A is for Activist. Innosanto Nagara, $9.99

There aren’t too many books for young children that use words like democracy, grassroots, feminist, radical, justice, and agitate. This beautifully illustrated board book brings children an alphabet of words about social responsibility and activism.

Can We Talk about Race and Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation. Beverly Daniel Tatum, $16.00

Beverly Daniel Tatum emerged on the scene in 1997 with Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria, a book that spoke to a wide audience about the psychological dynamics of race relations in America. Now, in Can We Talk about Race, Tatum starts with a warning call about the increasing but underreported re-segregation of America. Tatum sees our growing isolation from each other as deeply problematic, and she believes that schools can be key institutions for forging connections across the racial divide.

In this ambitious, accessible book, Tatum examines some of the most resonant issues in American education and race relations:

• The need of African-American students to see themselves reflected in curricula and institutions
• How unexamined racial attitudes can negatively affect minority-student achievement
• The possibilities—and complications—of intimate cross-racial friendships

Tatum approaches all these topics with the blend of analysis and storytelling that make her a most persuasive and engaging commentator on race.

The Cardboard Shack Beneath the Bridge: Compassion Series Book 1. Tim Huff, $12.50

The Compassion Series books offer the impetus for a dynamic and interactive elementary school program, encouraging children to look at their world through the lens of compassion and understanding.

This colourful story book includes a parent and teacher discussion guide for helping children understand homelessness.

Caring Hearts & Critical Minds: Literature, Inquiry, and Social Responsibility.  Steven Wolk, $31.95

Discover new ways to integrate inquiry learning, exciting contemporary literature, and teaching for social responsibility across the curriculum. The authors take us step-by-step through the process of designing an inquiry-based literature unit and then provides five full units used in real middle-grade classrooms. Featuring a remarkable range of recommended resources and hundreds of novels from across the literary genres, CARING HEARTS & CRITICAL MINDS gives teachers a blueprint for creating dynamic units with rigorous lessons about topic kids care about.

Child Soldier. Michel Chikwanine & Jessica Dee Humphreys, illustrated by Claudia Dávila, $18.95 (ages 10-14)

Michel Chikwanine was five years old when he was abducted from his schoolyard soccer game in the Democratic Republic of Congo and forced to become a soldier for a brutal rebel militia. Against the odds, Michel managed to escape and find his way back to his family, but he was never the same again. After immigrating to Canada, Michel was encouraged by a teacher to share what happened to him in order to raise awareness about child soldiers around the world, and this book is part of that effort. Told in the first person and presented in a graphic novel format, the gripping story of Michel's experience is moving and unsettling. But the humanity he exhibits in the telling, along with Claudia Dávila's illustrations, which evoke rather than depict the violent elements of the story, makes the book accessible for this age group and, ultimately, reassuring and hopeful.

The book also contains further information, as well as suggestions for ways children can help. This is a perfect resource for engaging youngsters in social studies lessons on global awareness and social justice issues, and would easily spark classroom discussions about conflict, children's rights and even bullying. Michel's actions took enormous courage, but he makes clear that he was and still is an ordinary person, no different from his readers. He believes everyone can do something to make the world a better place, and so he shares what his father told him: “If you ever think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a room with a mosquito.”

Citizenship Series, by Cassie Mayer (Grades 1 – 2)

Books in this series introduce character values that are an important part of good citizenship. Each book uses playful, engaging illustrations to show situations that demonstrate positive behavior. The books end by asking students to wonder how they may behave to demonstrate each characteristic.

Being a Leader. Cassie Mayer, $8.95 (Gr. 1 – 2)

Being Helpful. Cassie Mayer, $8.95 (Gr. 1 – 2)

Being Fair. Cassie Mayer, $8.95 (Gr. 1 – 2)

Making Friends. Cassie Mayer, $8.95 (Gr. 1 – 2)

Following Rules. Cassie Mayer, $8.95 (Gr. 1 – 2)

Being Responsible. Cassie Mayer, $8.95 (Gr. 1 – 2)

Being Honest. Cassie Mayer, $8.95 (Gr. 1 – 2)

The Complete Guide to Service Learning, Grades K-12.  Cathryn Berger Kaye, $47.99

Proven, practical ways to engage students in civic responsibility, academic curriculum and social action.

Creating Room to Read: a Story of Hope in the Battle for Global Literacy. John Wood, $18.00

In 1999, at the age of thirty-five, Wood quit a lucrative career to found the non-profit Room to Read. Described by the San Francisco Chronicle as “the Andrew Carnegie of the developing world,” he strived to bring the lessons of the corporate world to the non-profit sector — and succeeded spectacularly. At its heart, CREATING ROOM TO READ shares moving stories of the people Room to Read works to help: impoverished children whose schools and villages have been swept away by war or natural disaster and girls whose educations would otherwise be ignored. 

People at the highest levels of finance, government, and philanthropy will embrace the opportunity to learn Wood’s inspiring business model and blueprint for doing good. And general readers will love CREATING ROOM TO READ for its spellbinding story of one man’s mission to put books within every child’s reach. 

