Teaching Anti-Oppression Through Middle-Grade Novels

How to build an anti-oppressive kids’ library - Part 2

This week’s post is about some of my favourite resources for teaching about anti-oppression and systems of oppression in middle-grade. Specifically, I am thinking about sometimes as young as 8-year-olds, going up to as old as 13-year-olds, though not all the books listed here are going to be appropriate for all those ages.

These are all books I think are great reads - because it’s not enough for a book to just be ‘about something important’, they also have to be compelling, interesting, well-written stories.

When I pick resources like this, I am always thinking about how teaching and talking about oppression necessarily involves grappling with trauma and pain and that means that there is a lot of responsibility in choosing materials with care. 

I am never an advocate for shielding kids from the truth or sanitizing historical events to make them more palatable. The impulse to ‘protect’ kids by shielding them from difficult topics like racism, transmisogyny, gender-based violence, poverty, etc. is a privilege and something that not all parents and kids get to choose. What is difficult for one kid to learn about is something that another kid in their class has already experienced first-hand. We owe it to each other and to our communities to be uncomfortable and learn and be part of something better.

Having said that, to me, a good anti-oppressive middle-grade novel knows and respects its audience and knows how to talk to young kids about tough topics. Some of the books below are about really hard experiences and tragedies, crises, traumas, and heartaches that kids should never have to experience. But I think they handle the hard stuff in a way that honours the truth whilst also honouring what kids need. There’s no universal recipe for me - there are books here where violence happens on the page, where there are hateful words said, where there is loss and unhappy endings. But in every case, I think these are books that do the work excellently. 

There is also trauma that is necessary for truth-telling, and trauma that is not. I am always wary of books that are not written by Own Voices authors that contain a lot of trauma, and I have read a lot of books like this. I am not interested in books that use someone else’s trauma as a plot device, for shock value, for exploitation. The books we want to use for teaching are books that share the lived experience of those who face oppression - not books that use and glorify this pain for the sake of angst and tension. 

And finally, we must always be conscious that we do not know everyone’s reality and like I said above, what is an eye-opening learning experience for one student might be a horrific triggering experience that recalls past and present trauma. Content warnings all the way, all the time.

I hope you find this list helpful. Almost all of these books are #OwnVoices and I have noted when this is not the case.

This is Part 2 of a four-part series:

• Part 1 - picture books to help teach about anti-oppression

• Part 2 - middle-grade novels to help teach about anti-oppression

• Part 3 - picture books that feature kids of diverse lived experiences just for fun

• Part 4 - middle-grade novels that feature kids of diverse lived experiences

As always, hit me up with suggestions or feedback! I love to hear from you.

Content warning: Just in general, content warnings out the wazoo because there is so much oppression mentioned by nature of this list. But in particular when I feel it’s needed I’ve included specific content warnings on books with heavy trauma or harm, or when even the words in my review could potentially be triggering. Read on with caution and please let me know if you see a specific content warning that you think I missed, and I will add it. Thank you!

Racism

Borders

Really love Thomas King’s graphic novel retelling of his original short story. This is such a simple story that does so much work. I especially love it because I believe that part of the work of reconciliation is to recognize the enduring legacy of residential “schools” beyond something that existed in the ‘distant’ past. This book explores the ongoing damage that colonialism has had on Indigenous rights and sovereignty. It also poses really good questions about what it would truly take to reconcile and to decolonize when something so simple as going through a border crossing can be so complex.

Dear Martin

CW: police brutality

Excellent middle-grade novel about police violence against Black folks. Seen through the eyes of a Black boy, Justyce, whose friend is murdered by police. This book does an excellent job capturing the devastation, the anger, the hurt, the confusion that surrounds him. It is of course a gut-wrenching story but told in a way that really respects the age of the audience. It holds no punches but still treats the younger readers with care. This book also deals with classism with Justyce attending a prestigious private school where he is made to feel like he doesn’t belong.

Pashmina

Graphic novel about an Indian-American girl and her mother. I love this one for the depiction of intergenerational immigrant family dynamics. Touches on something that so many kids of immigrants are familiar with - the fact that we often know so little about our family and parents’ lives before immigration because of how much trauma, sadness, and pain lives in those memories. This is a story about trying to reconnect with lost roots and find connection again with loved ones.

Stealing Home

CW: Japanese internment camps

Graphic novel about a young boy and his family who are forced to leave their home in Vancouver and move to an internment camp during WWII. Also a big theme is the relationship between the rest of the family and the father, who is a doctor and often leaves the family in order to tend to his duties. Baseball and the Asahi baseball team also feature heavily in this book. Though this story of course touches on the racism that this Japanese-Canadian boy experienced, it also takes place largely at the internment camp itself and so provides a really informative look at the daily and logistical challenges that were faced by Japanese families forced to build a new life and survive in these camps.

