Using Children’s Stories for Introducing The Principles of Catholic Social Teachings
This book list has been compiled by Anne E. Neuberger to assist teachers and parents in using children’s literature and other stories to help children understand social issues and needs. The principles of Catholic Social Teachings are used as the framework for this bibliography, which are mirrored in all significant religions.
Books by Anne:
Anne’s own books offer stories, activities and discussion suggestions on each principle. As these books fit under each of the lists below, they are listed here once for your convenience:
To Love Tenderly: Teaching Compassion and Justice through Stories and Activities.
For grades K-4
Description:
When people reach out to others whose lives are very different from theirs, understanding and appreciation begin. This child-and-adult book is designed to begin this process. Forty-four stories of children from all over the world (Pakistan, Guatemala, Latvia, Germany, Sudan, The United Stats, Brazil, China and others) help readers come to feel a bond of friendship and care with their peers in faraway places.
To Act Justly: Introducing Catholic Social Teachings to Children with Stories and Activities.
For grades 2-6
Description:
This child-and-adult book is filled with stories of real people who acted justly and helped change the world, and real situations of children struggling in unjust situations. These stories teach the seven social justice principles, the Beatitudes, and introduce social teachings of Vatican II. In addition to stories are activities and resources.
To Walk Humbly: Teaching Compassion and Justice through Stories and Activities.
For grades 5-8
Description:
Similar in format to To Love Tenderly, this book for older students contains fifty-five stories from around the world to help students connect with the social, environmental and economic problems of children around the globe, and to think of others as family. Activities included.
All God’s Children: 42 Short and Joyful Stories for Kids.
For pre-Kindergarten-grade 3
Description:
These stories give children unique insights into the ways other children live in far-off places such as Turkey, China, Ethiopia and Iraq. It explores cultures and customs along with joys and challenges, all with a backdrop of Catholic Social Teachings. (This book is out of print. To order a copy, contact Anne)
Booklist of picture and chapter books for children:
Under each principle, the titles are divided into two general listening or reading levels without being age or grade specific. However, the range for all the books is K-8, with some picture books usable for preschool.
All of the definitions of the Catholic Social Teachings were paraphrased for children by Anne E. Neuberger
The Dignity of the Human Person
Grades Pre-K-Grade 1):
God made each of us, so each of us is very special. It is not important if you are tall or small, or happy or sad. It’s not important if you have many toys or no toys. What is important is that each of us is special because of God’s love. And we must treat others in a caring way because they were made by God too.
(Grades 2-4):
God made every single one of us. This makes us incredibly special! It doesn’t matter who we are, who our friends are, what we own, or what we look like. What matters is that we are special because we are God’s creations. This means too that we must treat others with great respect and fairness because God made them too.
(Grades 5-8):
God made us. That means each of us is an extraordinary work of art! No matter who we are, what we own, what we look like, or who our friends are, we are incredible. And we must treat all others with respect and fairness, giving them great dignity, for God made them too.