Doing Good Together: 101 Easy, Meaningful Service Projects for Families, Schools and Communities. Jenny Friedman & Jolene Roehlkepartain, $29.99

What happens when families volunteer together with other families? Communities benefit, kids and families benefit and your organization benefits.

With activities focused on helping the environment, easing poverty, promoting literacy and more, the 101 ready-to-use projects in this book are a great way to reap the many benefits of family service.  These self-contained projects are easy to implement and include everything leaders need to plan, organize, conduct and help participants reflect on the experience.

Dreams of Freedom in Words and Pictures. Amnesty International, $20.99

This inspirational book contains 17 quotations about many different aspects of Freedom, from the freedom to have an education to the freedom not to be hurt or tortured, the freedom to have a home and the freedom to be yourself. All the quotations have been chosen to be understood and appreciated by children.

The Enemy: a Book about Peace. Davide Cali, illustrated by Serge Bloch, $19.99

There is a battlefield. In the battlefield there are two holes. In each hole there is a soldier.

Simple, direct and powerful, this is a timeless story about the pointlessness of war.

Everyday Anti-Racism: Getting Real about Race in School. Edited by Mica Pollock, $27.50

In Everyday Anti-Racism leading educators deal with the most challenging questions about race in school, offering invaluable and effective advice. Topics range from using racial incidents as teachable moments to valuing students’ home worlds, dealing daily with achievement gaps, and helping parents fight ethnic and racial misconceptions about their children. Questions following each essay prompt readers to examine and discuss everyday issues of race and opportunity in their own classrooms and schools.

Everyone’s Birthday. Marc Kielburger, illustrated by Marisa Antonello & Victoria Laidley, $19.95

Young Marc Kielburger searches to answer the question “What kind of person do you want to be?” Follow him as he goes on a journey to Thailand, where a special kind of birthday party helps him find the answer, while changing the course of his life forever.

In this remarkable and timely book, bestselling author Barbara Coloroso turns her attention to genocide: what it means; where it begins; where it must end. Through an examination of three clearly defined genocides — of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire; the Jews, Roma, and Sinti in Europe; and the Tutsi in Rwanda — Coloroso deconstructs the causes of genocide and its consequences, both to the immediate victims and to the fabric of the world at large, and proposes the conditions that must exist in order to eradicate this evil from the world. Based on the author’s twenty years of research and extensive travel, Extraordinary Evil is an urgently needed work in an age when acts of genocide seem to occur more frequently and are in the public’s consciousness more than ever before.

Follow Your Money: Who Gets It, Who Spends It, Where Does It Go? Kevin Sylvester & Michael Hlinka, $14.95

Accessible and fun, FOLLOW YOUR MONEY is a vital introduction to the way money flows from creator to distributor to retailer to customer. Who benefits most from your purchase? Was the price you paid fair? What happens to your money when you deposit in the bank? This lively book answers all these questions and more.

Giant Steps to Change the World. Spike Lee & Tonya Lewis Lee, $19.99

Everyone has it in them to be a hero…

The Good Garden: How One Family Went from Hunger to Having Enough. Katie Smith Milway, illustrated by Sylvie Daigneault, $19.95

The Good Garden is a simple story about a big issue: food insecurity. This introduction to a global issue provides children with the tools and information to help them make a difference locally and globally.

Great Ideas: Using Service-Learning and Differentiated Instruction to Help Your Students Succeed. Pamela Gent, $41.95

Much more than "community service,” service-learning activities help improve outcomes for all students when they're carefully linked to the curriculum and IEP goals. This book shows K-12 educators and administrators exactly how this approach promotes inclusion and differentiated instruction for students with and without disabilities. A fresh, hands-on guide to inclusion that goes beyond co-teaching, collaboration, or accommodations, this highly practical book will help educators make the most of every student's unique abilities—and build better communities inside and outside the classroom.

Growing Up Global: Raising Children to be at Home in the World.  Homa Sabet Tavangar, $19.95

In today’s increasingly interconnected world, how do we prepare our children to succeed and to become happy, informed global citizens? In Growing Up Global, Tavangar shares with all of us her “parenting toolbox” to help give our children a vital global perspective.

Whether you’re mastering a greeting in ten different languages, throwing an internationally themed birthday party, or celebrating a newfound holiday, Growing Up Global provides parents and children with a rich, exciting background for exploring and connecting with far-flung nations they may have only heard about on television. Inside you’ll discover

• fun activities, games, and suggestions for movies, music, books, magazines, service activities, and websites for expanding your family’s worldview
• simple explanations that will help your children grasp the diversity of world faiths
• creative ways to gain geography literacy
• handy lists of celebrations and customs that offer a fascinating look at how people from different cultures around the world live everyday life

Growing Up Global is a book that parents, grandparents, and teachers can turn to again and again for inspiration and motivation as they strive to open the minds of children everywhere.

