WELCOME
Thank you for bringing these conversations into your home, classroom, or community. This resource was created to support young changemakers through stories of kids and youth who make a difference in their communities. These guides are designed for open discussion, respectful listening, and sharing ideas around identity, diversity, justice, action, and imagination.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Three discussion guide PDFs featuring Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun’s Thanksgiving Story by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, Alexis Bunten, and Garry Meeches Sr., May We Have Enough to Share by Richard Van Camp, and The People Shall Continue by Simon J. Ortiz.
Reflection and discussion prompts for diverse ages
Related resources and recommended “next reads”
Suggested conversation and facilitation tips
HOW TO USE THE GUIDES
Choose one book at a time to focus your learning and discussion.
Read out loud or independently, and then use the prompts to guide conversation.
Encourage curiosity – not perfection – as the group explores tough topics.
Adapt freely for your classroom, community group, or family learning space
OUR PHILOSOPHY
These guides are built upon the belief that stories seed change in our hearts and communities. Justice-focused picture books give us the space to get curious, open our hearts, connect with other readers, and dream of ways to take action together.
ATTRIBUTION & USAGE
© 2025 Reading Is Resistance. All rights reserved.
For personal, classroom, or small group use only. Please do not resell or distribute digitally.
ABOUT THE CREATOR
Zapoura Newton-Calvert, Associate Teaching Professor, has facilitated writing and community-engaged learning courses focused on social justice in education since 2004 and has taught at Portland State University since 2009. This work has led to partnerships with organizations like Libraries for Liberation, the Children’s Book Bank, Teaching for Change, and local schools. Participating in the practices of emergent strategy, her teaching is relational and responsive to political, social, and environmental change. Zapoura creates anti-oppression reading lists, curriculum, and workshops to support parents, teachers, and readers of all ages in building collective liberational capacity and imagination through engagement with children’s literature.