Picture books or short chapter books for younger students:
Amazing Grace, Mary Hoffman
Chicken Sunday, Patricia Polacco
Chrysanthemum, Kevin Henkes
Don’t Laugh at Me, Steve Seskin (book and CD)
Each Kindness, Jacqueline Woodson
The Goat Lady, Jane Bregoli
Hope, Isabel Monk
It’s Okay to be Different, Todd Parr
Meet Addy, Connie Porter (American Girl series)
Meet Samantha, Susan S. Adler (American Girl series)
One, Kathryn Otoshi
Samantha Learns a Lesson, Susan S. Adler (American Girl series)
Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace, Jen Cullerton Johnson (a story of Wangari Maathai)
Thank you, Mr. Falker, Patricia Polacco
Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen, DyAnne DiSalovo-Ryan
Wednesday Surprise, Eve Bunting
White Water, Michael Bandy and Eric Stein
You Are Special, Max Lucado
These books for younger students focus on war and/or prejudice: two issues that rob people of their dignity:
Baseball Saved Us, Ken Mochizuki Dom Lee
The Bracelet, Yoshiko Uchida
The Bus Ride That Changed History, Pamela Duncan Edwards
The Butter Battle Book, Dr. Seuss
The Hundred Dresses, Eleanor Estes
Sister Anne’s Hands, Marybeth Lorbeicki
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down, Andrea Davis Pinkney
Smokey Night, Eve Bunting
The Sneetches, Dr. Seuss
The Story of Ruby Bridges, Robert Coles
Twenty and Ten, Claire Huchet Bishop
The Wall, Eve Bunting
Chapter Books or picture books for older students:
Bully, Patrcia Polacco
Good Night, Mr. Tom, Michelle Magorian
The Great Gilly Hopkins, Katherine Paterson
Maniac Magee, Jerry Spinelli
Out of My Mind, Sharon Draper
Through My Eyes, Ruby Bridges
True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Avi
Trash, Andy Mulligan
Wonder, R.J. Palacio
These books for older students focus on war and/or prejudice: two issues that rob people of their dignity:
The Boys’ War: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk About the Civil War, Jim Murphy
Caddie Woodlawn, Carol Ryrie Brink
The Devil’s Arithmetic, Jane Yolan
The Invisible Thread, Yoshiko Uchida
Journey to America, Sonia Levitin
Journey to Topaz: A Story of the Japanese-American Evacuation, Yoshiko Uchida
Number the Stars, Lois Lowry
Pink and Say, Patricia Polacco
So Far from the Bamboo Grove, Yoko Kawashimo Watkins
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
The Upstairs Room, Johanna Reiss
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, Judith Kerr
We Are Called to Live as Family and Community
Grades Pre-K-Grade 1):
Jesus knows that people can only be happy if they have families and friends. He tells us that we can let these important people help us. He asks us to help them too. We need each other.
(Grades 2-4):
Jesus understood that people greatly need other people. We all need our families, friends and neighbors. He tells us that these important people can help us. Jesus says we must help them too. Doing this, we create a loving community.
(Grades 5-8):
Jesus knew that people need other people. None of us will ever live our lives in complete isolation. We all need our families, friends and neighbors. He tells us that it is right that in our lives we have these important people who help us. And Jesus says we must help them too. Through this, we create a loving community.
Picture books or short chapter books for younger students:
Baseball Saved Us, Ken Mochizuki
Chicken Sunday, Patricia Polacco
Don’t Laugh at Me, Steve Seskin (book and CD)
The Doorbell Rang, Pat Hutchins
The Goat Lady, Jane Bregoli
Just Plain Fancy, Patricia Polacco
The Keeping Quilt, Patricia Polacco
King of the Playground, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Mrs. Katz and Tush, Patricia Polacco
Nasreen’s Secret School: a True Story from Afghanistan, Jeanette Winter
One Green Apple, Eve Bunting
Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai, Clarie A. Nivola
Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace, Jen Cullerton Johnson (a story of Wangari Maathai)
The Tree of the Dancing Goats, Patricia Polacco
Twenty and Ten, Claire Huchet Bishop
Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen, DyAnne DiSalovo-Ryan
Whoever You Are, Mem Fox
You and Me and Home Sweet Home, George Ella Lyon
Chapter Books or picture books for older students:
After Ever After, Jorden Sonnenblick
Because of Mr. Terput, Rob Buyea
Caddie Woodlawn, Carol Ryrie Brink
Counting by 7’s, Holly Goldberg Sloan
Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie, Jordan Sonnenblick
Freak the Mighty, Rodman Philbrick
Home of the Brave, Katherine Applegate
Juvie Three, Gordan Korman
King of the Playground, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Maniac Magee, Jerry Spinelli
Seed Folks, Paul Fleischman
Rights and Responsibilities
Grades Pre-K-Grade 1):
Every single person on earth needs these things: food, water, work, clothes, a home, a school, and a doctor. Some people have what they need, but many people don’t. Jesus wants the people who already have what they need to help these others. Jesus wants us to take care of this.
