• Books that promote diversity and inclusiveness

     

    EPS Libraries are committed to building collections that welcome and support all students while respecting the diverse cultures, traditions, and voices that are found in our community. 

    EPS Libraries offer students both mirrors and windows to the world. "Mirror" books reflect parts of a student's own experiences back to them. All of our students should be able to see themselves in the pages of a book. "Window" books allow a student to walk in someone else's shoes and develop empathy and understanding. 

    The books shown below are just a small sample of what is available in elementary and middle school libraries. 

  • A is for activist

    Introduces the letters of the alphabet with terms related to social justice, environmental justice, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, and other causes activists support.

     

     

    Bilal

    Bilal and his father invite his friends to help make his favorite dish, daal, then all must wait patiently for it to be done.



    Camping trip

    Ernestine has never been camping before, but she’s sure it will be lots of fun . . . won’t it? An endearing story about a girl’s first experience with the great outdoors.

     

     

    A different pond

    As a young boy, Bao Phi awoke early, hours before his father's long workday began, to fish on the shores of a small pond in Minneapolis.

     



    Evelyn del Rey is moving away

    Evelyn Del Rey is Daniela's best friend. But Evelyn is moving away. Until then, the girls play amid the moving boxes until it is time to say goodbye, promising to keep in touch, knowing that their friendship will always be special.

     



     Get a grip Vivy

    Eleven-year-old knuckleball pitcher Vivy Cohen, who has autism, becomes pen pals with her favorite Major League baseball player after writing a letter to him as an assignment for her social skills class.

     

     

    I talk like a river

    When a boy who stutters feels isolated, alone, and incapable of communicating in the way he'd like, it takes a kindly father and a walk by the river to help him find his voice.

     

     

    Julian

    A glimpse of costumed mermaids on the subway leaves young Julian flooded with wonder and eager to dress up just like the ladies, but he wonders what Abuela will think about the way Julian sees himself.




    My papi

    When Daisy Ramona zooms around her neighborhood with her papi on his motorcycle, she sees the people and places she's always known. She also sees a community that is rapidly changing around her.

     

     

    Orange

    In alternating voices, friends Asha and Yesofu, one Indian and one African, find their world turned upside-down when Idi Amin decides to expel Asian Indians from Uganda in 1972.

     

     

    Proudest Blue

    With her new backpack and light-up shoes, Faizah knows the first day of school is going to be special. It's the start of a brand new year and, best of all, it's her older sister Asiya's first day of hijab--a hijab of beautiful blue fabric, like the ocean waving to the sky. But not everyone sees hijab as beautiful, and in the face of hurtful, confusing words, Faizah will find new ways to be strong.

     




    Sandwich

    Lily and Salma are best friends. They like doing all the same things, and they always eat lunch together. Lily eats peanut butter and Salma eats hummus-but what's that between friends? It turns out, a lot. Before they know it, a food fight breaks out. Can Lily and Salma put aside their differences? Or will a sandwich come between them?

     Sugar milk

    A young immigrant girl joins her aunt and uncle in a new country that is unfamiliar to her. She struggles with loneliness, with a fierce longing for home, until one day, her aunt takes her on a walk. As the duo strolls through their city park, the girl's aunt begins to tell her an old myth, and a story within the story begins.


    Under hijab

    As a young girl observes that each of six women in her life wears her hijab and hair in a different way, she considers how to express her own style one day.

     






    Aiden

    Aidan, a transgender boy, experiences complicated emotions as he and his parents prepare for the arrival of a new baby.

     

  • Baylor book cover

    NBA Hall-of-famer Elgin Baylor was one of basketball's all-time-greatest players. One of the first professional African-American players, he inspired others on and off the court. 

     

    Dark was the night

    The story of Blind Willie Johnson--the legendary Texas musician whose song "Dark Was the Night" was included on the Voyager I space probe's Golden Record.

     

    Drawn together

    A boy and his grandfather cross a language and cultural barrier using their shared love of art, storytelling, and fantasy.

     

     

    Eye that kiss in the corners

    A young Asian girl notices that her eyes look different from her peers'. She has eyes that kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea, and crinkle into crescent moons. 

     

    Going on a field trip

    Emma and her third grade class are going on a field trip to a museum and must write about an exhibit they enjoyed. Emma is Deaf and often uses sign language to communicate. Includes an ASL fingerspelling chart.

     

     

    Itzhak

    Before becoming one of the greatest violinists of all time, Itzhak Perlman was simply a boy who loved music. Despite enormous obstacles—including a near-fatal bout of polio that left him crippled for life—Itzhak persevered, honing his extraordinary gift. 

     

     

    Little Leaders

    Features female figures of black history, including abolitionist Sojourner Truth, pilot Bessie Coleman, chemist Alice Ball, politician Shirley Chisholm, mathematician Katherine Johnson, poet Maya Angelou, and filmmaker Julie Dash.

