The Jane Addams Children's Book Award is given annually to a children's book published the preceding year that advances the causes of peace and social equality.
A Song for the Unsung: Bayard Rustin, the Man Behind the 1963 March on Washington
Choosing Brave: Mamie Till-Mobley, Emmett Till, and the Voice That Sparked the Civil Rights Movement
Shirley Chisholm Dared: The Story of the First Black Woman in Congress
The Day You Begin
Woodson’s lyrical text and Lopez’s vibrant illustrations work in tandem to create a sense of empathy and understanding between characters who feel outcast because of their different backgrounds and experiences. The day we are brave enough to acknowledge and embrace what makes us different, we can begin to connect to the shared humanity of others.—K - Grade 3
Steamboat School
The inspiring true story of a secret forbidden school for African Americans held on a floating steamboat on the Mississippi River in the 19th century to legally avoid actually being “in the State of Missouri”.
Separate Is Never Equal
Almost 10 years before Brown vs. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California. An American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage who spoke and wrote perfect English, Mendez was denied enrollment to a “Whites only” school. Her parents took action by organizing the Hispanic community and filing a lawsuit in federal district court. Their success eventually brought an end to the era of segregated education in California.