Malala’s Magic Pencil

921 YOU

Malala's first picture book will inspire young readers everywhere to find the magic all around them. As a child in Pakistan, Malala made a wish for a magic pencil. She would use it to make everyone happy, to erase the smell of garbage from her city, to sleep an extra hour in the morning. But as she grew older, Malala saw that there were more important things to wish for. She saw a world that needed fixing. And even if she never found a magic pencil, Malala realized that she could still work hard every day to make her wishes come true.

Sometimes People March

303.6 ALL

Sometimes people march
to resist injustice,
to stand in solidarity,
to inspire hope.

Throughout American history, one thing remains true: no matter how or why people march, they are powerful because they march together.

We Are the Water Protectors

E LIN

Water is the first medicine.

It affects and connects us all . . .

When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth

And poison her people’s water, one young water protector. Takes a stand to defend Earth’s most sacred resource.

Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away

E MED

Evelyn Del Rey is Daniela’s best friend. They do everything together and even live in twin apartments across the street from each other: Daniela with her mami and hamster, and Evelyn with her mami, papi, and cat. But not after today—not after Evelyn moves away. Until then, the girls play amid the moving boxes until it’s time to say goodbye, making promises to keep in touch, because they know that their friendship will always be special. The tenderness of Meg Medina’s beautifully written story about friendship and change is balanced by Sonia Sánchez’s colorful and vibrant depictions of the girls’ urban neighborhood.

Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea

E HAR

This is the uplifting tale of how the author’s aunt and mother first learned to persevere in the face of disappointment and turned a dream into reality. This is a story of children’s ability to make a difference and of a community coming together to transform their neighborhood.

Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem

E GOR

In this stirring, much-anticipated picture book by presidential inaugural poet and activist Amanda Gorman, anything is possible when our voices join together. As a young girl leads a cast of characters on a musical journey, they learn that they have the power to make changes—big or small—in the world, in their communities, and in most importantly, in themselves. 

Little Things: A Story About Acts of Kindness

E TRI

The day after a mighty storm, a little girl finds a sea star that has washed up on shore, and she returns it to the ocean. Seeing her small act of kindness, an old man heads to an animal shelter with his grandson to pick a dog in need of a home. His grandson feels inspired to help an elderly woman clean up her yard, which inspires a teenager to pack an extra lunch for someone in need, and on and on until each small gesture builds toward a magnificent conclusion.

I Can Help

E FAR

When Ms. Underwood asks if anyone wants to help Kyle, Zahra always volunteers. She loves spending time with Kyle—he’s creative and generous, and he makes the funniest jokes at lunch. But when Zahra’s other classmates start teasing her for helping him, she starts making choices she regrets. 

My Sister Daisy 

E KAR

Daisy’s older brother is thrilled when he gets a new sibling. They are best buddies who do everything together. But in kindergarten, things change. His sibling tells him she is a girl and wants to be called Daisy. Daisy’s brother must adjust to the change—including what it means for him and their relationship. A powerful, moving picture book based on a true story, My Sister, Daisy handles a sensitive subject with warmth and love.

I Am One: A Book of Action

E VER

On the first page, the main character asks a beautiful bird, “How do I make a difference?” They doubt their ability to make a difference because they are “so small.” However, when the bird gives them a seed, they realize that “beautiful things start with just One.” They can plant a seed and start a garden! They can also start a journey, paint a masterpiece, compose a melody, and break down walls. All these actions start with “one” thing: a first step, a first stroke of paint, a first musical note, and a first brick.

Say Something

E REY

A picture book that empowers children to use their voices in a variety of ways to make a positive difference in the world. Describes how one should say something if they have an idea, if they see an injustice, or if they just want to introduce themselves and state their beliefs. Features before-and-after illustrations depicting the change that children can make in the world around them.

Just Help: How to Build a Better World

E SOT

In a story inspired by her own family's desire to help others, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor takes young readers on a journey through a neighborhood where kids and adults, activists and bus drivers, friends and strangers all help one another to build a better world for themselves and their community.

Be Kind

E MIL

When a girl sees a classmate spill grape juice on her dress, she almost laughs. But she remembers her mother's advice to always be kind, and starts thinking about what it means to be kind and how she can show kindness to her embarrassed classmate.

The Water Princess

E VER

A young girl called Princess Gie Gie lives with her family in a small village in Burkina Faso, where girls and their mothers must walk for miles each day to bring water back to their homes to be boiled for drinking and washing. For now, Princess Gie Gie wears a clay pot as her crown rather than a bejeweled tiara, but she dreams that someday her village will have clean water of its own. Inspired by author Badiel's childhood in Africa, this hopeful story puts a spotlight on the lack of sanitary water sources in regions around the world. “This timely and well-crafted story will educate readers on the preciousness of potable water”.

