Teaching Tolerance Grades K-2

The books on this list have been curated for grades K-2 by Guilford Free Library and Guilford Public Schools librarians. These books address acceptance of others and of yourself by showcasing stories of all kinds of characters (some fictional, some based on real people & events) overcoming hardships and/or bias they have experienced. These books may introduce children to the concept of injustice and provide a conversation starter between children and adults. By reading and/or discussing "tough topics" through the safety of a book, children will build the social-emotional skills and resilience necessary to confidently handle these issues when they come up in the real world later on. Sensitive topics are presented in these books in age-appropriate language and visuals. This project is also presented by the Guilford Anti-Bias Anti-Racist (ABAR) Alliance, a collaborative partnership of educators, parents, and caregivers who work to further inclusion, equity, and tolerance within Guilford Public Schools. Learn more at www.GuilfordCtABAR.com .
 

Showing 1 - 20 of 22  There are a total of 24 valid entries on the list.

1. Adrift at sea: a Vietnamese boy's story of survival

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Author:
Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk
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Guilford Juvenile Biography
J92 HO
Description:
"Tuan and his family survive bullets, a broken motor, and a leaking boat in the long days they spend at sea after fleeing Vietnam. A true story as told to the author by Tuan Ho. Includes family photographs and a historical note about the Vietnamese refugee crisis"--

2. All the way to the top: how one girl's fight for Americans with disabilities changed everything

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Author:
Pimentel, Annette Bay
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Guilford Juvenile Picture Book has 3
JJ PEOPLE & PLACES PIMENTEL
Description:
"Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, Jennifer Keelan grew up battling-and overcoming-the limitations others set for her. From a lack of cutaway curbs and bus lifts to being denied enrollment at her neighborhood school, Jennifer was continually blocked from living the life she wanted. But after discovering the world of disability rights activism, she knew she had to use her voice to change things. When Jennifer was just eight years old, she participated...

3. Alma and how she got her name

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Author:
Martinez-Neal, Juana
Average Rating:
5 stars
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1 copy on order.
Guilford Juvenile Picture Book
JJ GROWING UP MARTINEZ-NEAL
Description:
When Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela asks her father why she has so many names, she hears the story of her name and learns about her grandparents.

4. Alma y como obtuvo su nombre = Alma and how she got her name

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Author:
Martinez-Neal, Juana
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Description:
"When Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela asks her father why she has so many names, she hears the story of her name and learns about her grandparents." --

5. Amy Wu and the patchwork dragon

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Author:
Zhang, Kat, 1991-
Average Rating:
4 stars
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Description:
Amy loves craft time at school. But when her teacher asks everyone to make their own dragon, Amy feels stuck. Her first dragon has a long, wingless body, stag-like horns, and eagle claws, but her friends don't think it's a real dragon. Then she makes dragons like theirs, but none of them feels quite right...None of them feels like hers. After school, a story from Grandma sparks new inspiration, and Amy rounds up her family to help her. Together, can...

6. Amy Wu and the perfect bao

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Author:
Zhang, Kat, 1991-
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Checked Out/Available Elsewhere
9 copies, 1 person is on the wait list.
1 copy on order.
Description:
Amy is determined to make a perfect dumpling like her parents and grandmother do, but hers are always too empty, too full, or not pinched together properly.

7. The Arabic quilt: an immigrant story

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Author:
Khalil, Aya
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Guilford Juvenile Picture Book
JJ PEOPLE & PLACES KHALIL
Description:
When her new classmates tease her, Kanzi finds comfort in wrapping up in a quilt from her teita and writing poetry.

8. The art of Miss Chew

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Author:
Polacco, Patricia
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Guilford Juvenile Picture Book
JJ FAVORITES POLACCO
Description:
Describes how a teacher named Miss Chew encouraged individuality, and accepted learning differences, and helped a young student with academic difficulties get extra time to take tests and permission to be in advanced art classes. Inspired by the author's memories of her art teacher.

9. Between us and Abuela: a family story from the border

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Author:
Perkins, Mitali
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Guilford Juvenile Picture Book
JJ PEOPLE & PLACES PERKINS
Description:
When María, Juan, and their mother go to the border between California and Mexico to visit their grandmother at Christmas, María must devise a way to get Juan's gift over the fence.

