Adult Memoir from Child’s Perspective

First They Killed My Father (Loung Ung)

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou)

Somebody’s Daughter (Ashley C. Ford)

Picture Books

Asian Elephant Art (Jane Houng and Tam Cheuk Man): From Rebecca Dykes founder Jane Houng, a book that explores genocide through the healing of traumatized elephants.

Lena & The Dragon (Bethany Walker): From a Rebecca Dykes Writer and child trauma specialist comes a book that tackles childhood trauma in a way that children will find relatable and adults can use as a stepping stone to deeper conversation.

The Rabbit Listened (Cori Doerrfeld): Doerrfeld's highly distilled and elegantly concise vignettes brims with emotional honesty and profound empathy.  (Publisher’s Weekly)

A Bear In War (by Stephanie Innes and Harry Endrulat)  (a way to approach violence uniquely)

The Big Bad Wolf in my House (Valérie Fontaine and Nathalie Dion): This brave book is not merely bibliotherapy. It's a form of deliverance for those who are young, silenced, or inarticulate, while older children will want to discuss more elaborately the issues it addresses.  (School Library Journal)

The Red Tree (Shaun Tan): An astonishing fable in picture-book format. A girl moving through landscapes of hopelessness and isolation encounters an image of hope on the book's final page.  (School Library Journal)

Middle Grade

I Hadn’t Meant To Tell You (Jacqueline Woodson)

What Jamie Saw (Carolyn Coman)

Becoming Billie Holiday (Carol Boston Weatherford)

Fighting Words (Kimberly Brubaker Bradley): “Raw and honest, this ultimately empowering novel is an important book for readers of all ages. Adults may want to follow up or simultaneously read the book with younger readers to discuss the difficult issues addressed.”  (School Library Journal)

No Laughter Here (Rita Williams Garcia): "This contemporary tale about the ancient rite of female circumcision will no doubt leave an indelible mark on preteens," PW said. "A disturbing and poignant coming-of-age novel."

When You Know What I Know (Sonja Solter): “A difficult but important read, giving a voice to sexual abuse survivors and helping others see the complexity of emotions and the hard work that goes into the healing process.”  (School Library Journal)

Tween

That’s What Friends Do (Cathleen Barnhart)

Sold (Patricia McCormick)

Young Adult

Speak (Laurie Halse Anderson)

The Grief Keeper (Alexandra Villasante)

The Cat I Never Named (Amra Sabic-El-Rayess)

Rose Under Fire (Elizabeth Wein)

Bad Romance (Heather Demetrios)

Grown (Tiffany D. Jackson): “Jackson outdoes herself depicting Enchanted's gradual entrenchment into Korey's influence and the insidiousness of his abusive behavior as it transforms Enchanted from a studious, reliable oldest daughter to the distant, isolated image of his desire.”  (Publisher’s Weekly)

Will I See? (David A Robertson): A story of tragedy and beauty, Will I See? illuminates the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women.

We Are the Ashes, We are the Fire (Joy McCullough): “McCullough emphatically confronts the toll that sexual violence takes and deftly questions who gets to control history's narrative.” (Publisher’s Weekly)

All My Rage (Sabaa Tahir): “Through the alternating perspectives of her characters that include interludes from the past, Tahir skillfully and with nuanced handling navigates themes of abuse, found family, guilt, racism and Islamaphobia, generational baggage, trauma, and more.”  (Booklist)

Graphic Novels (YA )

If I Go Misssing (Brianna Jonnie with Nahani Shingoose)

YA Memoir

All Boys Aren’t Blue (George M. Johnson)

I Have The Right To (Chessy Prout)

Non-Fiction Resource Books for Young People

Growing Up Girl (Duchess Harris)

Gender-Based Violence and Women’s Rights (Women in the World series)

Adult Resource Books

Highway of Tears (Jessica McDiarmid)

The Body Keeps the Score (Bessel van der Kolk): This valuable work for psychologists, therapists, and public health professionals walks the line between academic medical text and popular nonfiction.

Politics and Trauma (Staci K. Haines)

The Art of Holding Space (Heather Plett): A supportive, practical guide for all those who want to learn the best way of holding space for themselves and others