Inspire children and teens into action with these 6 gentle activism books
Community and activism are important parts of successful fundraising. By involving children and young people in your fundraising efforts, you can teach them practical lessons about the importance of community, working together, and speaking up for what you believe in.
We've chosen 6 books which we believe speak to these principles, and are ideal for introducing gentle activism to your students.
Gentle activism books for primary schools
The concrete garden, Bob Graham
This delightful picture book shows how we can find optimism after a dark spell through the nurturing power of community and shared creativity.
In conversation with the post-pandemic fallout, the story follows children leaving their flat block after a cold, dark winter. One girl shares her chalk with others, and from this act of sharing, the dull concrete outside is transformed into an exotic garden.
The concrete garden is simple but very effective, and is an ideal sharing read to inspire young readers.
We can! Make a difference by Alexandra Strick and Steve Anthony (illustrator)
Join 15 children as they plan and deliver their own We Can! festival, a peaceful call to action.
This book was created with real children's input, who sent messages of hope and practical suggestions towards making the world a safer, greener, and kinder world. Throughout, there are plenty of actions that individuals can take to make a difference.
With inclusive, subtle illustrations, We can! Make a difference is a great read to kick start discussions about your own festival or fundraising event.
Smile by Lauren Child
At the moment I am daydreaming about inventing something exceptionordinarily good that could change the world for the better, because of all the things, it's the better that's needed.
Child's novel follows Clarice Bean, a young girl whose observations about the world highlight real concerns for children everywhere, including illness, local conservation, and endangered wildlife.
Suitable for Key Stage 2 readers, Smile perfectly captures children's curiosities and feelings, and reflects their personal worries about the environment.
Gentle activism books for secondary schools
The most important comic book on Earth: stories to save the world
A captivating and compulsively readable collection of comics to rally readers towards planetary change.
This is a great resource created by Rewriting Extinction, a global collaboration of environmentalists, artists, authors, musicians and more. It features 120 stories, ranging from funny webcomics to inspirational stories, making it ideal for dipping in and out of.
The most important comic book on Earth is informative, moving, but also reassuring - a good recommendation for teenagers grappling with climate anxiety.
The Beck by Anthony McGowan
The latest release from this award-winning author explores how our relationships with others and with nature can rally us to stand up for what we believe in.
Kyle has to stay with his slightly odd grandad one afternoon, where he is introduced to the stream near his house. Once polluted, the beck is now thriving. But this magical place is under threat from a new development, and his grandad has an audacious plan to stop the builders and save the beck.
At 141 pages, The Beck is the perfect quick class read for secondary schools, as it has a lot of depth and the potential for discussion about local action and relationships.
Allies: inspiring stories of friendship and support, edited by Shakirah Bourne and Dana Levy
Encourage students from Year 8 to Year 11 to reflect on their beliefs, actions and choices to become better allies towards their friends and strangers alike.
This collection of real-life stories comes from 17 Young Adult authors, with their experiences sitting alongside self-reflection prompts, resources, journaling ideas and further reading suggestions to help readers use their power to support others.
Allies is powerful enough to change minds and will empower young people in their day-to-day life. We definitely recommend this for school libraries.