It Takes a Village

305.2 CLI

It Takes a Village tells the heartwarming and universal story of a diverse community coming together to make a difference. All kinds of people working together, playing together, and living together in harmony makes a better village and many villages coming together can make a better world. Together we can build a better life for one another. Together we can change our world.

Namaste is a Greeting

E SUB

What is namaste? It’s found in a smile, a friendship, a celebration. It exists in silence; it can be said when you’re happy or when you’re feeling low. For one small girl in a bustling city, namaste (“I bow to you”) is all around her as she and her mother navigate a busy marketplace—and when she returns with a little plant and chooses to give it to an elderly neighbor, it can be seen in the caring bond between them. In a sweet, universal text, debut author Suma Subramaniam shines a light on a word with significance far beyond yoga class, while artist Sandhya Prabhat makes the concept of mindfulness come alive in delightful illustrations likely to draw children in again and again.

A Small Act of Kindness

E MCA

It was like a game of tag, with one small act of kindness spreading throughout a small community of kids and teachers alike. Award-winning children's book author Stacy McAnulty packs a powerful punch with minimal text, providing a sweet message about all the small ways one can be kind. Illustrator Wendy Leach creates a diverse cast of characters while using color as a visual cue to how kindness is able to spread, even in a small community like a school. Overall, A Small Kindness is sure to speak to this new generation of children and their parents.

Lunch Every Day

E OTO

A picture book based on the true story of a young boy named Jimmy, who loves to bully the boy he nicknames "Skinny Kid," most often by taking Skinny Kid's lunches, which are delicious and made by his mom--not like the free lunch the school gives everyone. Then one day Skinny Kid hosts a birthday party at his house and invites everyone--even Jimmy. Jimmy's life changes through Skinny Kid's and his mom's kindness.

The Power of One

E LUD

When one child reaches out in friendship to a classmate who seems lonely, she begins a chain reaction of kindness that ripples throughout her school and her community. One kind act begets another, small good deeds make way for bigger ones, and eventually the whole neighborhood comes together to build something much greater than the sum of its parts.

I Walk With Vanessa

E KER

Inspired by real events, I Walk with Vanessa explores the feelings of helplessness and anger that arise in the wake of seeing a classmate treated badly, and shows how a single act of kindness can lead to an entire community joining in to help. By choosing only pictures to tell their story, the creators underscore the idea that someone can be an ally without having to say a word. With themes of acceptance, kindness, and strength in numbers, this timeless and profound feel-good story will resonate with readers young and old.

All Are Welcome

E PEN

Readers will follow a group of children through a day in their school, where everyone is welcomed with open arms. A school where students from all backgrounds learn from and celebrate each other's traditions. A school that shows the world as we will make it to be.

Last Stop on Market Street

E DE

Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don’t own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty—and fun—in their routine and the world around them.

The Invisible Boy

E LUD

Perhaps there is a kid like Brian in every class--the one who, for seemingly no apparent reason, is excluded at lunch break, recess, and even by teachers in the classroom. Brian feels like he might as well be invisible. Illustrator Barton draws him with scarce black-and-white lines, while the world around him is in living color. One day Justin, a new kid, comes to school, and when other kids make fun of him for eating a weird Korean dish, Brian--who likes to draw comics--slips Justin a friendly note. Then Justin invites Brian to be his lab partner, and gradually the illustrations show Brian in his full, colored form--and smiling! 

Each Kindness

E WOO

Chloe and her friends won't play with the new girl, Maya. Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her friends, they reject her. Eventually Maya stops coming to school. When Chloe's teacher gives a lesson about how even small acts of kindness can change the world, Chloe is stung by the lost opportunity for friendship, and thinks about how much better it could have been if she'd shown a little kindness toward Maya.

Because Amelia Smiled

E STE

Because Amelia smiles as she skips down the street, her neighbor Mrs. Higgins smiles too, and decides to send a care package of cookies to her grandson Lionel in Mexico. The cookies give Lionel an idea, and his idea inspires a student, who in turn inspires a ballet troupe in England! And so the good feelings that started with Amelia’s smile make their way around the world, from a goodwill recital in Israel, to an impromptu rumba concert in Paris, to a long-awaited marriage proposal in Italy, to a knitted scarf for a beloved niece back in New York. Putting a unique spin on "what goes around comes around," David Ezra Stein’s charmingly illustrated story reminds us that adding even a small dose of kindness into the world is sure to spur more and more kindness, which could eventually make its way back to you!