10. The Christmas menorahs: how a town fought hate

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Author:
Cohn, Janice
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Guilford Juvenile Non-Fiction
J394.267 COHN
Description:
Describes how people in Billings, Montana joined together to fight a series of hate crimes against a Jewish family.

11. Cubs in the tub: the true story of the Bronx Zoo's first woman zookeeper

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Author:
Fleming, Candace
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Guilford Juvenile Picture Book
JJ PEOPLE & PLACES FLEMING
Description:
"Readers are told the story of Helen Martini's care for lion and tiger cubs, and her emergence as the Bronx Zoo's first woman zookeeper"--

12. Dinosaur lady: the daring discoveries of Mary Anning, the first paleontologist

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Author:
Skeers, Linda
Average Rating:
4.5 stars
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1 copy on order.
Guilford Juvenile Picture Book has 2
JJ PEOPLE & PLACES SKEERS
Description:
"As a kid, Mary Anning loved hunting for fossils with her father. One day, that hobby led to an unexpected discovery: the skeleton of a creature no one had never seen before! Mary had unearthed a dinosaur fossil, the first to ever be discovered. Her find reshaped scientific beliefs about the natural world and led to the beginning of a brand new field of study: paleontology. For the rest of her life, Mary continued to make astonishing finds and her...

13. Happy in our skin

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Author:
Manushkin, Fran (Author)
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Guilford Juvenile Picture Book
JJ GROWING UP MANUSHKIN
Description:
Bouquets of babies sweet to hold: cocoa-brown, cinnamon, and honey gold. Ginger-coloured babies, peaches and cream, too - splendid skin for me, splendid skin for you! A delightfully rhythmical read-aloud text is paired with bright, bustling art from the award-winning Lauren Tobia, illustrator of Anna Hibiscus, in this joyful exploration of the new skin of babyhood. A wonderful gift book for new mums and toddlers, all children can see themselves, and...

14. I believe I can

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Author:
Byers, Grace, 1984-
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"From the New York Times bestselling creators of I Am Enough comes an empowering follow-up that celebrates every child's limitless potential. I Believe I Can is an affirmation for boys and girls of every background to love and believe in themselves"--Amazon.com.

15. Julián at the wedding

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Author:
Love, Jessica
Average Rating:
5 stars
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Guilford Juvenile Picture Book
JJ GROWING UP LOVE
Description:
"Julián and his abuela are going to a wedding. Better yet, Julián is in the wedding. Weddings have flowers and kissing and dancing and cake. And this wedding also has a new friend named Marisol. It's not long before Julián and Marisol set off for some magic and mischief of their own, and when things take an unexpected turn, the pair learns that everything is easier with a good friend by your side"--

16. Julián is a mermaid

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Author:
Love, Jessica
Average Rating:
5 stars
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Guilford Juvenile Picture Book
JJ GROWING UP LOVE
Description:
"While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he's seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for...

17. Ocean speaks: How Marie Tharp revealed the oncena's biggest secret

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Author:
Keating, Jess
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Guilford Juvenile Picture Book
JJ PEOPLE & PLACES KEATING
Description:
'From a young age, Marie Tharp loved watching the world. She loved solving problems. And she loved pushing the limits of what girls and women were expected to do and be. In the mid-twentieth century, women were not welcome in the sciences, but Marie was tenacious. She got a job at a laboratory in New York. But then she faced another barrior: women were not allowed on the research ships (they were considered bad luck on boats). So instead, Marie stayed...

18. Rescue & Jessica: a life-changing friendship

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Author:
Kensky, Jessica
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1 copy on order.
Guilford Juvenile Picture Book has 3
JJ NATURE KENSKY
Description:
"When he is paired with a girl who has lost her legs, Rescue worries that he isn't up to the task of being her service dog." --

19. Strictly no elephants

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Author:
Mantchev, Lisa
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Guilford Juvenile Picture Book
JJ GROWING UP MANTCHEV
Description:
A boy is excluded from joining his friends' pet club because of his unusual pet.

20. Sulwe

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Author:
Nyong'o, Lupita
Average Rating:
5 stars
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Guilford Juvenile Picture Book
JJ GROWING UP NYONG'O
Description:
When five-year-old Sulwe's classmates make fun of her dark skin, she tries lightening herself to no avail, but her encounter with a shooting star helps her understand there is beauty in every shade.