8 Books for Young Readers who Want to Change the World

Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World, by Katherine Halligan and Sarah Walsh
History is a thing of the past. Now it’s all about herstory, and this beautiful and informative new book celebrates the power and possibility of what girls can achieve and the incredible accomplishments of famous women like Harriet Tubman, Frida Kahlo, Helen Keller, Ada Lovelace, Anne Frank, and more. Young readers can follow the stories of 50 strong ladies who had an impact on the world around them and whose influence can still be felt today. Each spread includes gorgeous and colorful illustrations and photos from each woman’s life. Ages 8 and up.

Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights, by Rob Sanders and Jared Andrew Schorr
Dedicated to “those who lost their lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and those who found their voices,” Rob Sanders’s and Jared Andrew Schorr’s new picture book carries a timely and direct message about ways in which one can take progressive action. The book takes young readers through the many options to peacefully fight for what they believe is right from A—”Assemble. Take action. Create allies.”—to Z—”Be zealous.” And it even has a handy glossary to help explain terms kids might not be familiar with like “picket,” “strike,” and “vigil.” Ages 4–8.

Never Too Young!: 50 Unstoppable Kids Who Made a Difference, by Aileen Weintraub and Laura Horton
Kids may be too young to vote, but they’re old enough to start changing the world around them. Never Too Young! profiles 50 amazing young people throughout history and the present day who have had an impact on human rights, politics, education, sports, the arts, science, and more. Each two-page spread in the book includes a full-color illustration of the young changemaker along with their bio about who they are/were, where they’re from, and the incredible influence they had on the world. Ages 8–12.

Fantastic Failures: True Stories of People Who Changed the World by Falling Down First, by Luke Reynolds
Students are accustomed to hearing about the successes of famous people who had a significant impact on the world around them. But what young people often don’t realize is that it took a lot of missteps, false starts, and failures for these people to achieve their dreams. Fantastic Failures brilliantly highlights the stories of defeats and disappointments of some admirable figures like J.K. Rowling, Albert Einstein, Om Prakash Gurjar, and more. Kids will be inspired by how these setbacks didn’t stand in the way of greatness. Ages 8–12.

Someone Like Me: How One Undocumented Girl Fought for Her American Dream, by Julissa Arce
Social justice advocate and bestselling author Julissa Arce tells her powerful story of coming to the United States from Mexico as an undocumented immigrant with her parents. She lived in fear of being discovered and sent back to Mexico, but through hard work and perseverance, she went on to graduate college with honors and eventually working her way up the corporate ladder to becoming a vice president at Goldman Sachs. Her moving account of her family’s often heartbreaking struggles offers a timely look at the new generation of undocumented immigrants in the United States. Ages 10 and up.

Art in Action: Make a Statement, Change Your World, by Matthew “Levee” Chavez
Artist Matthew “Levee” Chavez created the internationally renowned Subway Therapy project in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, passing out sticky notes at New York’s Union Square subway station and encouraging commuters to express themselves during this contentious moment in America’s history. And now with this DIY guide, Chavez is inspiring young artists and activists to find their own projects with a purpose to help make a difference in their communities and the world. Ages 10–12.

We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices, by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson
This beautiful new volume offers hope, love, and vibrant possibilities to young readers from the moment they hold it in their hands. Edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson, the collection includes essays, artwork, letters, poems and stories from 50 of today’s most outstanding diverse children’s authors and illustrators like Kwame Alexander, Eleanora E. Tate, Jason Reynolds, and Sharon M. Draper. Their powerful contributions all offer their own personal answers to the question, “In this divisive world, what shall we tell our children?” Ages 8–12.

What Can a Citizen Do?, by Dave Eggers and Shawn Harris
Burgeoning young activists have a fire in their bellies to effect change, and volumes like this new picture book from Dave Eggers and illustrated by Shawn Harris are exactly the kind of spark needed to ignite that warm glow. Over the course of the book, a diverse group of children turn a lonely island into a welcoming community for everyone, as Eggers’s prose explains that “a citizen is not what you are—a citizen is what you do.” This charming read with Harris’s elaborate and beautiful cut-paper illustrations offers hope and inspiration to the next generation of changemakers. Ages 3–8.