DEI Resources
Picture Books
The titles listed below are available at the Dawson Library. Please contact our Dawson Librarians to check out a book, or visit the Library to find what you need.
AAPI
Pedro's Yo-Yos: How a Filipino Immigrant Came to America and Changed the World of Toys by Rob Peñas
Words Between Us by Angela Pham Krans
Ohana Means Family by Ilima Loomis
Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando by Andrea Wang
Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-ji by Farhana Zia
Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin by Chieri Uegaki
Fish for Jimmy: Inspired by One Family's Experience in a Japanese American Internment Camp by Katie Yamasaki
My First Day by Phùng Nguyên Quang
Wishes by Mượn Thị Văn
Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story by Paula Yoo
Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say
Tea With Milk by Allen Say
Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges
Drawn Together by Minh Lê
The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Apple Pie 4th of July by Janet S. Wong
Chloe’s Lunar New Year by Lily LaMotte
Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin
Tap Dancing on the Roof: Sijo by Linda Sue Park
Juna's Jar by Jane Bahk
The Discovery of Chess: The Asian Hall of Fame by Phil Amara and Oliver Chin
The Discovery of Anime and Manga: The Asian Hall of Fame by Philip Amara and Oliver Clyde Chin
Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho
Watercress by Andrea Wang
My Dadima Wears a Sari by Kashmira Sheth
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
Sitti's Secrets by Naomi Shihab Nye
The Blur by Minh Lê
Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao by Kat Zhang
Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon by Amy Zhang
Amy Wu and the Warm Welcome by Kat Zhang
Laxmi's Mooch by Shelly Anand
Meet Yasmin! by Saadia Faruqi
Mountain Chef: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook Up the National Park Service by Annette Bay Pimentel
One Leaf Rides the Wind bby Celeste Davidson Mannis
African American & Black
All Aboard the Schooltrain: A Little Story from the Great Migration by Glenda Armand
All Because You Matter by Tami Charles
All Good In the Hood by Dwayne Reed
An American Story by Kwame Alexander
A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart by Zetta Elliott
Before She Was Harriett by Lesa Cline-RAnsome
Big by Vashti Harrison
Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins by Michelle Meadows
Change Sings: A Children's Anthem by Amanda Gorman
A Computer Called Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Helped Put America on the Moon by Suzanne Slade
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes
Daddy and Me and the Rhyme to Be by Chris Bridges and Halcyon Person
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill
Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks by Suzanne Slade
Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Hello, Mister Blue by Daria Peoples
Holding Her Own: The Exceptional Life of Jackie Ormes by Traci N. Todd
I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes
I Got Next by Daria Peoples-Riley
A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimes
Me & Mama by Cozbi A. Cabrera
Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment by Parker Curry
There Was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynolds
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe
RESPECT: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul by Carole Boston Weatherford
Ron's Big Mission by Rose Blue and Corinne Naden
How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee by Carole Boston Weatherford
Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora
Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews
The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander
We Are Here by Tami Charles
We Shall Overcome by Bryan Collier
Standing in the Need of Prayer by Carole Boston Weatherford
Arab & Middle Eastern Stories
Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan
Lost and Found Cat: The True Story of Kunkush's Incredible Journey by Doug Kuntz & Amy Shrodes
Forty Fortunes: A Tale of Iran by Aaron Shepard
Sitti's Secrets by Naomi Shihab Nye
One Green Apple by Eve Bunting
Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family's Journey by Margriet Ruurs
Count Your Way Through the Arab World by James Haskins
My Name is Bilal by Asma Mobin-Uddin
Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story by Reem Faruqi
Leila in Saffron by Rukhsanna Guidroz
Dynamic Families
Two Homes by Claire Masurel
Fred Stays With Me! by Nancy Coffelt
Dinosaurs Divorce by Laurene Krasny Brown and Marc Brown
Hero Mom by Melinda Hardin
Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña
Mango Moon: When Deportation Divides a Family by Diane De Anda
Bringing Asha Home by Uma Krishnaswami
Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Peña
Diverse Abilities
We Move Together by Kelly Fritsch & Anne McGuire
My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay by Cari Best
Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship by Jessica Kensky & Patrick Downes
Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion by Shannon Stocker