Helping Teens Stop Violence, Build Community and Stand for Social Justice. Allan Creighton & Paul Kivel, $23.50

Allan Creighton and Paul Kivel, veteran youth educators and community activists, use their decades of experience with teens to offer:

• a framework and vocabulary for teaching violence prevention and social justice
• road-tested exercises for adult, staff and youth training and development
• guidelines for facilitating discussions on sensitive contemporary issues

These tools have been used successfully in schools, residential programs, after-school and recreation programs, youth detention facilities, and colleges and universities. Any adult determined to help young people become active, critically thinking community members will find a strong ally in this empowering resource.

A Hen for Izzy Pippik. Aubrey Davis & Marie LaFrance, $18.95 (ages 4-8)

When Shaina finds a magnificent hen, she knows that Izzy Pippik, the hen's owner, is sure to return for her. In the meantime, Shaina decides she will care for the animal. But when dozens of eggs hatch and rowdy chickens scatter throughout the village, Shaina must fight the entire town if she has any hope of protecting the birds. Inspired by Jewish and Islamic traditional texts, this is a beautiful tale about doing the right thing, even in the face of adversity. 

Hope Springs. Eric Walters, illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes, $19.99

A drought has settled in the area around the orphanage where Boniface lives. There are long line-ups at the tiny spring where all the local people get their water, and suddenly the orphans are pushed to the back of the line, unwelcome. Boniface's houseparent, Henry, tells him that the people were mean out of fear — they feared there would not be enough water for their families. When the building of the orphanage's well is completed, Boniface has an idea to help the villagers. A lovely story of kindness and heart, this story shows that, through compassion and understanding, true generosity can spring from unexpected places.

I Am Malala: the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. Malala Yousafzai, with Christina Lamb, $29.00

When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. 

Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize. I AM MALALA is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.

I Am Malala, Young Readers Edition. Malala Yousafzai, with Patricia McCormick, $19.00

Malala Yousafzai was only ten years old when the Taliban took control of her region. They said music was a crime. They said women weren't allowed to go to the market. They said girls couldn't go to school. This is her story — the story of how one girl stood up for education and changed the world.

I Came from the Water: One Haitian Boy’s Incredible Tale of Survival. Vanita Oelschlager, $11.50

The story is based on the actual experiences of Moses, an eight year-old boy and resident of St. Helene’s orphanage outside Port-au-Prince. As an infant, he was literally plucked from the waters of a nearby river, having been placed in a basket by his grandmother. The rest of his family perished in floods that wiped out their upland village in 2004. He was given his name by the nuns at St. Helene’s. The title is Moses’ reply to the author when she asked where he is from.

After the earthquake of 2010 destroyed Port-au-Prince and much of the surrounding area, the orphanage was flooded with a new wave of parentless boys and girls. Moses helped these children adapt to their new lives and in so doing displayed the kind of fearless hope and determination that may lead to Haiti’s renewal as a self-supporting nation.

St. Helene’s orphanage is run by Father Rick Frechette known globally for his dedication to improving the lives of poor children across Latin America. Net profits from I CAME FROM THE WATER will go to support St. Helene’s and Father Rick’s efforts to help rebuild Haiti by offering a safe place to live and a free education for children like Moses.

I Dreamt... a Book about Hope. Gabriela Olmo, $18.95

In many parts of the world, including North America, children are living with violence. Wars, gangs, guns, crime, bullying, harassment and fear keep many kids from living the full, free lives that every child should enjoy. This book was created in Mexico, where for the past six years a vicious war against drugs has brought fear and insecurity into every child’s life. Many children’s dreams have become nightmares. Some of Mexico’s best illustrators have donated their art to create this book, which gives children a way to talk about their fears, a reason to hope and the inspiration to resist falling into grief and depression.

Royalties from sales will be donated to IBBY’s Fund for Children in Crisis, which supports bibliotherapy projects that use books and reading to help children who have lived through wars, civil conflicts and natural disasters to think and talk about their experiences.

I Have the Right to Be a Child. Alain Serres & Aurélia Fronty, $18.95

With a very simple text accompanied by rich, vibrant illustrations a young narrator describes what it means to be a child with rights — from the right to food, water and shelter, to the right to go to school, to be free from violence, to breathe clean air, and more. The book emphasizes that these rights belong to every child on the planet. It also makes evident that knowing and talking about these rights are the first steps toward making sure that they are respected.

A brief afterword explains that the rights outlined in the book come from the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989. The treaty sets out the basic human rights that belong to children all over the world, recognizing that children need special protection since they are more vulnerable than adults. It has been ratified by 193 states, with the exception of Somalia, the United States and the new country of South Sudan. Once a state has ratified the document, they are legally bound to comply with it and to report on their efforts to do so. As a result, some progress has been made, not only in awareness of children's rights, but also in their implementation. But there are still many countries, wealthy and poor, where children's basic needs are not being met.

If the World Were a Village: a Book about the World’s People, 2nd Edition. David Smith, illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong, $19.95 (ages 8-12)

This eye-opening book promotes "world-mindedness" by imagining the world's population — all 6.8 billion of us — as a village of just 100 people. If the World Were a Village looks at the languages, wealth, food security, energy and health of the citizens in the village. By exploring the lives of the 100 villagers, children will discover that life in other nations is often very different from their own.

