Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester

Let's Talk About Race is a powerful book with a very important message . . . we are all different, but beneath our skin we are all the same. In this book, the author, Julius Lester, shares facts about himself. He calls it his "story." Using easy-to-understand words, Lester explains that everyone has a story and that race is just one small part of that story. Then he goes on to explain that we are all made the same underneath our skin. In kid language, Lester is teaching the reader that people should not judge others by their race. I think that the most thought-provoking lines of the entire book are the last lines, when Lester states, "I'll take off my skin. Will you take off yours?" This book and especially these lines would be a great way to start a conversation about equality in an older-elementary classroom.

Julius Lester has written many other children's books, including From Slave Ship to Freedom Road, To Be a Slave, and Why Heaven is Far Away.

References:

Lester, J. (2005). Let's Talk About Race. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

HarperCollins. (2008). Let's Talk About Race. Retrieved on April 7, 2008, from http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780060285968/Lets_Talk_About_Race/index.aspx