Black Brother, Black Brother

CW: anti-black racism

So many things about this book that are not common in middle-grade, which I love. It features a bi-racial boy who presents as Black and his brother, who presents as White. It also is about fencing and I can’t think of a single other middle-grade book that is! The text is so lyrical and beautiful. A great book to talk about bias and privilege. I also love the family dynamic in this book so much.

The Case of the Missing Auntie

CW: Sixties Scoop

Early chapter book, does a tremendous job of portraying not just the legacy of the Sixties Scoop but also the tension between urban and rural Indigenous culture. This short little story is doing so much work on the topic of identity, community, heritage, and family. On top of which, it is an excellent early chapter book adventure. I would have included it in my ‘just for fun’ post instead, but it is one of very few books that covers the Sixties Scoop and I think that’s important to teach about.

Inside Out & Back Again

CW: parent is long-time missing and later in the book (spoiler alert!) dies

Verse novel about a young Vietnamese refugee girl moving with her family to Alabama, USA. So beautifully and cleverly written. The thing that I always recall about this book is how funny it is. There are many moments of real pain and fear and hardship, no doubt. This book does not hide the realities of this refugee journey. But interspaced between all that are moments of Hà being so damn clever and cheeky. She makes such smart commentary about the English language and its ridiculousness, and there are just hilarious little moments where her words and her spirit just zing. This is one of my favourite books, though I am truly a sucker for the verse novel so maybe I’m biased.

New Kid

CW: anti-Black racism

This one tackles the intersection of classism and racism in a beautiful graphic novel. I absolutely love this one for the way it subtly integrates so many aspects of everyday racism. It does a really good job articulating why microaggressions are so harmful and how they do the work of supporting large systems of oppression.

Finding Home

Non-fiction resource on immigrant, migrant, and refugee experiences. In my opinion, this is a good example of an actively anti-oppressive text. It takes an intersectional lens and also never lets readers forget that this topic can’t be understood in a vacuum separated from colonialism, war, politics, and bigotry. I also love the way it profiles so many people with lived experiences of migration in their own words. I’ve included a lot of fiction texts here written by #OwnVoices with refugee experience, but there is also a need for good non-fiction resources and I think this is a stellar one.

A Good Kind of Trouble

CW: police brutality

A different perspective on the Black Lives Matter movement, told from a young Black girl who finds her place in the activism movement. Lots of great content about what it means to be enough, to take action, to make change. It talks about courage and the kind of anger that we shouldn’t seek to quell because it is borne from injustice. I think this is a great resource for learning more about the BLM movement in a way that allows all readers to enter and find space no matter how little experience and knowledge they have. Also really captures the power of civil disobedience and the voice of youth.

Speaking Our Truth

CW: Residential “schools”

Just a terrific non-fiction resource on reconciliation. I actually recommend this to adults all the time. It is both informative and generous in the way it shares perspective, knowledge, and history, and compels readers to consider their complicity and choices for the future. It covers history and shares first-hand narratives from Indigenous youth and adults. It is one of the best resources I’ve read on the topic of what it actually means to reconcile and decolonize.

This Book is Anti-Racist

Excellent non-fiction resource. It teaches about the fundamentals of racism, oppression, and intersectionality. It also does so much work in validating and holding space for the lived experiences of racialized youth, especially Black, Brown, and Indigenous youth. A great resource for teachers of middle-grade kids who want to have these complex, hard conversations, but do so in a way that both honours the needs of elementary aged kids and also the needs of racialized students. Use this one to help hold brave and safe conversations.

Fatty Legs

CW: residential “schools”

Powerful memoir and first-hand account of residential “school” experience by Inuvialuit survivor. It’s a short, very compelling read. The first-person narrative is succinct, clear, at times heartbreaking. Though this book is about a time and place of such cruelty, there are so many moments of bravery, resilience, and love. I consider this an excellent elementary school age-appropriate book that does not shield the readers from the truth or seek to sanitize a really horrible reality.

Ghost Boys

CW: police brutality

A beautiful, devastating, gut punch of a book told from the perspective of a twelve year old Black boy killed by police, who meets the ghost of Emmett Till. This is the perfect example of a book that does not hold back in talking to kids about tragedy and violence and cruelty, but does it in a way that respects the needs of the age. It feels incongruous to describe this story as gentle but it is. It is a really sad and possibly difficult read, and one that deserves fulsome conversation. But I really love the way it honours the voice and pain of the victims.