Includes extensive resources and access to an online teaching guide.

In a Cloud of Dust.  Alma Fullerton, illustrated by Brian Deines, $19.95

In a Tanzanian village school, Anna struggles to keep up. Her walk home takes so long that when she arrives, it is too dark to do her homework. Working through the lunch hour instead, she doesn’t see the truck from the bicycle library pull into the schoolyard. By the time she gets out there, the bikes are all gone. Anna hides her disappointment, happy to help her friends learn to balance and steer. She doesn’t know a compassionate friend will offer her a clever solution — and the chance to raise her own cloud of dust.

Inspired by organizations like The Village Bicycle Project that have opened bicycle libraries all across Africa, In a Cloud of Dust is an uplifting example of how a simple opportunity can make a dramatic change in a child’s life.

It Takes a Child. Craig Kielburger, $10.95

IT TAKES A CHILD is a fun, vibrant look back at Craig's adventures in taking global action. The book takes readers along on Craig's eye-opening journey throughout the developing world, learning about child labour, making new friends, and the origins of Free the Children.

It's Hard Not to Stare: Compassion Series Book 2. Tim Huff, $12.50

Helping children to understand disabilities is the focus of the second book in the Compassion Series. The Compassion Series books offer the impetus for a dynamic and interactive elementary school program, encouraging children to look at their world through the lens of compassion and understanding.

Just Because It's Not Wrong Doesn’t Make It Right: Teaching Kids To Think and Act Ethically. Barbara Coloroso, $22.00

In her now-classic ‘Kids are Worth It!’ Barbara Coloroso’s underlying parenting vision ascribed to parents the responsibility to teach the next generation how to think, not just what to think, so that they may grow into the best people they can be.

Now, in this groundbreaking new book — a natural extension and a profound deepening of her original vision — Coloroso shows parents how to nurture their children’s ethical lives, from preschool through adolescence.

There can be no more necessary book for our times.We live in a world where children are so often given the message that the ends justify the means; where harmful, even violent behavior — in families, in communities, and around the world — goes unnoticed, unmitigated, and often unrepented; where children’s ethical education can come from a T-shirt slogan or bumper sticker, an Internet site, or the evening news; where rigid moral absolutism or moral relativism has replaced true ethical thinking. In a world such as ours, Just Because It’s Not Wrong Doesn’t Make It Right is an essential tool.

Rich in advice and anecdotes, Barbara Coloroso offers no less than an ethical vision, one rooted in deep caring, by which we and succeeding generations may not only live, but thrive.

The Kid’s Guide to Service Projects: Over 500 Service Ideas for Young People Who Want to Make a Difference, 2nd Edition. Barbara Lewis, $19.99

Are you looking for ways to connect kids with inspiring, high-quality community service projects? Do you want fresh ideas and suggestions for how to get kids involved in service learning? Then this new edition of Barbara Lewis’s classic youth service guide is for you.

The Kid’s Guide to Service Projects contains hundreds of up-to-date service projects and ideas presented in an engaging, kid-friendly format. This guide has something for everyone who wants to make a difference. Features and benefits include over 500 service project ideas, from simple to large scale and step-by-step instructions for creating flyers, petitions, press releases, and more.

The book’s 14 thematic chapters cover topics commonly selected for community service projects. Each chapter includes important facts and statistics related to each topic, a host of diverse service project ideas, and listings of service organization contact information.

Animals • Community Development  • Crime Fighting  • The Environment  • Health & Wellness  • Homelessness  • Hunger  • Literacy  • People with Special Needs  • Seniors  • Politics & Government  • Safety  • Transportation  • Friendship

With the current increased focus on community service, this book is sure to motivate an audience of eager young change-makers. National award-winning author Barbara Lewis provides the ideas, tips, resources, and information kids need to get out there and make a difference today!

Lacey and the African Grandmothers. Sue Farrell Holler, $14.95 (ages 10-14)

Can a sewing project make a difference half-way across the world?

Lacey Little Bird loves spending time with Kahasi, an elder on her reserve who is like a grandmother to her. Then Lacey hears about a project to help grandmothers in Africa who are raising their grandchildren because their parents have died from AIDS. Even though Africa is far, far away, Lacey wants to help and emails the grandmothers with a plan to raise money by selling beaded purses.

What difference can a young Blackfoot girl from North America make in the lives of grandmothers in Africa? A lot, as Lacey discovers. Her decision to help will bring about amazing changes in her life and her community.

Lacey and the African Grandmothers is based on true events, real people, and the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign.

Lessons from a Street Kid. Craig Kielburger, illustrated by Marisa Antonello & Victoria Laidley, $19.95

Join a young Craig Kielburger as he learns about the heights of generosity on the streets of Brazil.

The Little Book of Conflict Transformation. John Paul Lederach, $4.95

Conflict transformation offers a hopeful and workable approach to conflict on all levels. This simple yet profound book is a clear articulation of the guiding principles developed by a pioneer in the field.