(Grades 2-4):
In order to live, every single person on earth must have food, water, work, clothes, a home, school and medical care. These are called ‘rights’. But many people do not have them. Jesus wants those who enjoy these rights to help their sisters and brothers obtain their rights. It is not enough to feel badly for others. Jesus says it is our responsibility to see that they receive their rights.
(Grades 5-8):
All of God’s people must have food, water, work, clothes, a home, school and medical care. These are basic ‘rights’ and all people must have them if they are to survive and live with dignity. But many do not. Jesus wants those who do have these rights to help others get their rights. It is a ‘responsibility’ to see that the others get their rights.
Picture books or short chapter books for younger students
Addy Learns a Lesson, Connie Porter (American Girl series)
Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Young Readers Editions, William Kankwamba
The Bus Ride that Changed History, Pamela Duncan Edwards
The Butterfly, Patricia Polacco
Delores Huerta, A Hero to Migrant Workers, Sarah Warren
Fly Away Home, Eve Bunting
If This Bus could Talk, Faith Ringgold
Just Kidding, Trudy Ludwig
The Mangrove Trees: Planting Trees to Feed Families, Susan L. Roth
Nasreen’s Secret School: a True Story from Afghanistan, Jeanette Winter
Nobody Knew What to Do, Becky McCain
The Recess Queen, Alexis O’Neill
Sam and the Lucky Money, Karen Chinn
Samantha Learns a Lesson, Susan S. Adler (American Girl series)
Side by Side/Lado a Lado: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez/ La Historia de Dolores Huerta y Cesar Chavez, Monica Brown
The Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down, Andrea Davis Pinkney
The Story of Ruby Bridges, Robert Coles
Thank you, Mr. Falker, Patricia Polacco
You and Me and Home Sweet Home, George Ella Lyon
Chapter Books or picture books for older students:
Because of Mr. Terput, Rob Buyea
The Breadwinner Trilogy, Deborah Ellis
Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope, William Kankwamba
Gifted Hands, the Ben Carson Story, Gregg Lewis and Deborah Shaw Lewis
Good Night, Mr. Tom, Michelle Magorian
A Long Walk to Water, Linda Sue Park
Number the Stars, Lois Lowry
Through My Eyes, Ruby Bridges
The Upstairs Room, Johanna Reiss
We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March, Cynthia Levinson
Stewardship
Grades Pre-K-Grade 1):
God made the earth and sky. God made all the people all over the world. God made the pandas and puppies and butterflies and tigers and all the other animals. God made the daisies, the trees, the tomatoes and all the other plants. God made the air, the ground and the water. And, God tells us we must take good care of them. It is an important job!
(Grades 2-4):
The earth and all life on it is God’s creation. We are called to take care of it because it is a holy gift from God and the only place we can live. When we make thoughtless use of the earth’s resources, many people suffer. When we make poor choices about how we treat other living things (people, animals, plants), life cannot be as wonderful as God wants. Making wise choices about the care of God’s creation is called good stewardship.
(Grades 5-8):
The earth and all life on it is God’s Creation. God calls us to be ‘stewards’ of this great gift. A steward is a manager, not an owner. Each of us has an obligation to manage the earth and its resources in a morally responsible way, because mismanagement leads to great suffering. This means using wise ecology practices and also making certain others are not hurt by wasteful or dangerous practices. It also means taking care of our own health, and using our personal property carefully.