     

     

    Nana Akua

    Zura is worried about how her classmates will react to her Ghanaian Nana's tattoos on Grandparents Day, but Nana finds a way to show how special and meaningful they are.

     

     



    Other words

    Sent with her mother to the safety of a relative's home in Cincinnati when her Syrian hometown is overshadowed by violence, Jude worries for the family members who were left behind as she adjusts to a new life with unexpected surprises.

     

    Roll with it

    Twelve-year-old Ellie, who has cerebral palsy, finds her life transformed when she moves with her mother to small-town Oklahoma to help care for her grandfather, who has Alzheimer's Disease.

     

    show me sign

    It is 1805 and Mary Lambert has always felt safe among the deaf community of Chilmark on Martha's Vineyard where practically everyone communicates in a shared sign language. But recent events have shattered her life; her brother George has died, land disputes between English settlers and the Wampanoag are getting worse, and a "scientist" determined to discover the origins of the islands' widespread deafness has decided she makes the perfect "live specimen"--and kidnapped her.



    Tristan

    Seventh-grader Tristan Strong tumbles into the MidPass and, with allies John Henry and Brer Rabbit, must entice the god Anansi to come out of hiding and seal the hole Tristan accidentally ripped in the sky.

     

     

     

    Vamos

    Little Lobo, a Mexican American, and Bernabé, his dog, gather tacos, frutas picadas, cuernos, and more and deliver them to los luchadores preparing for Lucha Libre 5000.

     



     

    When stars

    Omar and his younger brother Hassan live in a refugee camp, and when an opportunity for Omar to get an education comes along, he must decide between going to school every day or caring for his nonverbal brother in this intimate and touching portrayal of family and daily life in a refugee camp.

     

     

    trap tiger

    Would you make a deal with a magical tiger? This uplifting story brings Korean folklore to life as a girl goes on a quest to unlock the power of stories and save her grandmother.

     

     

  • Ali

    A biographical novel tells the story of Cassius Clay, the determined boy who would one day become Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers of all time.

     

     

    Black

    A child reflects on the meaning of being Black in this anthem about a people, a culture, a history, and a legacy that lives on. 

     

     

    Desert girl monsoon boy

    One girl. One boy. Their lives couldn't be more different. The journeys of these two children experiencing weather extremes in India highlight the power of nature and the resilience of the human spirit.

     

    Cover art

    While his father works two jobs, seventh-grader Efren Nava must take care of his twin siblings, kindergartners Max and Mia, after their mother is deported to Mexico. Includes glossary of Spanish words.

     

    Genesis begins again

    Thirteen-year-old Genesis tries again and again to lighten her black skin, thinking it is the root of her family's troubles, before discovering reasons to love herself as is.

     

     

    I am every good thing

    The confident Black narrator of this book is proud of everything that makes him who he is. He's got big plans, and no doubt he'll see them through--as he's creative, adventurous, smart, funny, and a good friend. Sometimes he falls, but he always gets back up.

     

     

    Jabari

    Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He’s finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, and he’s a great jumper, so he’s not scared at all. “Looks easy,” says Jabari, watching the other kids take their turns. But when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back.

     

     Lupe

    Lupe needs an A in all her classes in order to meet her favorite pitcher, Fu Li Hernandez, who's Chinacan/Mexinese just like her. So when the horror that is square dancing rears its head in gym? Obviously she's not gonna let that slide.  


    New Kid

    Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. Instead of going to art school, his parents enroll him in a private school with very few kids of color. Can Jordan navigate his new school and stay true to himself?

     

    PLanet Omar

    Imaginative Omar goes through the ups and downs of starting a new school and making new friends with the help of his wonderful (and silly) Muslim family.




    Salma

    All Salma wants is to make her mama smile again. Between English classes, job interviews, and missing Papa back in Syria, Mama always seems busy or sad. A homemade Syrian meal might cheer her up, but Salma doesn’t know the recipe, or what to call the vegetables in English, or where to find the right spices! Luckily, the staff and other newcomers in her Welcome Home are happy to lend a hand—and a sprinkle of sumac.




    Stella

    Stella Díaz loves marine animals, especially her betta fish, Pancho. But Stella Díaz is not a betta fish. Betta fish like to be alone, while Stella loves spending time with her mom and brother and her best friend Jenny. Trouble is, Jenny is in another class this year, and Stella feels very lonely. 



    Undefeated

    This poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes.




     

    Water protectors

    Water is sacred. My people talk of a black snake that will destroy the land, Spoil the water, wreck everything in its path.They foretold that it wouldn't come for many, many years. Now the black snake is here. This book is told from the perspective of a Native American child.

     



    Yasmin

    Yasmin gathers a cape and mask and sets out to find a villain to defeat with her "super powers"--however there are no villains hiding on her block, just neighbors who need a little help.