Books to Boost Young Readers’ Cultural Literacy

Mañanaland is set in the fictional land of Santa Maria. Still, is it fantasy or is it about larger issues like immigration and refugees? Both, of course. Maximiliano “Max” Córdoba can’t remember his mother and Papá won’t talk about her. So his listens to his Buelo’s stories, especially the legend about the mythical gatekeeper who leads people into tomorrow. People who, like Max’s mother, are in danger and need to travel to another land to find safety. Divided into three parts (Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow), Ryan’s enchanting novel tells a beautiful story even as it contends with real world struggles related to immigration and refugees.

If author Lisa Bunker sounds familiar to you, it might be because she is one of the first two trans politicians simultaneously elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Zenobia July follows the eponymous protagonist as she lives openly as a girl for the first time. Having recently moved from Arizona to Maine to live with her aunts, she brings with her a host of coding and hacking skills honed while she hid behind her computer in her previous community. Now, Zenobia puts her tech skills to good use when someone anonymously posts hate speech on her school website. This novel is as much about embracing one’s true gender as it is about what it means to really be “home.”

Written as a longform narrative poem inspired by oral storytelling traditions, this novel by award-winning children’s book author Joseph Bruchac is, on the surface, about life during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s also about Native American traditions, culture, and community. It begins with Malian spending time with her grandparents on a Wabanaki reservation. Then COVID hits and everything shuts down. Of course, Malsum (a dog from the rez, hence the title’s name) shows up to protect the family. Bruchac’s book is a quick and compelling read about life during COVID that also delves into Native American history and tradition, extending the past into the present through its exploration of how Malian and Maslum care for others.

Santiago is 12 years old and caught between a rock and a hard place. He doesn’t want to go back to the abusive situation at his abuelo’s house. Instead, he decides to cross the border with a kind stranger and her daughter. So begins an arduous journey that includes surviving the elements, dealing with coyotes, and enduring a detention facility for child immigrants. The novel doesn’t attempt to sugar coat the harsh realities at the U.S.-Mexico border. It’s a powerful read with fully developed characters — one that can help young readers begin to understand contemporary immigration policies.

This book uses the metaphor of bullying (as in, schoolyard bullies) to help young readers understand what it means to be a refugee. While Raúf’s novel features Ahmet, a young Syrian refugee, its investigation of refugees is broadly applicable. The story is told from a young British girl’s perspective as she and her friends make friends with the new boy in their class. You guessed it: he’s a refugee. The story is full of surprising mishaps and well-intentioned antics. It’s told with humor and tenderness, and even has occasional black and white illustrations.

This novel is so powerful. If you’re looking for a fictional point of entry into talking with your young reader (whatever their racial identity) about police violence against African Americans (especially boys), Ghost Boys is it. The story is narrated by Jerome, a 12-year-old Black boy who was shot and killed by the police. As Jerome watches his family and community in the aftermath of his murder, he also meets the ghost of Emmett Till, whose 1955 murder and subsequent sham trial is often cited as the spark that ignited the Civil Rights Movement. Jerome also becomes familiar with the daughter of the man who killed him. Rhodes’s novel teaches some history, grapples with racism, and looks head-on at the real-life problem of violence against African Americans.

Originally published just over two decades ago, The Birchbark House is the first book in a five-book series following one Ojibwe family for a century. Given that Erdrich is a Pulitzer Prize–winning writer (among other accolades), it’s no surprise that this book was recently republished due to its continued popularity with young readers. Whether your young reader enjoys historical fiction, wants to learn a little about traditional Ojibwe culture, or just likes a good story, The Birchbark House is a great pick. If you want to discuss the book together, it also provides lots of opportunities to discuss U.S. history.

Marcus Vega doesn’t fit in. He’s only an 8th grader, yet he’s the size of a grown-up. When he gets into a fight at school, his mom decides to send both him and his younger brother to Puerto Rico. It’s a classic literary culture-shift: the boys are expected to stay with family for a whole week despite not knowing (or even having met) their relatives. While he’s there, Marcus begins searching for his father. It’s a fun book with humor and unexpected adventures. As Marcus’s story unfolds, Cartaya confronts stereotypes and assumptions regarding Latinx people and culture. As you might infer from the title, it’s a quirky read that may appeal to reluctant and avid readers alike.

More to the Story is a contemporary tale inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. Pakistani American protagonist Jameela Mirza wants to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps and become a journalist. But her grand ideas don’t mesh with the editor of the school newspaper’s vision, so she’s stuck writing about more mundane things (like the new kid at school). Suddenly, Jameela’s whole life — including her journalistic goal — is upended when her dad leaves for a job overseas and her younger sister falls ill. The book’s preoccupations with family and what matters most intertwine with larger ideas of Americanness.

When Linda Sue Park was growing up, she loved the Little House on the Prairie books. However, as she grew up she realized that the reality represented in those books would never have been available to someone like her — a mixed-race Asian American girl — during that time. Prairie Lotus is Park’s literary offering to herself. After her mother’s death, Hanna and her father relocate to a new town. Hanna has to contend with her classmates’ racism and ignorance as they try to make a home for themselves. Hanna’s love for fashion design, her generous spirit, and her remarkable tenacity make this a powerful read. Park deftly weaves histories of anti-Asian hate and racism into the narrative in a way that feels organic to the story, providing fruitful inroads for possible conversations.

This funny novel alternates between Flor’s and Miranda’s narration. Both girls are 11 years old and belong to families who work in a traveling carnival. They become friends despite the tension created by the carnival owner’s potential decision to eliminate the petting zoo Flor’s family runs in favor of featuring Miranda’s family’s band. The whole story unfolds within a single day, which makes for a fast-paced and lively story. The carnival setting only adds to this with its festival flavor. It’s a sweet story about friendship that revolves around two young Latinas even as it doesn’t focus explicitly on race or culture. If you like Torres’s writing, she has other books that read similarly.