Living Me to We: the Guide for Socially Conscious Canadians. Craig Kielburger & Marc Kielburger, $19.95

With this uniquely Canadian guide to socially conscious living, activists Craig and Marc Kielburger give you the tools for LIVING ME TO WE. After 15 years travelling the country and advocating for social justice, Craig and Marc became inspired to compile their practical tips for change in one handy guide. The result is a beautifully designed, extensively researched and engaging book — just for Canadians.

Through original illustrations and photography, you’ll learn how seek out ethical investments and carbon-friendly vacations. With dozens of interviews conducted with scores of Canadians across the country, you’ll meet the people in your community who are taking small steps to a better world. You’ll also get to know a new side of some famous Canadians as they recount their personal tales of lighter living. Finally, turn to the end of the book where you can find an extensively researched resource guide, chock full of websites, books, magazines and city-specific stores and organizations, to start your own movement.

Look Where We Live! A First Book of Community Building. Scot Ritchie, $16.95

In this engaging nonfiction picture book, five young friends — Nick, Yulee, Pedro, Sally and Martin — spend the day traveling around their neighborhood and participating in activities designed to raise money for their local library. Along the way, they learn about the people and places that make up their community and what it means to be a part of one.

Made You Look, 2nd Edition: How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know. Shari Graydon, illustrated by Michelle Lamoreaux, $16.95 (Gr. 6+)

For ten years, MADE YOU LOOK has been an essential self-defense guide for anyone trying to make sense of the complex world of advertising. Now fully revised and with a fresh new look, the book has been updated to reflect the modern ad landscape, from digital tracking and cookies (not the chocolate chip kind!) to social media, viral videos, and reality television. From the earliest roots of advertising to the undercover marketers of the 21st century, this revealing book shows readers where ads come from, how they work, and why kids need to be informed. Bursting with real-life examples, thought-provoking questions, hip illustrations, and plenty of tips to empower young consumers, MADE YOU LOOK is every kid’s ultimate guide to the advertising universe.

Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World. Craig Kielburger & Marc Kielburger, $22.99

For everyone who has ever yearned for a better life and a better world, Craig and Marc Kielburger share a blueprint for personal and social change that has the power to transform lives, one act at a time. Me to We is an approach to life that leads us to recognize what is truly valuable, make new decisions about the way we want to live, and re-define the goals we set for ourselves and the legacy we want to leave. Above all, it creates new ways of measuring happiness, meaning, and success in our lives, and makes sure these elusive goals are attainable at last.

MIGRANT. Maxine Trottier, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault, $18.95

Each spring Anna leaves her home in Mexico and travels north with her family where they will work on farms harvesting fruits and vegetables. Sometimes she feels like a bird, flying north in the spring and south in the fall. Sometimes she feels like a jack rabbit living in an abandoned burrow, as her family moves into an empty house near the fields. But most of all she wonders what it would be like to stay in one place.

The Low German-speaking Mennonites from Mexico are a unique group of migrants who moved from Canada to Mexico in the 1920s and became an important part of the farming community there. But it has become increasingly difficult for them to earn a livelihood, and so they come back to Canada each year as migrant workers in order to survive.

Beautifully written by Maxine Trottier and imaginatively illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault, this book describes what it is like to be a child in a migrant family.

My Name is Blessing. Eric Walters, illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes, $19.99

Based on the life of a real boy, this warm-hearted, beautifully illustrated book tells the story of Baraka, a young Kenyan boy with a physical disability. Baraka and eight cousins live with their grandmother. She gives them boundless love, but there is never enough money or food, and life is hard — love doesn't feed hungry stomachs or clothe growing bodies, or school keen minds. Baraka is too young, and, with his disability, needs too much, and she is too old. A difficult choice must be made, and grandmother and grandchild set off on a journey to see if there is a place at the orphanage for Baraka. The story begins by looking at Baraka's physical disability as a misfortune, but ends by looking beyond the disability, to his great heart and spirit, and the blessings he brings.

One Peace: True Stories of Young Activists. Janet Wilson, $19.95

One Peace celebrates the accomplishments of children and youth from around the globe who have worked to promote world peace.

Our Stories, Our Songs: African Children Talk about AIDS. Deborah Ellis, $17.95

In Sub-Saharan Africa, there are more than 11.5 million orphans. The AIDS pandemic has claimed their parents, their aunts, and their uncles. What is life like for these children? Who do they care for, and who cares for them? Come and meet them. They might surprise you.

One Well. Rochelle Strauss, illustrated by Rosemary Woods, $19.95 (Grades 3 and up)

Almost 70 percent of Earth’s surface is covered with water. And all that water is connected — every raindrop, lake, underground river and glacier is part of a single global well. A single splash can sprout a seed, quench a thirst, provide a habitat, generate energy and sustain life. How we treat the water in the well will affect every species on the planet, now and for years to come. One Well shows how every one of us has the power to conserve and protect our global well — and why we need to pay attention.

