Starting the conversation with books
The world can sometimes feel like a scary and overwhelming place. Violence, injustice, racism, and protests can be hard topics for children to understand and intimidating for caregivers to tackle.
We worked with our librarians to put together a list of books and resources to help you navigate the hard conversations about recent current events with the children in your life.
These titles are recommended by our DMPL librarians, who approach these topics from their own perspectives. As always, parents and guardians have the final responsibility on how they want to steer these conversations for themselves and their families.
Looking for something on a different topic? Head to our Find Your Next Read form and let us know what you're looking for. Our librarians will provide you with personalized book recommendations.
Resources
- Helping Children with Tragic Events in the News | PBS KIDS for Parents
- Explaining the News to Our Kids | Common Sense Media
- What To Say To Kids When The News Is Scary : Parenting: Difficult Conversations : NPR
- Talking to Children About Tragedies & Other News Events - HealthyChildren.org
- Responding to Traumatic Events | Helping Children Cope with Trauma | Child Mind Institute
- Get personalized book recommendations by filling out our Find Your Next Read form.
Kids Books About Understanding and Sharing Difficult News
When something scary happens in the world sometimes a story can help explain it to children.
The books included on this list can help give kids a framework for understanding and coping with current events.
Kids Books About Immigration
Why do people immigrate? What does it mean to be an immigrant? The idea of moving far away from everything you have ever known can be an idea that is hard to grasp for kids.
The books included on this list can help start a conversation about what it means to be an immigrant.
Kids Books About Empathy, Compassion, and Mindfulness
It is normal for kids to have a lot of big feelings when the world feels uncertain or scary.
Our team selected four titles that deal with themes of empathy, compassion, and mindfulness that they recommend.
Books for Adults
Our librarians created a list of books to help you process and understand the current moment too.
Their recommendations include a book to with conversation starters, titles about the history of nonviolent protest, and reporting on the lives of undocumented Americans.