This September will mean big changes for many children whether starting school or nursery for the first time or going back to school after a very long gap. Parents’ feelings will be mixed at a time of such uncertainty but will want to find ways to support their children, so they adjust and make the best possible progress. Schools will be sending home advice and suggestions but in addition, there are simple things you can do to help your child become an enthusiastic, confident reader.  Most importantly:

Bear Shaped by Dawn Coulter Cruttenden
Jack is autistic and finds communicating difficult but with his favourite toy, ‘Bear’ he feels brave. When Bear disappears, news spreads fast, messages come from all over the world and teddies start arriving in the post. The kindness of others makes Jack realise how lucky he has been to have a special toy.
Inspired by a true story, this is a sensitively told and beautifully illustrated picture book about loving and losing something precious.
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Clean Up by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola (illus)
Rocket is really excited; she is going to visit Grammy and Grampy who live in Jamaica. While there, Rocket is shocked by the amount of rubbish on the beach and how it is affecting the wildlife. She decides to do something about it.
In this delightfully illustrated story, a determined main character sets out to make a difference. This is a story to raise awareness of plastic pollution in our oceans and perhaps encourage small scale activism.
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Eloise Under Cover by Sarah Baker
Eloise lives with her grandmother (her Amma) in Nazi occupied France during the Second World War. When her father disappears, she is determined to find him and manages to earn a place in the local Resistance group.
This is a page turning historical adventure story which explores trust, friendship, loyalty, and the importance of holding onto hope.
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Jasmine Dellimore and Meera Ghanshamdas from Moon Lane Books, write for us

When we re-opened two months ago awareness of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement was at its peak. At Moon Lane Books we were inundated with people in need of books to help guide their discussions about race and representation with their children. But in the ensuing weeks, we have observed a slow, passive decline to an old and pervasive stance on diversity and inclusion, one that paints our current climate in idyllic terms. Many people are inherently averse to discussing race with their children. It is as if we do not bring attention to it, then it will not be a problem. What we at Moon Lane counter is that this approach is part of the issue of where we are today.

Addressing prejudice is important to every community. The need to tackle issues within BAME communities is beginning to be met. Colourism – the prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group – plagues BAME communities. Lupita Nyong’o and Vashti Harrison’s Sulwe is a picture book that confronts this issue. Sulwe is darker than anyone in her family and struggles to recognise her beauty.  This book is key for shedding light on a problem that is largely ignored within society, a beautiful reminder for all ages to embrace the colour of our skin, no matter the shade.

Nathan Bryan and Dapo Adeola’s picture books, Look Up! and Clean Up!  are incredible examples of representation for children with darker skin. Look Up! explores the relationship between siblings; Rocket wants to be an astronaut, but she cannot seem to get her brother to stop looking down at his phone and look up at the stars. Clean Up! follows Rocket as she goes on holiday with her family and endeavours, with the help of the community, to rid the island of the plastic polluting its beaches.

Although these books do not explicitly tackle the issue of colourism, the protagonists having dark skin challenges certain prejudices and helps to normalise darker-skinned characters as the heroes of their own stories.

Sharon Draper’s Blended confronts the difficult topics of divorce, identity, racism, and police brutality. Draper graphically and age-appropriately portrays racism for an 8 to 12-year-old audience. Isabella’s mother is white and her father black and she is discovering her place in the world after her parents' divorce. After an incident at school, she begins to question her identity. Though the story portrays several racist encounters experienced by Izzy and her young black friends, We found it effective that these episodes did not become the main focus of the story, but rather are one part of the rich tapestry of a young girl’s experience.

Alongside books addressing racism, it is essential to recognise the importance of representation when building empathy among young readers. To have one without the other either risks the BAME experience being defined solely by struggle or creating the belief that we already live in a fair society. When topics like friendship, emotions and family are explored through diverse characters it emphasises how universal these experiences are. No matter your race or ethnicity, we are all human and share the same experiences. There are some fantastic books available celebrating diversity and eschewing tokenism. Peter Reynolds’ Ish about a boy called Ramon who overcomes his fear of making mistakes and Lunch at 10 Pomegranate Street is a revelry of food and culture from around the world.

People have been silent for too long and for things to change, silence is not an option. If a child is young enough to be the victim of racism, then children of the same age are young enough to learn about racism. Family conversations about discrimination can be difficult and will be different for every family. But it is important to have the conversation and books can be a vital aid in beginning the conversation.

Moon Lane Books is an independent children's bookshop and winner of Children's Bookseller of the Year 2020, 300 Stanstead Rd, London SE23 1DE