Election season is in full swing, with only eight days until the election and millions of people participating in early voting nationwide, this is a great time to talk to your kids about politics. That doesn’t just mean who you plan to vote for, but what politics really are, how it affects people’s lives, and what it means to bring home an ‘I Voted’ sticker. This list of 2020 Election Reading Books for Kids, released by the NYPL, will help educate your kids about some of the most important issues in the upcoming election.
Psst…Check out our post on How to Get Your Child Engaged This Election Season.
Jennifer Keelan was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth and grew up battling life’s limitations one by one. However, after discovering that she had a voice to create change for those with disabilities, she helped pressure Congress into passing the Americans with Disabilities Act.
A Pakistani-American Muslim girl is faced with trying to stay true to her culture all while blending in at school. When a local mosque becomes vandalized she struggles with what to do next? Does she hide a side of her to become more American?
Around America to Win the Vote
Back in April 1916, Nell Richardson and Alice Burke made their way to NYC to spread a message to all Americans: Votes for Women! In the time of the women’s suffrage movement, this duo was not going to be stopped by anything. One hundred years later, their story is shared with us in a picture book from when they took that trip.
Efrén’s Amá and Apá work very hard to provide for the family and to make sure that Efrén and his siblings are well taken care of. Efrén is American-born and his parents are undocumented which makes him worry about what could possibly happen. One day, his worries come true and his Amá is deported across the border to Tijuana, Mexico.
From the Desk of Zoe Washington
On Zoe Washington’s twelfth birthday, a letter arrives from her father in prison whom she has never met. She contemplates what to write as her father expresses his innocence. Keeping this a secret, Zoe is determined to uncover the truth.
Mia Tang has a lot of secrets. (1) Mia lives in a motel where she helps manage the front desk while her parents who are immigrants clean the rooms. (2) Her parents hide immigrants at the hotel in the empty rooms which also must be kept secret from the motel owner. (3) She wants to be a writer but her mother wants her to focus on math. Mia juggles a lot and it will take a lot out of her to get through the year and go for her dreams.
Gaby starts to volunteer at a local animal shelter where she falls in love with a cat she would like to adopt and give a home. However, Gaby’s mom is deported back to Honduras and Gaby is not sure what to do, especially because she is left without a true place that feels like home. Although Gaby is dealing with a lot, she still wants to give the cat at the shelter a home — even though she is also looking for one herself.
Regina’s Umpqua tribe is legally terminated and has to relocate from Oregon to Los Angeles. During this journey, she tries to gain a deeper understanding of her identity as an Indian and find her grounding in a new environment.
This picture book illustrates the concept of gender identity to readers of all ages. The book covers the full spectrum of varied gender identity to children, explaining that someone can identify with one gender, multiple genders, or neither. This book helps children understand that gender is not binary and any type of gender expression and identity is okay!
Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me
This moving book tells the story of a boy and his father. One day, the boy’s father leaves, leaving him only with his mother. He misses his dad deeply and writes him a letter, in return he receives a letter from his father outlining his hopes and dreams for his son, as well as his love for him, even when he cannot be there physically.
Click here to see the full 2020 Election Reading List for Kids from the NYPL
