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5 Feel-Good, Life-Affirming MG Books for Troubled Times
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
This is what Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States of America, said in a speech in 2008, and I’m grateful to him for this message. Today, as the mother of two daughters, I want my children to know they are the change they seek. Here are five nonfiction books to inspire kids ages 8 and up and show them how much power and courage they have:
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It’s Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going!, by Chelsea Clinton
In this inspiring resource for young activists, first daughter-turned-activist Chelsea Clinton shows how you can make a difference in the world.
With charts, photos, and lots of ideas from real kids, Clinton—who’s now the mother of two children—tackles some of the biggest challenges we face, such as climate change, poverty, and gender equality.
The book highlights young people who have made changes in their communities, and also spells out what readers might do (“Get Going!), such as participating in food giveaways and donating hair to make wigs for kids with cancer. The upbeat, empowering message in It’s Your World is a proactive one: you can make a difference, it’s your world.
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Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something That Matters, by Laurie Ann Thompson
Be a Changemaker is a guide to empower young people, giving them the confidence, knowledge, and practical tools to change the world. The examples in this book are so inspiring, such as 12-year-old Craig Kielburger who was flipping through the newspaper in his home in Canada in search of comics when he read an article about a Pakistani boy his age who’d been had been sold into slavery and chained to a carpet loom for nearly six years.
Craig had never heard of child labor, so he did some research, and educated his friends. Together, they founded Free the Children to help young people all over the world.
Author Thompson, who cofounded a successful Internet start-up with her husband during the technology boom, illustrates lessons from the business world to solve problems in the real world, such as how to research ideas, build a team, recruit supportive adults, fundraise, and create positive change.
The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth, by EarthWorks Group
Growing up Little Rock, Arkansas, the earlier edition of 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth was one of Chelsea Clinton’s favorite books in the 1990s!
EarthWorks Group’s John Javna and his daughter, Sophie have revised the original book with more easy-to-do and kid-friendly projects to show kids they can make a difference.
I love the fact that this book shows kids what they can do right now in their homes, such as reusing plastic bags and water bottles, recycling, and starting a compost pile in your backyard.
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March, Book One, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
This Coretta Scott King Honor Book is Georgia Congressman John Lewis’ remarkable personal story, told in graphic novel form, about the civil rights struggle, and his key role in ending segregation.
This story spans Lewis’ childhood during segregation and his leadership role in Martin Luther King Jr.’s nonviolent resistance movement. His education in nonviolence and perseverance will inspire readers, as will his courage to face such inequality.
This is the first book in the trilogy, and graphic novelist Nate Powell was the first and only cartoonist ever to win the National Book Award.
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Grace, Gold, and Glory: My Leap of Faith, by Gabrielle Douglas and Michelle Burford
Olympic gold medalist Gabrielle Douglas has co-written this moving memoir about the challenges she faced as a young girl, and her determination to overcome these obstacles and become the first US gymnast to take home a team and an individual gold medal in the same Olympics.
When she was a baby, Gabrielle’s family lived in a van while her parents looked for work, and after her parents divorced, Gabrielle’s mother worked multiple jobs to take care of her children. Some readers have criticized the writing in this book, saying it’s very teen-speak with, for example, its overuse of LOL, but in the end, it’s very much Gabrielle’s 16-year-old voice.
With her Olympic victory, Gabrielle told young people all over the world: with hard work and persistence, any dream is possible.
What books would you recommend to help young readers feel empowered and inspired in difficult times?