Owning Up Curriculum: Empowering Adolescents to Confront Social Cruelty, Bullying, and Injustice. Rosalind Wiseman, $79.95 (Grades 6-12)

The Owning Up Curriculum presents a unique and comprehensive approach to preventing youth violence by providing a structured program for teaching students to own up and take responsibility — as perpetrators, bystanders, and targets — for unethical behavior. Students learn to recognize that they have a responsibility to treat themselves and others with dignity and to speak out against injustice.

By targeting the root causes of bullying and other forms of social cruelty, Wiseman exposes the cultural expectations that teach young people to humiliate and dehumanize others as the way to achieve power and respect, then challenges them to transform this dynamic. The program also addresses the nuanced ways in which racism, classism, and homophobia are expressed in our culture and affect social cruelty and violence.

A CD-ROM of reproducible program forms and student handouts is included with the curriculum.

Parenting for Peace: Raising the Next Generation of Peacemakers. Marcy Axness, $19.95

If we really want to change the world, let's raise a generation hardwired for peace and innovation from the very beginning. A child whose brain develops its capacity for self-regulation, self-reflection, trust, and empathy is a joy to parent. As an adult, this individual will have the heart to embrace and exemplify peace, the mind to innovate solutions to social and ecological challenges, and the will to enact them.

In the midst of our global human, economic and environmental crises, we have overlooked a profound means of cultivating a sustainable, peaceful future: the choices and attitudes with which we bring our children to life and shepherd them into adulthood. With compassion, good humor and engaging examples, PARENTING FOR PEACE is an essential guide for raising a generation of peacemakers.

Parenting for a Peaceful World. Robin Grille, $29.95

In Parenting for a Peaceful World, learn about nurturing your child’s emotional intelligence, and understand how your own childhood experiences have influenced your emotional make-up as an adult and the choices you make as a parent.

Pay It Forward Kids: Small Acts, Big Changes. Nancy Runstedler, $19.95

Meet ordinary kids, who have done extraordinary things. They have set out to Pay It Forward — with astonishing results. These powerful stories demonstrate that you're never too young to make a difference or to improve the life of another. Kindness can be done by anyone…you just need to step up and start.

Positive Parenting for a Peaceful World emphasizes the vital connection between how we bring up our children and the kind of people they become … Using tried-and-tested conflict resolution skills, which really do work, this ground-breaking and vitally important book teaches parents how to bring up peaceable children and create a peaceable family life.

The Power of Half: One Family’s Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back.  Kevin Salwen & Hannah Salwen, $18.95

The Power of Half is the fascinating story of how one family set out to make small difference in the world and ended up transforming themselves.

Razia’s Ray of Hope: One Girl’s Dream of an Education. Elizabeth Suneby, illustrated by Suana Verelst, $19.95 (ages 8-12)

Based on the true story of a girl in Afghanistan who desperately wants an education and convinces the men in her family to allow her to attend school, the story’s protagonist goes to the Zabuli Education Center for girls outside of Kabul, started by Razia Jan.

The book also includes information about the real Razia Jan and the Zabuli Education Center, Dari words, a lesson plan (“A Day in Razia’s Life"), and questions for discussion, making it ideal for school, library, and personal use when discussing the fundamental human right of education for all children. 

Readings for Diversity and Social Justice, 2nd Edition. Maurianne Adams, et al, $51.95

For over ten years, Readings for Diversity and Social Justice has been the go-to anthology for the broadest possible coverage of issues related to identity and oppression from a social justice perspective. This highly-anticipated second edition breaks even further ground, boasting over 40 more readings than previously available, updated and original section introductions, and three entirely new chapter sections on Religious Oppression, Transgender Oppression, and Ageism/Adultism. As with the first edition, each chapter section is divided into Contexts, Personal Voices, and Next Steps. The first two parts provide vivid portraits of the meaning of diversity and the realities of oppression. The third part challenges the reader to take action to end oppressive behavior and affirm diversity and social justice.

Residential Schools: with Words and Images of Survivors. Larry Loyie, with Wayne Spear & Constance Brissenden, $35.95

This book explains the hidden history of the residential school system. Award-winning author and former residential school student Larry Loyie delves into how Canada, for over a century, removed more than 150,000 Aboriginal children from their families to attend these church-run residential schools. It explains in a comprehensive, yet accessible, way the history of not only First Nations people but also the Métis and Inuit peoples of Canada.

Residential Schools speaks with the voice of more than 70 former students and family members. There are more than 125 images — many from the personal collections of survivors, a map of Canada’s residential schools, a “key dates” timeline, five myths associated with Residential School and a glossary of terms. The book involved over 20 years of research, 200 interviews and took three years to write. “It is a historical narrative and national history that needs to be told,” said author Larry Loyie.

Shannen and the Dream for a School. Janet Wilson, $14.95

This is the true story of Shannen Koostachin and the people of Attawapiskat, a Cree community in Northern Ontario, who have been fighting for a new school since 1979, when a fuel spill contaminated their original school building.