Picture books or short chapter books for younger students:
Numerous titles by Jean Craighead George, including:
- Arctic Son
- Look to the North, a Wolf Puppy Diary
- Snow Bear
Picture books by Jeannie Baker:
- The Story of Rosy Dock
- Home
- Window
Books about Wangari Maathai:
- Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai, Claire A. Nivola
- Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace, Jen Cullerton Johnson
- Wangari’s Trees of Peace, Jeanette Winter
Beatrice’s Goat, Page McBrier
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Young Readers Edition, William Kankwamba
The Lorax, Dr. Sueuss
The Earth Book, Todd Parr
The Mangrove Trees: Planting Trees to Feed Families, Susan L. Roth
One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference, Katie Smith Milway
Owen and Mzee, Isabella Harkoff, Craig Hatkoff and Dr. Paul Kahumbu
Someday a Tree, Eve Bunting
Chapter Books or picture books for older students:
Numerous titles by Jean Craighead George, including:
- Frightful’s Mountain
- There’s an Owl in the Shower
- There’s a Tarantula in my Purse and 127 Other Wild Pets
Behold the Trees, Sue Alexander
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope, William Kankwamba
An Elephant in the Garden, Michael Morpurgo
Long Walk to Water, Linda Sue Park
The Man Who Planted Trees, Jean Giono
One Well, The Story of Water on Earth, Rochelle Strauss
Seed Folks, Paul Fleischman
An Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
Grades Pre-K-Grade 1):
You need food, water, a house, your school, a good doctor and a job for the grown-up who takes care of you. So does everybody else on the whole Earth. But there are many people who do not have these things. Jesus wants us to take extra care of these people.
(Grades 2-4):
Every person needs food, water, work, housing, school, and medical care. Those who do not have these are poor. Our Church teaches that these brothers and sisters must be treated with extra respect and extra care and given what they need. Those who are not poor must share what they have with the others.
(Grades 5-8):
All people must have food, water, work, housing, school, and medical care. Those who do not are ‘poor’. People who are more likely than others to be abused, neglected, or cheated, are ‘vulnerable’. Our Church teaches that poor and vulnerable people must be treated with extra respect and care and given what they need. Those people who are not poor must share what they have with those who are poor. Those who are strong and safe must work to make others less vulnerable.
Picture books or short chapter books for younger students:
Addy Learns a Lesson, Connie Porter (American Girl series)
Beatrice’s Goat, Page McBrier
Boxes for Katje, Candice Fleming
The Butterfly, Patricia Polacco
December, Eve Bunting
Delores Huerta, A Hero to Migrant Workers, Sarah Warren
Fly Away Home, Eve Bunting
The Goat Lady, Jane Bregoli
Harvesting Hope, Kathleen Krull
The Lady in the Box, Ann McGovern
The Mangrove Trees: Planting Trees to Feed Families, Susan L. Roth
Meet Addy, Connie Porter (American Girl series)
One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference, Katie Smith Milway
The Quiltmaker’s Gift, Jeff Brumbeau
Sam and the Lucky Money, Karen Chinn
Samantha Learns a Lesson, Susan S. Adler (American Girl series)
The Sparkle Box, Jill Hardie
White Water, Michael Bandy and Eric Stein
You and Me and Home Sweet Home, George Ella Lyon
Chapter Books or picture books for older students:
Free the Children, Craig Kielburger
Good Night, Mr. Tom
Me to We, Finding Meaning in a Material World, Craig and Marc Kielburger
No Ordinary Day, Deborah Ellis
Trash, Andy Mulligan
The Upstairs Room, Johanna Reiss
We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March, Cynthia Levinson
The Dignity and Rights of Workers
Grades Pre-K-Grade 1):
All people work in some way. Their work should be safe and helpful to them because God made them and loves them. By our work, we help ourselves and others, and we show our love to God.
(Grades 2-4):
All persons work. There are many kinds of work. In each job, workers deserve to have safe conditions, reasonable hours, and fair wages. They deserve this because they are made by God. Our work gives us the means to live, but it can also be a chance to use the talents God gives us. Our work is our way of cooperating with God to create our world.
