Many might be struggling to explain current events to teens. Or, maybe teens are looking to help explain the situation! We hope this list of titles might help. We’ve also created sample chapters with relevant information that you can download and use immediately.

Into the Streets: A Young Person’s Visual History of Protest in the United States

Note: Due to the ongoing situation, this book’s publication date has been moved from August. It is scheduled to release on July 7, 2020.
Interest Level: Grade 9 – Grade 12
What does it mean to resist? Throughout our nation’s history, discrimination and unjust treatment of all kinds have prompted people to make their objections and outrage known. Some protests involve large groups of people, marching or holding signs with powerful slogans. Others start with quotes or hashtags on social media that go viral and spur changes in behavior. People can make their voices heard in hundreds of different ways.

Join author Marke Bieschke on this visual voyage of resistance through American history. Discover the artwork, music, fashion, and creativity of the activists. Meet the leaders of the movements, and learn about the protests that helped to shape the United States from all sides of the political spectrum. Examples include key events from women’s suffrage, the civil rights movement, occupations by Native American nations, LGBTQ demands for equality, Tea Party protests, Black Lives Matter protests, and more.

This sample chapter is about the Stonewall Riots.

Racial Profiling: Everyday Inequality

Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
In the United States, racial profiling affects thousands of Americans every day. Both individuals and institutions—such as law enforcement agencies, government bodies, and schools—routinely use race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of an offense.

The high-profile deaths of unarmed people of color at the hands of police officers have brought renewed national attention to racial profiling and have inspired grassroots activism from groups such as Black Lives Matter. Combining rigorous research with powerful personal stories, this insightful title explores the history, the many manifestations, and the consequences of this form of social injustice.

This sample chapter is about criminal justice and injustice.

Economic Inequality: The American Dream under Siege

Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
Millions of Americans don’t earn enough money to pay for decent housing, food, health care, and education. Increasingly, families and young people aren’t doing better than their parents and grandparents before them. In fact, they’re doing worse. And women and minorities earn less than white men. The American Dream is harder to achieve than ever before. Meanwhile, the rich keep getting richer.

Many Americans are angry about economic inequality, and many are working on solutions. Readers will learn how state and local governments, businesses, and ordinary citizens—including young people—are fighting to close the gap between rich and poor, to preserve the promises of American democracy, and to give everyone a fair shot at the American Dream.

This sample chapter is about how to measure, define, and understand levels of economic inequality.

Gun Violence: Fighting for Our Lives and Our Rights

Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
In early 2018, teen-led March for Our lives events across the United States protested gun violence, demanded change to save lives, and registered voters toward that end. This authoritative exploration of guns, gun violence, and gun control explores the Second Amendment, the history of guns and gun laws in the United States, legal restrictions to gun ownership, and the devastation of mass shootings. Through an objective look at individual versus collective rights, readers will be able to offer well-informed answers to questions such as should young people own assault rifles? What about terrorists and the mentally ill? Read the book to make an informed argument and support your point of view.

This sample chapter is about the history of gun rights in the United States.

Exposing Hate: Prejudice, Hatred, and Violence in Action

Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
Experts have documented an explosive rise in the number of hate groups since the turn of the century, driven by anger over immigration and demographic projections showing that whites will no longer hold majority status in the United States by 2040. The rise accelerated with the elections of presidents Obama and Trump. Extremists are increasingly diffuse, moving to the web and away from organized, on-the-ground activities. What is a hate group and how does it operate? How do we legally define hate speech and hate crimes? What is the history of organizing around hate and how do we recognize and confront it? These are the salient issues readers will investigate in this overview.

This sample chapter is about resisting and combating hate.

Fake News: Separating Truth from Fiction

Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
While popularized by President Donald Trump, the term “fake news” actually originated toward the end of the 19th century, in an era of rampant yellow journalism. Since then, it has come to encompass a broad universe of news stories and marketing strategies ranging from outright lies, propaganda, and conspiracy theories to hoaxes, opinion pieces, and satire—all facilitated and manipulated by social media platforms. This title explores journalistic and fact-checking standards, Constitutional protections, and real-world case studies, helping readers identify the mechanics, perpetrators, motives, and psychology of fake news. A final chapter explores methods for assessing and avoiding the spread of fake news.

This sample chapter is about how to tell fake news from real news.

No More Excuses: Dismantling Rape Culture

Interest Level: Grade 8 – Grade 12
Soon after the sexual misconduct allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein became public in late 2017, the #MeToo movement went viral, opening up an explosive conversation about rape culture around the globe. In the US, someone is sexually assaulted every 98 seconds. More than 320,000 Americans over the age of twelve are sexually assaulted each year. Men are victims too. One in thirty-three American men will be sexually assaulted or raped in his lifetime. Yet only 3 percent of rapists ever serve time in jail. Learn about the patriarchal constructs that support rape culture and how to dismantle them: redefining healthy manhood and sexuality, believing victims, improving social and legal systems and workplace environments, evaluating media with a critical eye, and standing up to speak out. Case studies provide a well-rounded view of real people on all sides of the issues.

This sample chapter is about recognizing power imbalances.

Pandemic: How Climate, the Environment, and Superbugs Increase the Risk

Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
Throughout history, several deadly pandemics brought humanity to its knees, killing millions, and recent outbreaks of Ebola and Zika took coordinated international efforts to prevent them from spreading. Learn about factors that contribute to the spread of disease by examining past pandemics and epidemics, including the Bubonic Plague, smallpox Ebola, HIV/AIDS, and Zika. Examine case studies of potential pandemic diseases, like SARS and cholera, and find out how pathogens and antibiotics work. See how human activities such as global air travel and the disruption of animal habitats contribute to the risk of a new pandemic. And discover how scientists are striving to contain and control the spread of disease, both locally and globally.

This sample chapter is about crowding and its effect on pandemics.

Mindfulness and Meditation: Handling Life with a Calm and Focused Mind

Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
From hormones to homework, parents to peers, health issues to bad habits, life can be a pressure cooker leading to anxiety and even thoughts of suicide. How can we find relief? Author Whitney Stewart introduces readers to the practice of mindfulness. With its roots in ancient Buddhist teachings, mindfulness—the practice of purposefully focusing attention on the present moment—can change a person’s approach to stress, develop skills to handle anxiety and depression, and provide a sense of awareness and belonging. Stewart guides readers through how to get started with meditation as well as provides specific exercises for examining emotions, managing stress, checking social media habits and wellness routines, and setting intentions to increase happiness.

Social media is a great way to keep in touch with the news, but you may find you need a break. This sample chapter about social media may help.