SWS IDEA Working Group
SWS Heritage Month Reading List: 2021/2022
All books can be found in our school library and through the DC public library.
*Books can be found on Sora
Country of the Year: Haiti
August 30 to September 14
Freedom Soup*
By Tami Charles
Haitians all over the world ring in the new year by eating a special soup – Freedom Soup – a tradition dating back to the Haitian Revolution. Ti Gran shares this by teaching Belle how to make the soup.
Running the Road to ABC
By Denize Lauture
Readers follow six energetic children on the way to school and see the beauty of Haiti with brightly colored illustrations and Haitian folk art.
LatinX Heritage Month
September 15 to October 15
Alma and How She Got Her Name*
By Juana Martinez-Neal
For one little girl, her very long name - Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela - tells the vibrant story of where she came from.
Marti’s Song for Freedom /
Martí y sus versos por la libertad
By Emma Otheguy
A tribute to José Martí, the political writer and courageous fighter of freedom who Martí traveled the world, speaking out for Cuba’s independence for all men and women.
Native People’s Heritage Month
November
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga*
By Traci Sorrell
A look at modern Native American life as told by a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. The word otsaliheliga (oh-jah-LEE-hay-lee-gah) is used by members of the Cherokee Nation to express gratitude.
Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer*
By Traci Sorrell
Cherokee author Traci Sorell and Métis illustrator Natasha Donovan trace Ross's journey pursuing an engineering degree, joining the top-secret Skunk Works division of Lockheed, and being a mentor for Native Americans and young women interested in engineering.
Black History Month
February
Honey, I Love
By Eloise Greenfield
Local Washinton D.C. author and poet shows it's the simple things that mean the most, like sharing laughter with a friend, taking family rides in the country, and kissing her mama's arm.
The Undefeated
By Kwame Alexander
A tribute to Black American heroes and regular folks who faced struggles, prejudice, and oppression and survived--as well those who didn't.
It Jes Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw
By Don Tate
Bill Traylor grew up as an enslaved boy and a sharecropper on an Alabama cotton farm. As an old man he transformed those memories into art. This book is a tribute to a man who is considered to be one of the most important self-taught American folk artists.
Women's History Month
March
She Was the First! The Trainblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm*
By Katheryn Russel-Brown
A picture book biography of the twentieth-century educator, activist, and politician who opened the door for women in the political arena and for the first Black president of the United States.
Shirley Chisholm is a Verb
By Veronica Chambers
Shirley Chisholm famously said, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” This biography illuminates how Chisholm was a doer, an active and vocal participant in our nation’s democracy, and a force to be reckoned with.
Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation*
By Duncan Tonatiuh
This book show one family’s fight for desegregation in the California school system and their victory achieved years before (and actually lead to) the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, which desegregated schools in the entire country.
Autism Awareness Month
April
Benji, the Bad Day, and Me
By Sally J. Pla
Inspired by her own children, Pla shares the story of two neurodiverse brothers, Sammy and Benji. Sammy had a bad day that just wouldn’t stop. When his younger brother Benji observes him crying from frustration, Benji comes up with a solution that turns the day around for Sammy.
The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin*
By Julia Finley Mosca
When diagnosed with autism, no one expected Temple to talk, let alone become one of the most powerful voices in modern science. Her unique mind allowed her to connect with animals in a special way, helping her invent improvements for farms around the world.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May
A Map Into the World*
By Kao Kalia Yang
Paj Ntaub, a young Hmong American girl, spends a busy year with her family in their new home and seeks a way to share the beauty of the world with a grieving neighbor.
Watercress*
By Andrea Wang
Gathering watercress by the side of the road brings a girl closer to her family’s Chinese Heritage.
Ohana Means Family
By Ilima Loomis
Join the family, or ohana, as they farm taro for poi to prepare for a traditional luau celebration.
Pride Month
June
Pride Colors*
By Robin Stevenson
A celebration of the unconditional love of a parent or caregiver for a young child. Through rhymes and colorful photos, the message of this board book is to be yourself; you'll always be loved.
Stella Brings the Family*
By Miriam Schiffer
Stella's class is having a Mother's Day celebration, but what's a girl with two daddies to do? Stella finds a unique solution to her party problem in this story about love, acceptance, and the meaning of family.
Juneteenth
June 19
Juneteenth for Mazie*
By Floyd Cooper
Mazie is ready to celebrate liberty, freedom, and a great day in American history — the day her ancestors were no longer slaves. Mazie remembers the struggles and the triumph, as she gets ready to celebrate Juneteenth.
All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom*
By Angela Johnson
Through the eyes of one little girl, All Different Now tells the story of the first Juneteenth, the day freedom finally came to the last of the slaves in the South.