Books for Standing Up for Others for Ages 12–18

Explore our collection of children's books about standing up for others recommended for kids ages 12–18.

3,494 books

Cover of The Light in Hidden Places

The Light in Hidden Places

For the reader grappling with questions of moral courage and the weight of keeping secrets for the greater good.

Cover of My Year in the Middle

My Year in the Middle

Lila Quintero Weaver

For the child feeling caught between different social groups and looking for the courage to stand up for a new friend wh

Cover of How to Change Everything: The Young Human's Guide to Protecting the Planet and Each Other

How to Change Everything: The Young Human's Guide to Protecting the Planet and Each Other

Naomi Klein, Rebecca Stefoff

For the young person feeling overwhelmed by the climate crisis and looking for a way to take meaningful action in their

Cover of Twenty and Ten

Claire Huchet Bishop

For the child learning about the power of collective courage and what it means to protect others, even when it is diffic

Cover of The Ravenmaster's Secret Escape from the Tower of London

The Ravenmaster's Secret Escape from the Tower of London

Elvira Woodruff

For the child grappling with the choice between doing what is expected and doing what is right, even when the stakes are

Cover of Rook

For the reader who loves uncovering secrets and standing up for what is right, this high-stakes adventure explores the c

Cover of General Butterfingers

General Butterfingers

John Reynolds Gardiner

For the child who values fairness and intergenerational bonds. Eleven-year-old Walter rallies three WWII veterans to def

Cover of Zom-B: Clans

For the teen grappling with complex questions of legacy and morality. B must decide whether to follow a path of hate or

Cover of Just Another Hero

The Jericho Trilogy #3

Just Another Hero

Sharon M. Draper

For teens grappling with the weight of adulthood and the terrifying reality of school violence, this intense story explo

Cover of Make Good Trouble Discover Movements That Sparked Change

Make Good Trouble Discover Movements That Sparked Change

For the teenager who wants to make a difference: this guide explores historical social justice movements to inspire the

Cover of Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy

For parents and educators seeking a way to discuss systemic racism and privilege with kids through clear, honest, and co

Cover of Cesar Chavez Champion and Voice of Farmworkers

Cesar Chavez Champion and Voice of Farmworkers

For the child grappling with ideas of fairness and justice, this graphic biography explores how one man's quiet courage

Cover of Shiloh

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

For the child grappling with a difficult secret or wondering if it is ever okay to break the rules to protect someone vu

Cover of When Thunder Comes: Poems for Civil Rights Leaders

When Thunder Comes: Poems for Civil Rights Leaders

J. Patrick Lewis

For the child curious about why the world looks the way it does: these poems celebrate the brave people who stood up for

Cover of Courage & Defiance Stories of Spies, Saboteurs, and Survivors in World War II Denmark

Courage & Defiance Stories of Spies, Saboteurs, and Survivors in World War II Denmark

Deborah Hopkinson

For the child who asks how one person can make a difference in a world of unfairness, this book shows how courage and te

Cover of My Friend the Enemy

My Friend the Enemy

For the child questioning what it means to be a 'patriot' when others are being treated unfairly. A girl protects a hidd

Cover of Ludie's Song

For the child questioning the fairness of the world around them. Discover how a quiet friendship in the 1950s South spar

Cover of PeaceJam A Billion Simple Acts of Peace

PeaceJam A Billion Simple Acts of Peace

Ivan Suvanjieff, Dawn Gifford Engle

For the teenager who feels overwhelmed by global problems and wants to know how one person can actually make a differenc

Cover of Stealing from the Rich

The Outlaws of Sherwood Street #1

Stealing from the Rich

For the child who is beginning to notice that the world isn't always fair and wants to know how a group of friends can a

Cover of Martin Luther King Jr.

DK Life Stories

Martin Luther King Jr.

Laurie Calkhoven

For the child curious about why we celebrate MLK Day, this biography explores the courage and convictions of a man who c

Cover of Who Marched for Civil Rights?

Who Marched for Civil Rights?

Richard Spilsbury

For the student curious about how ordinary people change the world, this guide uses primary sources to explore the brave

Cover of Eleanor Roosevelt First Lady of the World

Eleanor Roosevelt First Lady of the World

For the child finding their own voice, this graphic biography shows how a shy girl grew into a world leader who stood up

Cover of The Queen of Nothing

The Folk of the Air #3

The Queen of Nothing

For the teen finding their voice in a world of complex power dynamics, this finale explores how to claim your place when

Cover of Remember My Story: A Girl, a Holocaust Survivor, and a Friendship That Made History

Remember My Story: A Girl, a Holocaust Survivor, and a Friendship That Made History

Claire Sarnowski

For the child who wants to make a difference in the world, this memoir shows how a young girl and her friend turned hist