This roundup features a handful of engaging stories that highlight resilience, innovation, and personal triumph—from picture books about overcoming challenges to thought-provoking nonfiction for older readers.
We Are the Scrappy Ones
Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 3
This poetic book is an anthem of belonging, celebrating the wide range of disabled children and affirming their worth, just as they are. Filled with luminous illustrations of children living, learning, and playing, this joyful book is sure to inspire.
Twist, Tumble, Triumph
Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 3
Ágnes Keleti can forget about the war when she is doing gymnastics—until Jewish athletes are barred from the gym. Never giving up on her dream, her moment of triumph comes at the 1952 Olympics.
La roca en mi garganta (The Rock in My Throat)
Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 4
In this moving true story, Kao Kalia Yang shares her experiences as a Hmong refugee child navigating life at home and school in America while carrying the weight of her selective mutism. Now in Spanish.
Kahoʻolawe
Interest Level: Grade 2 – Grade 5
Discover the story of the smallest Hawaiian island, a place sacred to Native Hawaiians, from its formation long ago to its present-day restoration as a protected site. A remarkable narrative accompanied by stunning illustrations.
Dreams to Ashes
Interest Level: Grade 2 – Grade 5
A powerful nonfiction picture book about the history of Chinese immigration to the West Coast, presented through the lens of the 1871 Los Angeles Chinatown Massacre. An essential account that offers both heartbreak and hope.
The Pecan Sheller
Interest Level: Grade 5 – Grade 8
In 1930s San Antonio, thirteen-year-old Petra must drop out of school to work at a pecan-shelling factory. When dangerous conditions lead to tragedy and the already low wages are cut, Petra helps plan a strike.
The Red Car to Hollywood
Interest Level: Grade 9 – Grade 12
In LA’s Chinatown in 1924, sixteen-year-old Ruby Chan rebels against her parents’ conventional plans for her future. A friendship with nineteen-year-old Anna May Wong, a rising Hollywood film star, opens up new possibilities.
Feminism from A to Z
Interest Level: Grade 9 – Grade 12
Dive into Feminism from A to Z for an accessible primer on history, current events, and essential issues through the lens of feminist theory and perspective. This book is about feminism for teens of any gender.
Sometimes the Girl
Interest Level: Grade 9 – Grade 12
When eighteen-year-old Holiday, an aspiring writer, gets a short-term job sorting through the attic of an acclaimed elderly author, the author’s secrets change how Holi views art and life.
Explore Our Diverse Books Spring Catalog
Looking for more books that celebrate a wide range of voices, histories, and experiences? Our Diverse Books Spring Catalog is filled with engaging new titles for readers of all ages. Browse or selection at lernerbooks.com/diversebooks or check out the catalog to discover fresh stories that inform, inspire, and spark meaningful conversations!