A Selection of Books Exploring Race and Racism

Parents of Black and brown kids know that instilling their kids with a sense of racial identity and talking about how racism will inevitably affect their lives -- and possibly even their safety -- are essential life lessons. Parents of White kids, on the other hand, often don't feel the same pressure. But as racist violence continues to erupt, discussing race, racism, and the history of racial oppression in the United States and the world is just as essential for White families. These are not easy conversations to have, but movies, TV, and books -- as well as other media and tech -- can be powerful tools to help you get started. Remember, media makes a big impression on kids. But the messages you send -- from the media you choose, to the conversations you initiate -- are what kids will hold in their hearts and minds long after the final credits. - Common Sense Media 

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America By Ibram X. Kendi Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9781568585987
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Bold Type Books - August 15th, 2017

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness By Michelle Alexander, Cornel West (Introduction by) Cover Image
By Michelle Alexander, Cornel West (Introduction by)
$19.95
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ISBN: 9781595586438
Published: New Press - January 16th, 2012

Between the World and Me By Ta-Nehisi Coates Cover Image
$26.00
ISBN: 9780812993547
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: One World - July 14th, 2015

Citizen: An American Lyric By Claudia Rankine Cover Image
$20.00
ISBN: 9781555976903
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Graywolf Press - October 7th, 2014

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The Hate U Give: A Printz Honor Winner By Angie Thomas, Amandla Stenberg (Foreword by) Cover Image
By Angie Thomas, Amandla Stenberg (Foreword by)
$18.99
ISBN: 9780062498533
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Balzer + Bray - February 28th, 2017

Invisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching: A Young Black Man's Education By Mychal Denzel Smith Cover Image
$24.00
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ISBN: 9781568585284
Published: Bold Type Books - June 14th, 2016

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White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism By Dr. Robin DiAngelo, Michael Eric Dyson (Foreword by) Cover Image
$16.00
ISBN: 9780807047415
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Beacon Press - June 26th, 2018

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The Sellout: A Novel By Paul Beatty Cover Image
Please call store for availability.
ISBN: 9781250083258
Availability: Out of Print
Published: Picador - March 1st, 2016

Staff Pick 2016

Beyond-the-Book Book Club Pick


Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race By Debby Irving Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9780991331307
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Elephant Room Press - January 9th, 2014

The Bluest Eye (Vintage International) By Toni Morrison Cover Image
$16.00
ISBN: 9780307278449
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Vintage - May 8th, 2007

Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America By Michael Eric Dyson Cover Image
$24.99
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ISBN: 9781250135995
Published: St. Martin's Press - January 17th, 2017

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I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness By Austin Channing Brown Cover Image
$25.00
ISBN: 9781524760854
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Convergent Books - May 15th, 2018

Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning By Cathy Park Hong Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9781984820389
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: One World - March 2nd, 2021

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The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America By Richard Rothstein Cover Image
$17.95
ISBN: 9781631494536
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Liveright - May 1st, 2018

100% required reading. 


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Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning By Jason Reynolds, Ibram X. Kendi Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780316453691
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers - March 10th, 2020

Recommend this book for older kids & their parents. Family reading - discussion.


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All American Boys By Jason Reynolds, Brendan Kiely Cover Image
$12.99
ISBN: 9781481463348
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books - August 29th, 2017

Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference, and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls By Jessica McDiarmid Cover Image
$28.99
ISBN: 9781501160288
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Atria Books - November 12th, 2019

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption By Bryan Stevenson Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780812984965
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: One World - August 18th, 2015

Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You By Jason Reynolds, Ibram X. Kendi, Sonja Cherry-Paul (Adapted by), Rachelle Baker (Illustrator) Cover Image
$15.99
ISBN: 9780316167581
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers - May 11th, 2021

Juneteenth for Mazie By Floyd Cooper, Floyd Cooper (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Floyd Cooper, Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)
$9.99
ISBN: 9781479558209
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Picture Window Books - January 1st, 2016

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White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide By Carol Anderson Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781632864130
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Bloomsbury USA - September 5th, 2017

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy: Racism, Injustice, and How You Can Be a Changemaker By Emmanuel Acho Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781250801067
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Roaring Brook Press - May 4th, 2021