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The importance of words cannot be overstated. Words are powerful and impactful. Words matter.
Biased, offensive and hateful words are used in our political discourse, in online spaces, in the streets and one-on-one conversations, in workplaces and in schools and classrooms. These words cause great hurt and harm to those targeted by them and they can bring about tension which cause the situation to escalate. On the other hand, words that are supportive, that advocate for allyship and inclusivity, that extend care and concern, have great power to help and to heal those wounds. It is also important to be mindful that the words we use do not have to be spoken out loud and not everyone speaks aloud to communicate. Communication diversity includes American Sign Language (ASL), as Derek uses in You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P., and a tablet that the boy in A Day with No Words uses to share his thoughts with others.
In schools and classrooms, words are used every day that can be harmful or helpful. One way to discuss the importance of words with young people is to read a book together and talk about it. There are many relevant and compelling children’s books that can open the door to conversations with young people about the power of words and language. These picture and chapter books all include discussion guides for educators and families.
Recommended Books
A Day with No Words (Ages 5-8) This colorful and engaging picture book shares what life can look like for families who use nonverbal/nonspeaking communication, using tools to embrace their unique method of speaking. The story is written from the boy’s first-person perspective and highlights the bond between mother and child and follows them on a day where they use a tablet to communicate with others. The book normalizes communication outside of verbal speech and provides an affirming representation of neurodiversity and autism.
Areli is a Dreamer (Ages 4-8) When Areli was just a baby, her mama and papa moved from Mexico to New York with her brother, Alex, to make a better life for the family—and when she was in kindergarten, they sent for her, too. Everything in New York was different. Gone were the Saturdays at Abuela’s house, filled with cousins and sunshine. Instead, things were busy and fast and noisy. Areli’s limited English came out wrong, and schoolmates accused her of being "illegal." But with time, America became her home. And she saw it as a land of opportunity, where millions of immigrants who came before her paved their own paths. She knew she would, too.
Big (Ages 4-8) This book traces a child’s journey to self-love and shows the power of words to both hurt and heal. With spare text and exquisite illustrations, this emotional exploration of being big in a world that prizes small is a tender portrayal of how you can stand out and feel invisible at the same time.
Each Kindness (Ages 4-8) Chloe doesn’t really know why she turns away from the new girl, Maya, when Maya tries to befriend her. And every time Maya asks if she can play with Chloe and the other girls, the answer is always no. So Maya ends up playing alone. And one day she’s gone. When Chloe’s teacher gives a lesson about how even small acts of kindness can change the world, Chloe is stung by the opportunity that’s been lost. How much better could it have been if she’d just shown Maya a little kindness and opened her heart to friendship?
Jacob's New Dress (Ages 4-8) Jacob loves playing dress-up, when he can be anything he wants to be—a pirate, a bird, a firefighter. But he also wants to just be himself and wear his favorite thing… a dress! Now Jacob has a new dress that he made himself and what he wants most of all is to wear it to school. Will Mom and Dad let him? This heartwarming story speaks to the unique challenges faced by boys who don’t identify with traditional gender roles and promises to spark discussions of gender, identity and self-confidence.
Lunch Every Day (Ages 4-8) Every day Jimmy takes ‘Skinny Kid’s’ lunch at school. No way will he be caught dead standing in that FREE LUNCH line. Even when he’s called into the principal’s office, Jimmy just shrugs. “Yeah. Whatever.” Until a surprising act of empathy and allyship stops him in his tracks. For a split second a door cracks open into Jimmy’s heart. Who knows? Maybe he’ll just kick that door right open.
More than Peach (Ages 5-8) When Bellen Woodard’s classmates referred to "the skin-color” crayon in a school and classroom she had always loved, she knew just how important it was that everyone understood that “skin can be any number of beautiful colors.” Bellen created the More Than Peach Project and crayons with every single child in mind to transform the crayon industry and grow the way we see our world. And Bellen has done just that!
Posted (Ages 8-12) In middle school, words aren’t just words. They can be weapons. They can be gifts. The right words can win you friends or make you enemies. They can come back to haunt you. Sometimes they can change things forever. When cell phones are banned at Branton Middle School, Frost and his friends come up with a new way to communicate: leaving sticky notes for each other all around the school. It catches on, and soon all the kids in school are leaving notes—though for every kind and friendly one, there is a cutting and cruel one as well. As the sticky-note war escalates, and the pressure to choose sides mounts, Frost soon realizes that after this year, nothing will ever be the same.
Rose Spoke Out: The Story of Rose Schneiderman (Ages 5-8) Rose Schneiderman, a young Jewish immigrant from Poland, went to work in a cap factory in New York City when she was just thirteen years old. She saw that women workers earned much less than men, that the factory was cold and dirty, without even clean water for the workers to drink. Rose spoke up for better conditions and organized 20,000 women to walk out, leaving factories all over the city empty and still. Following the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911, Rose's speech at the Metropolitan Opera House galvanized support for better working conditions. The International Ladies Garment Workers Union was born.
Starfish (Ages 10-13) Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party she's been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the "Fat Girl Rules"—like "no making waves," "avoid eating in public," and "don't move so fast that your body jiggles." And she's found her safe space—her swimming pool—where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It's also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie's weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to starfish in real life--by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.
You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P! (Ages 8-12) Jilly thinks she's figured out how life works. But when her sister, Emma, is born deaf, she realizes how much she still has to learn. The world is going to treat Jilly, who is white and hearing, differently from Emma, just as it will treat them both differently from their cousins who are Black. A big fantasy reader, Jilly makes a connection online with another fantasy fan, Derek, who is Deaf, Black and an ASL user. She goes to Derek for help with Emma. Jilly makes some mistakes . . . but comes to understand that it's up to her, not Derek, to figure out how to do better next time. Jilly starts to learn all the things she doesn't know--and by doing that, she's also working to discover how to support her family and her friends.