This collection contains materials from the DIVerse Families bibliography organized by Grades K-3.
DIVerse Families is a comprehensive bibliography that demonstrates the growing diversity of families in the United States. This type of bibliography provides teachers, librarians, counselors, adoption agencies, children/young adults, and especially parents and grandparents needing to empower their children with materials that reflect their families.
Browse by Grade Level:
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Racism (How Can I Deal With?)
Sally Hewitt
Case studies and helpful advice for kids who are bullied because of their race.
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Rainy Day
Emma Haughton
Shortly after his parents have separated, Nick visits his father on a gray, rainy day and they take a long walk in the storm.
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Real Sisters Pretend
Megan Dowd Lambert
As they play, Mia and Tayja confirm that there's one thing they don't have to pretend: They know in their hearts that they're real sisters, even though others don't always recognize this since they're adopted and don't look alike. Safe in the knowledge that adoption has made them "forever family," the sisters end their make-believe journey with a joyful homecoming to a real home with their two moms.
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Rebecca's Journey Home
Brynn Olenberg Sugarman
Mr. and Mrs. Stein and their young sons Gabe and Jacob adopt a baby girl from Vietnam.
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René Has Two Last Names / René tiene dos apellidos
Rene Colato Lainez
In this story based on the author's childhood, a young Salvadoran immigrant is teased for having two last names until he presents his family tree project celebrating his heritage.
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Rescue and Jessica
Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes
Rescue thought he’d grow up to be a Seeing Eye dog — it’s the family business, after all. When he gets the news that he’s better suited to being a service dog, he’s worried that he’s not up to the task. Then he meets Jessica, a girl whose life is turning out differently than the way she'd imagined it, too. Now Jessica needs Rescue by her side to help her accomplish everyday tasks. And it turns out that Rescue can help Jessica see after all: a way forward, together, one step at a time. An endnote from the authors tells more about the training and extraordinary abilities of service dogs, particularly their real-life best friend and black lab, Rescue.
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Rice and Beans
Wiley Blevins
A young girl adopted from China sees that her hair and skin color are different from that of her parents. She finds, however, that there's much more to making a family than sharing red hair and freckles.
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Robert Lives with His Grandparents
Martha Hickman Whitmore
Robert is embarrassed to admit to his classmates that he has lived with his grandparents ever since his parents' divorce.
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Rock & Roll Highway: The Robbie Robertson Story
Sebastian Robertson
Canadian guitarist and songwriter Robbie Robertson is known mainly for his central role in the musical group the Band. But how did he become one of Rolling Stone's top 100 guitarists of all time? Written by his son, Sebastian, this is the story of a rock-and-roll legend's journey through music, beginning when he was taught to play guitar at nine years old on a Native American reservation. Rock and Roll Highway is the story of a young person's passion, drive, and determination to follow his dream.
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Roland Humphrey is Wearing a What?
Eileen Kiernan-Johnson
Roland Humphrey is a little boy who likes sparkly things and bright colors. He likes both sports and ballet, and doesn't understand why girls can like both but not boys. Will he bow to peer pressure, or follow his heart and be the authentic Roland Humphrey?
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Rosie's Family: An Adoption Story
Lori Rosove
Rosie's family is a story about belonging in a family regardless of differences. Rosie is a beagle who was adopted by schnauzers. She feels different from the rest of the family and sets forth many questions that children who were adopted may have.
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Rough, Tough Charley
Verla Kay
A brief illustrated biography of Charley Parkhurst, a stagecoach driver and pioneer of California who posed for most of her life as a man.
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Roxy the Raccoon: A Story to Help Children Learn about Disability and Inclusion
Alice Reeves
Roxy lives in the forest with her three best friends, who she loves to visit and play games with. Roxy is in a wheelchair, so sometimes it is harder for her to go to the same places and play the same games as the other animals. Roxy and her friends realise that by making a few small changes and working together, they can make the forest a better place for everyone. Roxy teaches us that there are bunches of ways to be more inclusive of those who have a disability so that everyone can join in.
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Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything
Lenore Look
After Ruby Lu's deaf cousin, Flying Duck, and her parents come from China to live with her, Ruby finds life challenging as she adjusts to her new family, tries to mend her rocky relationship with her friend Emma, and faces various adventures in summer school.
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Rumplepimple
Suzanne DeWitt Hall
Life isn't easy when your big sister is an annoying cat and your moms can't understand a word you say. But that doesn't stop Rumplepimple from saving the day in a most unusual way. Find out how a car ride transforms a naughty terrier into a grocery store hero.
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Saffron Ice Cream
Rashin Kheiriyeh
Rashin is an Iranian immigrant girl living in New York, excited by her first trip to Coney Island, and fascinated by the differences in the beach customs between her native Iran and her new home--but she misses the saffron flavored ice cream that she used to eat.
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Sammy Wakes His Dad
Chip Emmons
Sammy's father, who is in a wheelchair, is reluctant to join Sammy in going fishing, until his son's love finally moves him to action.
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Sarah Emma Edmonds Was a Great Pretender: The True Story of a Civil War Spy
Carrie Jones
A picture book biography of Sarah Emma Edmonds, a Canadian-born woman who served as a spy in the Union Army during the Civil War.
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Sarah's Sleepover
Bobbie Rodriguez
Sarah and her cousins are all set for a sleepover weekend complete with hot chocolate, pillow fights, and ghost stories—until the power goes out in a storm and plunges them into total darkness. Sarah isn't worried. She is able to guide the rest of the girls safely through the pitch-black house because she is comfortable moving in the dark; Sarah is blind.
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Saturday is Pattyday
Lesléa Newman
Although Frankie is hurt and confused when his two mommies separate, he is comforted by knowing that Patty will still be part of his life.
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Scooter
Vera B. Williams
A child's silver blue scooter helps her to adjust to her new home. Elana Rose tells of her event-filled first summer after moving with her mother to a new apartment, as new neighbors and friends become an important part of Elana Rose's life. A treasure of a book--touching, funny, and totally original--with a surprise climax.
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See You Tomorrow, Charles
Miriam Cohen
When Charles, a young blind boy, joins their first-grade class, Anna Maria and the other children feel unsure of themselves and of him until they learn to accept Charles.
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Sélavi: A Haitian Story of Hope
Youme Landowne
A homeless boy on the streets of Haiti joins other street children, and together they build a home and a radio station where they can care for themselves and for other homeless children.
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Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation
Duncan Tonatiuh
Years before the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling Brown v. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez, an eight-year-old girl of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage, played an instrumental role in Mendez v. Westminster, the landmark desegregation case of 1946 in California.
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Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story
Paul Yoo
A biography of Chinese American film star Anna May Wong who, in spite of limited opportunities, achieved her dream of becoming an actress and worked to represent her race on screen in a truthful, positive manner.