Meesha Makes Friends

E PER

A girl named Meesha loves creating and inventing things--but she is not good at knowing what to say to other people. When she decides she is lonely, she decides to "make" her own friends, literally, out of found materials. In the end, her creative endeavor may just help her to make a real friend.

A Friend For Henry

E BAI

Henry would like to find a friend at school, but for a boy on the autism spectrum, making friends can be difficult, as his efforts are sometimes misinterpreted, or things just go wrong--but Henry keeps trying, and in the end he finds a friend he can play with.

The Last Straw: Kids vs. Plastic

363.738 HOO

Encourages youth to do their part to reduce plastic use, by describing the scope of the problem and the threats to the environment. Examines ways youth can reduce their plastic consumption and introduces them to youth advocates who are working to make a difference.

Maybe Something Beautiful

E CAM

Inspired by illustrator Rafael Lopez's muralist work and the true story of the Urban Art Trail in San Diego, California, author Campoy and Howell reveal the transformation of one city from drab gray to dazzling. When a young girl named Mira and a mysterious artist brighten their surroundings through art, the city comes alive with the brilliance of the human spirit as neighbors take notice and join in the fun. 

Waiting for the Biblioburro

468 BRO

Even today, if there aren’t roads, books can still get to eager readers, young and old! Inspired by the story of real-life librarian Luis Soriano, this book tells the story of the most beautiful sight that book-loving Ana has ever seen: a traveling library, brought by a kind man on the backs of two burros. In Colombia, where Soriano works to bring literacy to isolated villages, there are thousands of children just like Ana, who sit and wait excitedly for the BiblioBurro to come.

Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed

E PEA

The most amazing thing about kindness is how it ripples out beyond the original act! Mary finds a patch of blueberries on her way home, and decides to pick some for Mrs. Bishop. Mrs. Bishop in turn makes blueberry muffins that she gives to five people — one of whom helps five more, and then one of those helps five more... Before long, a variety of kindnesses, some with a small impact and some with a huge one, are creating a change that extends worldwide. It's a lovely testament to how little acts of compassion and kindness have big potential for the entire world.

Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay

784.2 HOO

Ada Rios grew up in Cateura, a small town in Paraguay built on a landfill. She dreamed of playing the violin, but with little money for anything but the bare essentials, it was never an option.. .until a music teacher named Favio Chavez arrived. He made the children of Cateura instruments out of materials found in the trash — a crazy idea, but one that would leave Ada, and her town, forever changed. Today, the Recycled Orchestra plays venues around the world, spreading their message of hope and innovation. This beautiful picture book tells the remarkable true story of the Recycled Orchestra through the eyes of one girl who dreamed of music.

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez

E BEA

Sofia loves walking to school with her Abuelo, but when Abuelo hurts his ankle at the local landfill, Sofia has to walk alone. She spends the walk thinking about what she could do about the dangerous trash heap, and she concludes that it's time for the town to turn it into a park. When she arrives at City Hall, plans in hand, the clerk turns her away — a kid can't build a park, after all. Sofia thinks otherwise, and before long, she discovers the power of community organizing... and perhaps a future career in politics! 

To Change a Planet

E SOO

Even though the Earth seems big and unchangeable, humans have altered its climate, creating consequences for all life. By working together, humans can save the planet, and ourselves.

Noise Makers: 25 Woment Who Raised Their Voice & Changed the World

GN 920 NOI

Did anyone ever get anywhere by being quiet? To change anything, you have to make some noise! A look at the lives of 25 extraordinary women through the eyes of 25 extraordinary comic artists. In chapters titled Grow, Tinker, Play, Create, Rally, and Explore, you'll meet Eugenie Clark, who swam with sharks, Raye Montague, who revolutionized the design process for ships, Hedy Lamarr, a beautiful actress and brilliant inventor, Julia Child, a chef who wasn't afraid to make mistakes, Kate Warne, the first female detective, who saved the life of President-Elect Abraham Lincoln, and many more.

Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles

597.92 COU

Viv has just moved to a new town by the sea, and she's still struggling to feel at home — "I always need help finding my way, especially in a new place," she thinks. On her first day at school, her teacher tells her that they're looking for a community action project to do. And when Viv learns about the sea turtle hatcheries nearby — and the way the hatchlings can get lost when they mistake artificial lights for the moon that normally guides their way — that the class finds the perfect project. This picture book based on the real kids who helped save the South Carolina sea turtles is sure to inspire young animal lovers!

Resist! Peaceful Acts That Changed Our World

303.6 STA

A collection of 21 brief but comprehensive essays accompanied by striking artwork and rich supplementary material by Diane Stanley, reminds us of the activists who came before: the men and women who have used peaceful resistance and nonviolent protests to make their voices heard.