All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything by Annette Bay Pimentel
What Happened to You? by James Catchpole
Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor
Moses Goes to a Concert by Isaac Millman
You Are Enough: A Book About Inclusion by Margaret O'Hair and Sofia Sanchez
Bo and the Merbaby by Rebecca Elliott
Silent Days, Silent Dreams by Allen Say
The Black Book of Colors by Menena Cottin
Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille by Jen Bryant
Don't Call Me Special: A First Look at DisabilityPat Thomas
Fearless Girls & Women
Secret Engineer: How Emily Roebling Built the Brooklyn Bridge by Rachel Dougherty
America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle by David A. Adler
I Will Be Fierce by Bea Birdsong
If You Were a Princess: True Stories of Brave Leaders from around the World by Hillary Homzie
Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist by Jess Keating
Gloria Takes a Stand: How Gloria Steinem Listened, Wrote, and Changed the World by Jessica M. Rinker
How to Solve a Problem: The Rise (and Falls) of a Rock-Climbing Champion by Ashima Shiraishi
Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle
What Makes a Hero by Pamela Bobowicz
The Girl Who Heard the Music by Marni Fogelson & Mahani Teave
I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy
Just Like Me by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman by Kathleen Krull
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
G My Name Is Girl: A Song of Celebration from Argentina to Zambia by Dawn Masi
Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle
La Guitarrista by Lucky Diaz
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
Malala Yousafzai: Warrior With Words by Karen Leggett Abouraya
Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré by Anika Aldamuy Denise
She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World by Chelsea Clinton
A Girl Like Me by Angela Johnson
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty
Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty
Hispanic & Latinx
Spanish Is the Language of My Family by Michael Genhart
Jovita Wore Pants by Aida Salazar
A Day's Work by Eve Bunting
Where Wonder Grows by Xelena González
A Crown for Corina by Laekan Zea Kemp
Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border by Mitali Perkins
What the Bread Says: Baking with Love, History, and Papan by Vanessa Garcia
Islandborn by Junot Díaz
My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero
Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Peña
Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal
¡Vamos! Let's Go to the Market by Raúl the Third
Isla by Arthur Dorros
Abuela by Arthur Dorros
Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré by Anika Aldamuy Denise
¡Vamos! Let’s Go Eat by Raúl the Third
¡Vamos! Let's Cross the Bridge by Raúl the Third
Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes
From North to South by Rene Colato Lainez
Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx by Jonah Winter
Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle
When Angels Sing: The Story of Rock Legend Carlos Santana by Michael James Mahin
Gazpacho for Nacho by Tracey Kyle
Grandma's Records by Eric Velásquez
A Piñata in a Pine Tree: A Latino Twelve Days of Christmas by Pat Mora
Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle
In My Family/En mi familia by Carmen Lomas Garza
An Ofrenda for Perro by Judith Valdes B
I Love Saturdays y Domingos by Alma Flor Ada
Dreamers by Yuyi Morales
Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty
Tag Team: El Toro & Friends by Raúl the Third
Team Up: El Toro & Friends by Raúl the Third
Mango Moon: When Deportation Divides a Family by Diane De Anda
I Love Saturdays y Domingos by Alma Flor Ada
La Guitarrista by Lucky Diaz
A Picture Book of Cesar Chavez by David A. Adler
Jewish
Chik Chak Shabbat by Mara Rockliff
Miriam's Cup: A Passover Story by Fran Manushkin
Asher and the Capmakers by Eric A. Kimmel
Queen Vashti's Comfy Pants by Leah Rachel Berkowitz
Shoshi's Shabbat by Caryn Yacowitz
The Tower of Life: How Yaffa Eliach Rebuilt Her Town in Stories and Photographs by Chana Stiefel
I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy
Ruth Objects: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Doreen Rappaport
Golem by David Wisniewski
The Adventures of Hershel of Ostropol by Eric A. Kimmel
Gershon's Monster: A Story for the Jewish New Year by Eric A. Kimmel
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
Annushka's Voyage by Edith Tarbescu
Grandma's Latkes by Malka Drucker
The Bagel King by Andrew Larsen
Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Tanya Simon & Richard Simon
Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco
The Magic Pomegranate: A Jewish Folktale by Peninnah Schram
The Jar of Fools: Eight Hanukkah Stories From Chelm by Eric A. Kimmel
The Trees of the Dancing Goats by Patricia Polacco
The Chanukkah Guest by Eric A. Kimmel
The Way Meat Loves Salt: A Cinderella Tale from the Jewish Tradition by Nina Jaffe
In My Pocket by Dorrith M. Sim
Child of the Warsaw Ghetto by David A. Adler
I am Anne Frank by Brad Meltzer
LGBTQIA+
Call Me Max by Kyle Lukoff
Bathe the Cat by Alice B. McGinty
Payden's Pronoun Party by Blue Jaryn
Introducing Teddy: A Gentle Story About Gender and Friendship by Jessica Walton
Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall
Be Who You Are by Todd Parr
Sparkle Boy by Lesléa Newman
Our Subway Baby by Peter Mercurio
Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian
The Family Book by Todd Parr
Harriet Gets Carried Away by Jessie Sima
Home at Last by Vera B. Williams
Heather Has Two Mommies by Lesléa Newman
Daddy & Dada by Ryan Brockington & Isaac Webster
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson & Peter Parnell
Otter and Odder: A Love Story by James Howe
Jerome by Heart by Thomas Scotto
My Moms Love Me by Anna Membrino
Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima
From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea by Kai Cheng Thom
Native American
Being Home by Traci Sorell
My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom
First Laugh--Welcome, Baby! by Rose Ann Tahe & Nancy Bo Flood
Powwow Day by Traci Sorell
You Hold Me Up by Monique Gray Smith
Remember by Joy Harjo
Berry Song by Michaela Goade
Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, & Alexis C. Bunten
Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Nutik, the Wolf Pup by Jean Craighead George
We Are Water Protectors: by Carole Lindstrom
Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard
Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest by Gerald McDermott
Storm Boy by Paul Owen Lewis
Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp
Frog Girl by Paul Owen Lewis
Arrow to the Sun by Gerald McDermott
Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina by Maria Tallchief with Rosemary Wells
Crazy Horse's Vision by Joseph Bruchac
The Girl Who Lived with the Bears by Barbara Diamond Goldin
The Boy Who Lived with the Seals by Rafe Martin
Brother Wolf: A Seneca Tale by Harriet Peck Taylor
Adopted by the Eagles by Paul Goble
The Ghost Dance by Alice McLerran
Buffalo Woman by Paul Goble
The Great Ball Game: A Muskogee Story by Joseph Bruchac
The Song of Hiawatha by Margaret Early
Neurodiversity
Brilliant Bea: A Story for Kids With Dyslexia and Learning Differences by Shaina Rudolph & Mary Vukadinovich
My Whirling Twirling Motor by Merriam Sarcia Saunders
My Busy, Busy Brain: The ABCDs of ADHD, a Resource and Children's Book about ADHD by Nicole Russell
Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor
The Boy with Big, Big Feelings by Britney Winn Lee
My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete & Ryan Elizabeth Peete
Don't Hug Doug by Carrie Finison
Sally Ann McFidgetbottom by Howard Pearlstein
You Are Enough: A Book About Inclusion by Margaret O'Hair and Sofia Sanchez
SEL
Places To Be by Mac Barnett
Ruby Finds a Worry by Tom Percival
The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions by Anna Llenas
Big Feelings by Alexandra Penfold
One Thursday Afternoon by Barbara DiLorenzo
A Shelter for Sadness by Anne Booth
My Heart by Corinna Luyken
The Rough Patch by Brian Lies
Kafka and the Doll by Larissa Theule
Cry, Heart, But Never Break by Glenn Ringtved
The Magical Yet by Angela DiTerlizzi
Found by Salina Yoon
The Don't Worry Book by Todd Parr
Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle by Chris Raschka
The Camping Trip by Jennifer K. Mann
Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away by Meg Medina
Home is in Between by Mitali Perkins
Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie by Laura Rankin
You Will Be My Friend! by Peter Brown
A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
Dadaji's Paintbrush by Rashmi Sirdeshpande
A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimes
Nothing Ever Happens on a Gray Day by Grant Snider
Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth
Babar's Yoga for Elephants by Laurent de Brunhoff
The distinct Dawson learning environment is reflective of the diverse community that surrounds us. The celebration of differences drives the Dawson mission and unifies the school-wide focus of self and social awareness. Students benefit from working with and learning from other students and teachers who are varied in learning styles, socioeconomic backgrounds, race, religions, ideology, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, culture and ethnicity. We are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming learning community.
Dawson Diversity Statement
Chapter Books
African American & Black
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about African American & Black
Arab, Middle Eastern, & Muslim Stories
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about Arab, Middle Eastern, & Muslim Stories
Asian American & Pacific Islander
Read More
about Asian American & Pacific Islander
Dynamic Families
Read More
about Dynamic Families
Diverse Abilities
Read More
about Diverse Abilities
For Educators
Heritage Months
Dawson proudly celebrates cultural heritage and awareness months throughout the year. The goal is to honor the diverse backgrounds represented in our own community and for students to learn about and understand the global experiences and perspectives of those with identities that may be different from their own.
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This page is managed by Dawson's DEI Ambassadors. For questions, please contact Librarian & DEI Ambassador Ivette Garcia-Gonzalez.