The Night Diary

CW: death of parent, some graphic violence, journey is at times life-threatening.

Epistolary novel (written in letter/diary format) about young girl and her family’s forced migration during India’s partition. Really emotional and compelling storytelling, and at times the journey is truly harrowing and frightening. But this is the kind of story that really draws readers in and stays with you. I do really love good representation of religious kids, and this is definitely that. The protag is the child of a Hindu and a Muslim in a time and place where that really has come to matter, and the author navigates all these tensions so well.

Other Words For Home

CW: Islamophobia, family separation

Verse novel, not precisely an Own Voices book but written by an Arab American author. This book really surprised me and I thought it was flawless. So many secondary characters who really help contextualize the grappling of identity and what it means to be Arab/immigrant/American. Also family separation and the heartache of leaving a father and brother behind. And I really loved the fact that bullying was not a central feature of this story. It allowed so much more space for a really fulsome exploration of how identity and culture change and grow and defy the boxes that people try to fit them into. Also some of the best commentary about head coverings and empowerment and bias that I can recall reading. 

The Stars Beneath Our Feet

CW: mention of traumatic death of loved one

The ‘angry Black man’ caricature is such a widespread and harmful one in media, with real life-or-death consequences for Black boys and men. And yet, of course, young Black boys have a lot to be angry and frustrated about because the world is unkind and unjust to them so often. This book really makes space for this reality in a nuanced, balanced, and really caring way. It is one of my favourite reads for its portrayal of anger and frustration in big kids. The very contrast of a boy old enough to grapple with the murder of his brother and young enough to be enthralled with LEGO paints a poignant and powerful picture.

Sexism, Gender, and Queer Identity

Dress Coded

CW: body shaming and slut shaming

I adored this book! I thought it was so tightly written and even though the plot seems like it would be very preachy, I was enchanted enough by the characters and the writing that I never felt lectured. I will say that the tone is a bit more on the sarcastic and dry humour side, which is right up my alley but maybe would alienate some readers. Deals with the gendered and racial nature of dress codes and a group of kids who fight back.

A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities

This is a weird book but I love it! The weird part is the snails, I should clarify. Other than that, it is exactly as advertised, a really fantastic basic guide to queer and trans identities. A step up from picture books like Who Are You? Really informative but also loving, warm, affirmative and fun. Also covers consent, respect, toxic relationships, autonomy, etc. Great non-fiction basic resource.

The Prince and the Dressmaker

CW: there is a scene of protag being forced to out himself

I am cautious about putting labels on this book because the character is not trans nor identifies explicitely as non-binary. I’ve seen this book described as a genderqueer fairytal with Cinderella vibes, which I do love. I think this book rocks! Romance, fashion, self-expression, friendship, identity, and a happy ending because it’s a fairy tale! There are moments of cruelty and rejection from family, but also moments of triumph, art, passion, and true self-love!

The Matilda Effect

One of my favourite read-alouds, I think it’s a rip-roaring good time. It is perfect for Gr 4-6. Absolute mayhem and hilarious adventures as Matilda races to try to get Grandma Joss the credit some dude stole from her. It’s such a funny story with a powerful concept at the heart of it, but it never takes itself too seriously and never ever lectures you about it.

Obie is Man Enough

CW: transmisogynistic bullying, slurs, and violence

Really great to see a story of the post-transition part of life, where a lot of the other books about the trans experience for middle-grade focus on the pre-transition portion. I absolutely love this book. It is so many things - a sports story about a champion swimmer trying to re-establish himself on a new team, a friendship story about great and shitty friends, a story about family and culture and celebrating multi-racial identity, and also a first crush story! There are scenes and themes of horrific bullying that will make your blood boil, but also so much support and hope and love enveloping this young man that you will cheer for him so much!

Surviving the City

CW: missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls

I think this one could be classified as YA but I would read it with upper elementary grades. This graphic novel really speaks powerfully about the crisis of MMIWG and the ways in which Canada’s foster care system continues to harm Indigenous youth and families. It is about two girl best friends, one Anishinaabe and one Inninew. It’s a story about family and community, about being Indigenous in urban environments that don’t understand or protect you, and about the unique threats faced by Indigenous women and girls. It also has just beautiful portrayal of community healing with and through each other.

Melissa

CW: transmisogyny and transmisogynistic bullying

This book was previously published under a different title but author Alex Gino, a queer author, very publicly apologized and talked about their own journey of learning about deadnaming. This story is so simple, terrific, and heartwarming. I include it particularly because it is aimed at younger audiences around Grade 3 (protagonist is in Grade 4) and does a terrific job of speaking to this age, even though the tension and conflict is real and present, and there are moments of real heartache. 

