women in history. Many opportunities to link to primary sources about these women.

Could be used as individual reseach projects or as a weekly Bold Black Women unit throughout the year.

Look Both Ways

Jason Reynolds

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

978-4814-3828-5

A collection of ten short stories that all take place on the same day about kids walking home from school.

Great way to introduce students to short stories and perspective. What happens when school is dismissed? Would be a great beginning of the year assignment to get to know your students.

"Overall really sweet stories that crossed over really well, although sometimes hard to track...handles a lot of sensitive topics in a relatable way."

Merci Suarez Changes Gears

Meg Medina

Candlewick Press

978-0-7636-9049-6

Strong-willed Merci navigates middle school as one of the few students on schalrship.Great coming-of-age story that also examines family dynamics.

"Merci was relatable and and built up friendships well, along with her middle school experiences in general...I liked how Merci's character changed throughout the story...the ending left me very satisfied and interested."

My Family Divided

Diane Guerrero with Erica Moroz

Square Fish

978-1-250-30878-8

Adapted from Guerrero's adult memoir, story of the her experience as an undocumented immigrant in Boston.

Many students may know Diane Guerrero from her roles on television. Book includes a "Call to Action" section giving students tools to be active in immigration reform.

"Examines deportation and the struggle to become a citizen...made me rethink Latinx youth...very sad and eye opening...the part in college made me cry...taught me a lot of stuff I didn't know before...quick read, and very satisfying."

My Underground American Dream

Julissa Arce

Center Street

978-1-45554-026-6

The memoir of Julissa Arce in which she charts her journey from undocumented immigrant to Wall Street executive. Very relatable for middle school students.

New Kid

Jerry Craft

Harper Collins

978-0-06-269119-4

Jordan is the new kid at school, but that is only part of his struggle as one of the few Black students at the school. Many uncomfortable, yet all-too-common examples of racial assumptions make this book a must read.

A timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real.

"Very middle school-y...drawings are great...overall a good read about a new kid who experiences racism and colorism."

One Crazy Summer

Rita Williams-Garcia

Amisted

978-0-06-076088-5

Three sisters visit their mother who is a member of the Black Panther Party.

Terrific read-aloud, as there are many teachable moments. Sisters are meeting the mom who abandoned them years before to be a social activist. The sisters are sent to a Black Panther Party summer camp.

Only Road, The

Alexandra Diaz

Paula Wiseman Books

978-1-4814-5751-4

Story of a boy, Jaime, who feels that leaving his home in Guatamala and risking everything is his only chance for a better life in the United States.

Not for all readers as the novel takes an honest look at the harsh realitlies faced by many immigrants.

Raise Your Voice: 12 Protests that Shaped America

Jeffrey Kluger

Philomel

978-0-525-51830-3

Collection of essays covering American protests beginning with the Boston Tea Party to the Dakota Access Uprising.

Boston Tea Party, Seneca Falls Convention, Triangle Shirt Waist Factory Fire, Montgomery Bus Boycott, March on Washington, Democratic Convention of 1968, Stonewall Uprising, Earth Day, March Against Nuclear Weapons, ACT UP, Women's March, Dakota Access Uprising.

Strong Voices: Fifteen American Speeches Worth Knowing

Intro by Tonya Bolden

Eric Velasquez

Harper Collins

978-0-06-257204-2

Collection of significant speeches, made both by those who held the reins of power and those who didn't, at significant times in American history.

Includes speeches by Patrick Henry, George Washington, Red Jacket, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Lou Gehrig, Langston Hughes, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, Cesar Chavez, and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

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