(Grades 5-8):
Through our work, we earn what we need to live. It can also be a chance to use the talents God gives us. In fact, it is our way of working with God to create our world. As work is so important on many levels, it is very important that in every job, each worker has safe conditions, reasonable hours and fair wages.
Picture books or short chapter books for younger children:
Addy Learns a Lesson, Connie Porter (American Girl series)
Beatrice’s Goat, Page McBrier
The Bobbin Girl, Emily Arnold McCully
Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909, Michelle Markel
A Chair for my Mother, Vera B. Williams
Click, Clack, Moo, Cows the Type, Doreen Cronin (for very young children)
Dolores Huerta: A Hero to Migrant Workers, Sarah Warren
Going Home, Eve Bunting
The Hard-Time Jar, Ethel Footman Smothers
Harry’s Freedom Box, Ellen M. Levine
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez, Kathleen Krull
Meet Addy, Connie Porter (American Girl series)
Meet Samatha, Susan S. Adler (American Girl series)
Samantha Learns a Lesson, Susan S. Adler (American Girl series)
Si, Se Puede!/Yes, We Can!, Diana Cohn
Side by Side/Lado a Lado: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez/ La Historia de Dolores Huerta y Cesar Chavez, Monica Brown
Waiting for the Owl’s Call, Gloria Whelan
Chapter Books or picture books for older students:
Bread and Roses Too, Katherine Paterson
Changes for Rebecca, Jacqueline Green (American Girl series)
A Coal Miner’s Bride: the Diary of Anetka Kaminska, Susan Campbell Bartoletti (Dear America series)
Esperanza Rising, Pam Munoz Ryan
Free the Children, Craig Kielburger
Iqbal, a novel, Francesco D’Adamo
The Journal of Otto Peltonen, A Finnish Immigrant, William Durbin, set in Hibbing MN, 1905. (My Name is America series)
Lyddie, Katherine Paterson
Solidarity
Grades Pre-K-Grade 1):
All people are God’s children. That makes us brothers and sisters. We are connected to each other. It is as if everyone in the world held hands! We can be very different from each other, but we are still one family—God’s family.
(Grades 2-4):
The world’s peoples are interdependent. That means we need each other. We must work together if we are to go on living. And, when we share our lives with our sisters and brothers around the world, we will become the best we can be. Even though there are huge differences among us, we are still one family—the family of God.
(Grades 5-8):
The world’s people are interdependent. That means we rely on each other for almost all of our bodily and social needs. Our languages, medical knowledge, food production and art are just a few examples of how humans have always worked together. Even though there are huge differences amongst us, we are still one family—the family of God. This means we should view family not just as our immediate relatives, nor just our neighborhood, or just our country. Our family includes all the people in the world. As a family, we must not only tolerate differences, but appreciate them. As a family, we must care about the well being of each other, making sure other family members have what they need and are being treated fairly.
Picture books or short chapter books for younger students
The Bus Ride that Changed History, Pamela Duncan Edwards
The Butterfly, Patricia Polacco
Chicken Sunday, Patricia Polacco
A Country Far Away, Nigel Gray
Fourteen Cows for America, Carmen Agra Deedy
Mirror, Jeannie Baker
The Peace Book, Todd Parr
Sadako, Eleanor Coerr (picture book; see chapter book below)
Sister Anne’s Hands, Marybeth Lorbiecki
Sit-In:How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down, Andrea Davis Pinkney
The Story of Ruby Bridges, Robert Coles
Whoever You Are, Mem Fox
DK/UNICEF books such as:
- A School Like Mine
- A Life Like Mine
- A Faith Like Mine
These books can be used for a variety of age groups.
Chapter Books or picture books for older students:
If the World Were a Village, David J. Smith
Number the Stars, Lois Lowry
Pink and Say, Patricia Polacco
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, Eleanor Coerr
Seed Folks, Paul Fleischman
This Child, Every Child, A Book about the World’s Children, David J. Smith
We March, Shane W. Evans