Samira Surfs

CW: traumatic death of loved ones in flashbacks

Verse novel, not an Own Voices book. Eleven-year-old Samira is a Rohingya refugee living in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. She and her friends have to navigate and heal through a whole bunch of tensions and resentments in a situation where nothing is fair for anyone. In particular, she pushes against and tries to understand the limits her family places on her as a girl, and defies those boundaries by learning how to surf and entering a public competition. A really powerful story about a refugee experience but also about sisterhood, healing from trauma, overcoming sexist limitations and carving out the space you deserve - sometimes literally on a surfboard.

Classism and Poverty

Front Desk

This book is such an incredibly written story. It is about the immigrant experience of a Chinese family, but poverty and classism are so deeply intertwined too here that I actually think it’s more important in this story than the aspects of race and culture. The main character is just charming and wonderful. In the face of so many different facets of hardship, she has such cleverness and spunk and spirit. The whole crew of friends here is a real gift - it’s truly a book that celebrates the healing, transformative power of community care. 

House Arrest

This book lands really differently in Canada because of our healthcare system vs that of the US, but it is nonetheless just an excellent book. It tells of a 12 year old kid who narrowly avoids juvie after stealing a credit card to pay for his baby brother’s meds. It is both so heart-wrenching and at the same time so lovely. Woven throughout the hardship and struggles and injustice is such a strong sense of community care and friendship. And the wit and humour of the protagonist is just the best.

Amal Unbound

CW: forced into indentured servitude

Set in Pakistan, this book is about class division and the power imbalance that comes with it, but it is just as much about resistance and revolution and standing up for justice. There are a lot of moments of bleakness and cruelty, but just as many of courage and strength and hope!

When Stars are Scattered

CW: grief

This is one of the most memorable books I’ve ever read and it stayed with me long after putting it down. It follows the real life story of Omar Mohamed and his time in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya where he lives with his non-verbal brother, Hassan, after fleeing Somalia and losing his parents. It is a breathtaking story that spans achingly long years, giving this a very different kind of vibe for a middle-grade graphic novel. It is also so purely honest and told with the unwavering voice of Mohamed himself. It is informative and eye-opening and also just so damn human, I cannot recommend it enough.

Ahimsa

A story about the civil disobedience movement for Indian independence, and also a story about caste oppression and prejudice. It is a tremendous story about mothers and daughters, about change and revolution, and about listening to people speak their own voices and having the strength to grow and be better.

Sweep

CW: child labour

This book reached into my body and grabbed my heart from the very first page. I love it so much. Historical fiction about orphaned kids in poverty who have no option but to do the incredibly dangerous job of chimney sweep for the gain of corrupt bosses. There is so much about sacrifice, courage, love, grief, unfairness, goodness. It is at times so damn poignant I wanted to give my book a good hug. It is also a book about resistance and taking back power and you will be riveted until the last word.

Ableism and Anti-Fatness

Show Me a Sign

CW: death of family member, kidnapping, racism

Historical fiction. This book is so tightly plotted and written, it’s such an action packed story. It follows a deaf girl in historical Martha’s Vineyard where there is a huge deaf community. There is grief, there is a family that is hurting and healing. There is an outsider who comes with nefarious intent to use and exploit the locals. There is great nuance in the depiction of colonialism, racism, and bigotry without allowing this to become a ‘White awakening’ story. The author is Deaf herself and masterfully transcribes visual sign language into written text. A unique and beautiful book.

Starfish

CW: anti-fatness bullying, shaming, and slurs

Just a stunning book that holds zero punches in its depiction of what it is like living as a fat girl in a world that hates fatness. The voice of the protagonist is just masterfully written, and she is incredible. She is hilarious, witty, brave, and strong, and watching her learn to fight for herself as the book goes on is such a gift. Her mantra of ‘starfishing’, aka allowing herself to take up space, is something I wish I could put into the hands of every kid out there. Something I really loved about this book is the way she did not let any of the bullies who hurt her off the hook. I love a kids book that teaches the lesson that you actually don’t have to forgive the people who have been cruel to you, and your love and loyalty are things that should be earned and deserved. This book is a best friend, a big hug, a cheerleader for every kid in every body.

A Kind of Spark

CW: ableism and ableist slur

I thought this book was fantastic and gripping. It’s a story about an autistic girl that does so much work in teaching about the daily realities of being autistic whilst navigating a world built for and by neurotypicals. But it is also about so much more. Bullying, friendship, family and loyalty, justice, healing, legacy and righting wrongs. The representation of autistic adults is also beautifully done and rarely seen in kids books.