Teaching Tolerance Grades 7-12

The books on this list have been curated for grades 7-12 by Guilford Free Library 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 teens to the concept of injustice and provide a conversation starter between kids and adults. By reading and/or discussing "tough topics" through the safety of a book, students 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. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to read these titles along with their children to encourage learning and growing together, practice communicating about potentially difficult conversations, and bonding over the shared experiences books provide. 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 - 11 of 11  There are a total of 53 valid entries on the list.
Book cover for "And she was"
Star rating for And she was
Description:
When Dara finds her birth certificate, she is puzzled to find two strange names on it, but when her mother, Mellie, reveals that she is transgender and transitioned when Dara's biological mother died soon after Dara's birth, Dara is stunned and angry--and she sets off with her friend Sam, in search of the grandparents she never knew existed (and who may be able to fund her tennis career), and the family secrets she can only guess at.
Book cover for "Between shades of gray"
Star rating for Between shades of gray
Average Rating:
5 stars
Description:
In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina is preparing for art school, first dates, and all that summer has to offer. But one night, the Soviet secret police barge violently into her home, deporting her, along with her mother and younger brother, by cattle car to Siberia. Lina's father has been separated from the family and sentenced to death in a prison camp. All seems to be lost, but Lina refuses to give up hope. Will that be enough to keep her alive?
Book cover for "The black flamingo"
Star rating for The black flamingo
Author:
Average Rating:
5 stars
Description:
"Michael is a mixed-race gay teen growing up in London. All his life, he's navigated what it means to be Greek-Cypriot and Jamaican--but never quite feeling Greek or Black enough. As he gets older, Michael's coming out is only the start of learning who he is and where he fits in. When he discovers the Drag Society, he finally finds where he belongs--and the Black Flamingo is born. Told with raw honesty, insight, and lyricism, this debut explores the...
Book cover for "Concrete rose"
Star rating for Concrete rose
Average Rating:
4.4 stars
Description:
"A gang leader's son finds his effort to go straight for the sake of his child challenged by a loved one's brutal murder, in a poignant exploration of Black coming-of-age- set seventeen years before the events of the award-winning 'The Hate U Give'"--
Book cover for "Felix ever after"
Star rating for Felix ever after
Average Rating:
5 stars
Description:
Felix Love, a transgender seventeen-year-old, attempts to get revenge by catfishing his anonymous bully, but lands in a quasi-love triangle with his former enemy and his best friend. Felix Love has never been in love, painful irony that it is. He desperately wants to know why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. He is proud of his identity, but fears that he's one marginalization too many-- Black, queer, and transgender. When an...
Book cover for "Honestly Ben"
Star rating for Honestly Ben
Description:
Ben Carver returns for the spring semester at the exclusive Natick School in Massachusetts determined to put his relationship with Rafe Goldberg behind him and concentrate on his grades and the award that will mean a full scholarship--but Rafe is still there, there is a girl named Hannah whom he meets in the library, and behind it all is his relationship with his distant, but demanding father.
Book cover for "On the come up"
Star rating for On the come up
Average Rating:
4.2 stars
Description:
As the daughter of an underground hip hop legend who died right before he hit big, Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time-- and has massive shoes to fill. She's been labeled a hoodlum at school, and the fridge at home is empty after her mom loses her job. So Bri pours her anger and frustration into her first song, which goes viral -- for all the wrong reasons. Portrayed by the media as a menace, Bri makes a choice-- and becomes the...
Book cover for "Openly straight"
Star rating for Openly straight
Average Rating:
3 stars
Description:
Tired of being known as "the gay kid", Rafe Goldberg decides to assume a new persona when he comes east and enters an elite Massachusetts prep school--but trying to deny his identity has both complications and unexpected consequences.
Book cover for "The summer I wasn't me"
Star rating for The summer I wasn't me
Description:
"Ever since her mom found out she was in love with a girl, seventeen-year-old Lexi's afraid that what's left of her family is going to fall apart for good. New Horizons summer camp promises a new life for Lexi--she swears she can change. She can learn to like boys. But denying her feelings is harder than she thinks"--
Book cover for "The sun is also a star"
Star rating for The sun is also a star
Author:
Average Rating:
4.3 stars
Description:
"Two teens--Daniel, the son of Korean shopkeepers, and Natasha, whose family is here illegally from Jamaica--cross paths in New York City on an eventful day in their lives--Daniel is on his way to an interview with a Yale alum, Natasha is meeting with a lawyer to try and prevent her family's deportation to Jamaica--and fall in love"--
Book cover for "Tyler Johnson was here"
Star rating for Tyler Johnson was here
Author:
Description:
"When Marvin Johnson's twin brother, Tyler, is shot and killed by a police officer, Marvin must fight injustice to learn the true meaning of freedom"--