7 Trending Books On Social Issues For Your Kids To Read

Our favourite childhood tales tend to stay with us for a long time. Animals are significant characters in the novels that youngsters who grew up on a steady diet of Panchatantra or Jataka Tales liked. More than the exploits of the animals, one recalls how the stories made them feel and the lessons they imparted.

Curiosity, perseverance, discipline, risk-taking, and problem-solving teachings reinforced friendship, empathy, and compassion ideals. As one grows older, one realises how powerful these stories are and how they form one's perception of the world.

Looking back, it's simple to see how social skills books for kids have reflected societal ideas toward variety, power dynamics among diverse groups, and various social identities. Moreover, children's perceptions of themselves and others are influenced by the visual and linguistic signals they pick up from books. As a result, readers can offer factual knowledge about people of varied identities while reinforcing positive ideals.

Growth mindset books for kids promoting social justice often give them a sense of what it's like to be discriminated against. We must teach our children about people outside their immediate family and neighbourhood to develop responsible children. On the other hand, some youngsters do not see themselves in any of the stories they read as they grow older. It's critical to correct this so that children from all walks of life can see themselves reflected in the books they read.

Young Zubaan aspires to write books for children of all ages that are socially conscious and politically relevant. This devotion has prompted us to look for books that stimulate children's passion and action in anti-caste activism, feminist organising, LGBTQ rights, and environmental conservation, among other things.

Here is a list of our favourite children's and young adult books about social action and critical thinking that were published in India in 2022:

1. Guthli Has Wings 

Guthhli appears to be just like any other youngster; she talks nonstop, enjoys drawing fairies, and has a chicken as a buddy. However, she becomes enraged when she is told she cannot wear her pink gown to Diwali and must instead wear her 'male' attire. Kanak Shashi's latest book, Guthli Has Wings, is published by Tullika Books and aims to educate children, parents, and educators about gender identification.

Gender identity, a complex topic with various connotations, has been simplified for a child's understanding. "This whole process starts fairly early in life — probably right from the moment an infant starts perceiving the world and forming ideas about it," Kanak says in an interview with The Hindu. 

Kanak developed the concept in 2010 while working with school children, and among many other things that struck her, the performative aspect of gender drew her attention. "All I wanted to do was make something that subverts the entire process."

2. Ten Indian Animals You May Never See in the Wild

The survival stories of ten of India's rarest animals are told in this book. A few species have staged a dramatic recovery from the brink of extinction; others have not been so fortunate and are on their way to an end. Ranjit Lal, an award-winning novelist, describes how human activity has displaced so many lovely animals from their natural home. 

This book, part of Duckbill Books' new non-fiction series, The 10s, is ideal for children to grasp the importance of coexisting in peace with the natural world.

3. My Country, My Government

What is the role of the Prime Minister? What criteria are used to select judges? My Government and My Country Rohini Oommen tackles the complex functioning of the Indian government and simplifies it down into digestible chunks of information. This book handles complex themes, exercises and explanations, from establishing the Indian Constitution to today's electoral system. 

Learning how the government operates can help a youngster develop a feeling of social responsibility. Rohini, an experienced and well-known educator, has compiled an educational guide that explains how the government works while also demonstrating how politics affects every element of life.

4. Maa (Hindi)

Maa is a novel written by Kancha Illaiah Shepherd, a well-known political thinker and anti-caste campaigner. It tells the narrative of a young university lecturer. From a shepherd family, the professor remembers how his mother fought against caste abuses and rallied his community against the discriminatory and casteist ideas that permeated his village. 

Maa was illustrated by Lokesh Khodke and Shefalee Jain and published by Eklavaya. It is a must-read for parents, educators, and teachers who want to educate young children about the caste system and young adults who want to read an uplifting story about how a woman from a lower caste mobilised her community to fight inequity.

5. The Case of the Missing Water (Multilingual)

The tank in Ranj's hamlet runs dry in the middle of summer, leaving the villagers without water. Most of the families have left the region, and the classrooms at Ranj's school are half-empty. Only a dried-up brook runs through the village, and the birds and animals have also abandoned it. 

Ranj and her buddy Sapna, frustrated by the situation, have set their minds on locating the lost water. Will they be able to complete their mission? Find out in Shalini Srinivasan's book, which Upamanyu Bhattacharya draws.

6. Pops

Varun, who is seven years old, has never met his father and has only seen pictures of him in the wedding album. After his mother files for divorce, Varun sees his father — the Man — for the first time in court. When the court ordered the father to meet with Varun once a month, he was terrified and enraged. But why does the Man continue to bring him gifts? 

Why is it that he climbs trees like a monkey? Why is he repeating 'Pop! Pop! Pop!' so much? As if Arun could ever begin addressing this odd Man as 'Pops'!

This book, authored by Crossword Book Award winner Balaji Venkataraman and published by Duckbill Books, looks into the complicated feelings a youngster experiences while his parents are apart. It's also a good reminder to children from single-parent households that they're not alone and that loving families come in all forms and sizes.

7. Behind the Lie

Because of their father's fearsome temper, Valli and Ramesh live in constant fear. Their mother bears the brunt of their father's abuse and is unclear how to break free from the abusive cycle she is trapped in. Will things ever be different for them? This is a poignant story about a family's fight against domestic violence with little support from their neighbours and some quick thinking.

This book, written by Asha Nehemiah and illustrated by Andri Chakraborty, is essential for children who have had similar experiences because it can help them recognise the triggers or settings in which domestic abuse may occur. In addition, reading a tale about another youngster who stepped out and asked for help may inspire other children to do the same.