It is 2008, and thirteen-year-old Shannen and the other students at J.R. Nakogee Elementary are tired of attending class in portables that smell and don't keep out the freezing cold winter air. They make a YouTube video describing the poor conditions, and their plea for a decent school gains them attention and support from community leaders and children across the country. Inspired, the students decide to turn their grade-eight class trip into a visit to Ottawa, to speak to the Canadian government. Once there, Shannen speaks passionately to the politicians about the need to give Native children the opportunity to succeed. The following summer, Shannen is nominated for the International Children's Peace Prize. Her passion and that of the other students makes politicians stand up and take notice, and becomes a rallying point for the community and for the country.

Shannen will never see her dream fulfilled. Tragically, she was killed in a car crash in 2010. Her family, friends, and supporters are continuing to fight and to honor her memory as they work for equality for children in communities everywhere.

Find out about the Shannen's Dream Campaign. Read the Canadian Geographic story on the children of Attawapiskat and their wait for a new school, "Still Waiting in Attawapiskat".

The Teen Guide to Global Action: How to Connect with Others (Near and Far) to Create Social Change. Barbara Lewis, $16.50

Kids everywhere are deciding they can’t wait to become adults to change the world. They’re acting right now to fight hunger and poverty, promote health and human rights, save the environment, and work for peace. Their stories prove that young people can make a difference on a global scale. This book includes real-life stories to inspire young readers, plus a rich and varied menu of opportunities for service, fast facts, hands-on activities, user-friendly tools, and up-to-date resources kids can use to put their own volunteer spirit into practice. It also spotlights young people from the past whose efforts led to significant positive change. Upbeat, practical, and highly motivating, this book has the power to rouse young readers everywhere.

This Child, Every Child: a Book about the World’s Children. David Smith, illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong, $19.95 (ages 8-12)

Every second of every day, four more children are added to the world's population of over 2.2 billion children. Some of these 2.2 billion children will be cared for and have enough to eat and a place to call home. Many others will not be so fortunate. This Child, Every Child uses statistics and stories to draw kids into the world beyond their own borders and provide a window into the lives of their fellow children.

As young readers will discover, there are striking disparities in the way children live. Some children lack opportunities that others take for granted. What is it like to be a girl in Niger? How are some children forced into war? How do children around the world differ in their home and school lives? This Child, Every Child answers such questions and sets children's lives against the rights they are guaranteed under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Includes extensive resources and access to an online teaching guide.

Undoing Homophobia in Primary Schools. The No Outsiders Project Team, $30.95

This book is a celebration of recognition, affirmation and inclusion. Primary teachers tell the story of how they have challenged the taken-for-granted norms and silences in primary schools around sexual orientation and gender expression. These norms and silences have left lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their families marginalized, unrepresented and subject to multiple discrimination, and have allowed embedded homophobia and transphobia to go largely unchallenged. Through their accounts of practice, reflections and interpretations, vignettes and images, the teachers describe how they have challenged this unaddressed area of inclusion across sites across England ranging from a tiny village church school to urban and suburban settings. Working within and beyond the curriculum, teachers have broken boundaries in primary practice for sexualities and gender equality.

This book shows it is not only through planned innovations and policy developments that change happens but also, and crucially, in the day-to-day moments where new thinking leads to new action for equality and social justice.

V is for Vegan: the ABCs of Being Kind. Ruby Roth, $14.95

Introducing three- to seven-year-olds to the "ABCs" of a compassionate lifestyle, V IS FOR VEGAN is a must-have for vegan and vegetarian parents, teachers, and activists! Acclaimed author and artist Ruby Roth brings her characteristic insight and good humor to a controversial and challenging subject, presenting the basics of animal rights and the vegan diet in an easy-to-understand, teachable format. Through memorable rhymes and charming illustrations, Roth introduces readers to the major vegan food groups (grains, beans, seeds, nuts, vegetables, and fruits) as well as broader concepts such as animal protection and the environment. Sure to bring about laughter and learning, V IS FOR VEGAN will boost the confidence of vegan kids about to enter school and help adults explain their ethical worldview in a way that young children will understand. 

Walking Home. Eric Walters, $12.99 (novel)

13-year-old Muchoki and his younger sister, Jata, can barely recognize what's become of their lives. Only weeks ago they lived in a bustling Kenyan village, going to school, playing soccer with friends, and helping at their parents' store. But sudden political violence has killed their father and destroyed their home. Now, Muchoki, Jata, and their ailing mother live in a tent in an overcrowded refugee camp. By day, they try to fend off hunger and boredom. By night, their fears about the future are harder to keep at bay. Driven by both hope and desperation, Muchoki and Jata set off on what seems like an impossible journey: to walk hundreds of kilometers to find their last remaining family.

War Brothers: the Graphic Novel. Sharon McKay & Daniel Lafrance, $18.95

When fourteen-year-old Jacob is brutally abducted and forced to become a child soldier, he struggles to hold on to his sanity and the will to escape.  Readers will never forget the experiences of this young boy struggling to survive, unsure who to trust, afraid of succumbing to madness, and above all, desperate to get to freedom. In the end, Jacob engineers a daring escape. 

This graphic novel is based on the acclaimed novel of the same title, winner of a 2009 Arthur Ellis award. The author spent time in Uganda and based this story on real-life accounts of the horrors inflicted on child soldiers and their victims. Daniel Lafrance’s striking artwork and the poignant, powerful text capture the very essence of life as a child soldier.

