As local conversations about racism and racial justice continue to dominate news around town, a new fundraiser starting September 1 aims to bring social justice-themed books to area classrooms.

"Read It Like You Mean It" is a book drive hosted by the "Pop The Bubble" anti-racism education organization in partnership with {pages} a bookstore. Pop the Bubble has identified three children's books that support critical conversations on anti-racism and social justice. During the month of September (National Literacy Month), the organization is collecting donations to buy the books through pages: a bookstore for area elementary and middle schools.

The goal is to raise $10,000, which would provide a classroom set (24-32 books) as well as lesson plans for each K-8 grade level in the Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, and Hermosa Beach school districts. (All of the districts have approved the project.)

A second phase of the book drive, which is called "Share It Like You Mean It," will take place during October. It aims to raise a similar amount of money to provide the books to classrooms in the Compton School District and Highland Elementary School in Inglewood.

"We’re just hoping that by being a small, close-knit community, that people will care and want to contribute," Pop the Bubble board member Allison Hales told DigMB. "It is through our youth and our kids that we can make a difference."

The books came from a list curated by Google and The Conscious Kid on “Books to Help Build Inclusive Classrooms.” The books include:

“Sulwe” (For grades K-2): A picture book on colorism and self-esteem written by Lupita Nyong’o, the first Kenyan and Mexican actress to win an Academy Award. 2020 Coretta Scott King Award Honoree for illustrations by Vashti Harrison. Watch the book trailer here.

“The Undefeated” (For grades 3-5): Kwame Alexander's book that won the 2020 Caldecott Medal. Los Angeles-based artist Kadir Nelson won the 2020 Coretta Scott King Award Illustrator for his work on the book that the American Library Association describes as “an emotional deep dive into the unapologetic brilliance of the Black experience in the face of unspeakable injustice.” Watch Kwame Alexander read “The Undefeated” here.

“We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices” (For grades 6-8): This anthology asks 50 diverse children’s authors and illustrators to consider, “What do we tell our children when the world seems bleak, and prejudice and racism run rampant?” The anthology includes poems, personal essays and art to compose what Kirkus Reviews calls, “a love song from children’s literature’s brightest stars to America’s indigenous children and children of color, encouraging them to be brave and kind.” Watch the book’s editors discuss their inspiration for the book here.

"As a former teacher, I looked at the books and evaluated which ones aligned with content standards and would fit easily into their current curriculum," said Lindsey Fox, a board member of Pop The Bubble and a Manhattan Beach parent. "For example, "We Rise, We Resist" is an anthology of poems and short stories and can be easily used for lessons and to start discussions versus a full novel. I also knew it was important to give teachers lesson plans to accompany the books so that they can use them right away and not have to develop lesson plans from scratch."

Local bookseller {pages} a bookstore has partnered with Pop the Bubble to procure the books and assist with distribution in the schools.

"We are very local, and they wanted to work with us as a local independent bookstore, and in so doing, to allow us to support and participate in this important project," said Linda McLoughlin Figel, owner of {pages}.

Figel continued: "Pop the Bubble had an initial list that was quite extensive. Pam Page, our children’s specialist, helped them to narrow the list to a handful of excellent titles that provide teacher guides and are readily available through our publishers. They and {pages} are anxious to get these books into the hands of students and teachers."

For those who want to read further on the topic, McLoughlin Figel recommends these additional books, available from {pages}:

• Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson (YA version) - https://www.pagesabookstore.com/book/9780525580065
• Stamped by Ibram X Kendi and Jason Reynolds - https://www.pagesabookstore.com/book/9780316453691
• Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry and Vashti Harrison https://www.pagesabookstore.com/book/9780525553366
• Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes https://www.pagesabookstore.com/book/9780316493802