Watch Me Grow! A Down-to-Earth Look at Growing Food in the City. Debroah Hodge, photographs by Brian Harris, $16.95

A city is a great place to grow food. Front yards, backyards, balconies, rooftops, windowsills, parks — people are planting gardens and growing delicious, healthy food for themselves and others to eat; and making the city a better place to live!

We Are All Born Free: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures. $22.95

This unique picture book is published in association with Amnesty International to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Human Rights, with introductions by David Tennant and John Boyne. Each of the thirty articles has been illustrated by a major children’s artist. All royalties from the sale of this book are donated to Amnesty International.

We Generation: Raising Socially Responsible Kids. Michael Ungar, $19.99

Engaging and timely, this book is an invaluable resource for parents who want their children to become socially responsible and globally aware adults.

We Want You to Know: Kids Talk About Bullying. Deborah Ellis, $14.95

Through her association with a community anti-bullying campaign launched in Haldimand, Norfolk, and neighboring communities in Southern Ontario, children’s author Deborah Ellis asked students from the ages of nine to nineteen to talk about their experiences with bullying. The results are thoughtful, candid, and often harrowing accounts of “business as usual” in and around today’s schools. The kids in this book raise questions about the way parents, teachers, and school administrators cope with bullies. They talk about which methods have helped and which ones, with the best of intentions, have failed to protect them. And some kids reveal how they have been able to overcome their fear and anger to become strong advocates for the rights of others.

This is a book for reading and sharing. Each interview is followed by questions that will encourage open discussion about the nature of bullying and the ways in which individuals and schools could deal more effectively with bullies and their victims. And additional comments from international students reveal how much kids the world over have in common in the way they experience and deal with bullies. 

These kids have something to say. It’s time we listened.

When Children Play: the Story of RIGHT TO PLAY. Gina McMurchy-Barber, $19.95 (ages 10 and up)

An orphaned girl in a Ugandan refugee camp. A former child soldier in the Sudan. When survival is the priority, something as simple and normal as play seems to be a luxury that these children can do without. But RIGHT TO PLAY is changing that perception. Founded in 2000 by Norwegian Olympic medalist Johann Olav Koss, RIGHT TO PLAY begins at the grassroots community level, using sports and games to teach at-risk and underprivileged children around the world important values like self-esteem, empathy, and peace.

Award winning author Gina McMurchy-Barber presents the history of this organization as well as the people who are involved in it — from the children, to their community leaders, to the celebrity athlete ambassadors who support them. Samples of RIGHT TO PLAY games are also included.

Why Do We Fight? Conflict, War, and Peace. Niki Walker, $16.95 (ages 10-14)

Battles, protests, standoffs, strikes. We hear about them all the time. On the surface, a battle and a protest don't seem to have much in common, but they're really just two ways of handling a dispute. One uses violence, the other uses signs and picket lines. But both start as a disagreement between two groups of people. Both are conflicts. Since it's impossible for people to agree on everything all the time, conflicts naturally pop up every day, all over the world. Sometimes they turn into full-blown wars, which can be a lot trickier to understand than the conflicts that pop up in everyday life, but every conflict has some things in common.

Using real world examples, WHY DO WE FIGHT teaches kids to recognize the structures, factors, and complex histories that go into creating conflicts, whether personal or global — as well as the similarities between both. They'll be given tools to seek out information, enabling them to make informed opinions while learning to respect that others may form different ones. From culture clashes and trade disputes to disagreements about how to govern, WHY DO WE FIGHT insists that the key to fulfilling humankind's wish for "world peace" lies in how we choose to deal with conflict and provides a genuine cause for optimism in the face of an at-times frightening world.

The World Needs Your Kid: How to Raise Children Who Care and Contribute.  Craig Kielburger & Marc Kielburger, with Shelley Page, $19.95

Everything you need to know about raising kids, lending a hand and changing the world. Inside this guide is a profound philosophy that encourages children and their parents to become global citizens. Drawing on life lessons and success stories, Marc and Craig Kielburger demonstrate how small actions make a difference in the life of a child and ultimately change the world.

The Zero Footprint Baby: How to Save the Planet While Raising a Healthy Baby. Keya Chatterjee, $19.95

In our culture, pregnancy, birth, and childrearing are deeply connected to consumption and resource use. From the baby shower to the minivan and the larger apartment or first house, the baby-raising years are the most hyper-consumptive of our lives, and can set a family on an unsustainable track for years to come. THE ZERO FOOTPRINT BABY shows how to raise a child with little to no carbon footprint. This timely book covers every issue new parents face, including pregnancy (what kind of birth has the lowest impact?); what to feed your baby (breastfeed, formula, or both?); childcare (who should take care of the baby, and how?); and of course, diapering. Using a mix of personal anecdotes, summarized research, and clear guidance on how to pursue the most sustainable baby-rearing options, environmental expert and new mom Keya Chatterjee has authored the ultimate resource for all new parents with green inclinations.