Dear Friends,
What is happening right now in our country is not abstract.
Across the United States, ICE raids and immigration crackdowns are tearing families apart, traumatizing children, and spreading fear through entire communities. Kids are seeing it on the news. They’re hearing it on the playground. Some are living it directly.
Silence does not protect children.
Stories do.
At Annie’s Foundation, we believe books are essential tools for truth-telling, resistance, healing, and hope. They help children name what they’re feeling, understand injustice, and imagine a world rooted in dignity and care rather than fear and punishment.
This month, we’re sharing two kinds of books — and the actions that go with them.
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📺 When the News Is Frightening
Books That Help Children Cope With Fear, Anxiety, and Uncertainty
Children don’t need to be shielded from reality — they need help understanding it. These books validate fear, provide grounding tools, and remind kids they are not alone.
Recommended Reads (Read Together When Possible)
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When the World Feels Like a Scary Place — Abigail Gewirtz, Ph
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What to Do When the News Scares You — Jacqueline B. Toner (ages 6–12
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Something Bad Happened — Dawn Huebner (ages 6–12
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The Don’t Worry Book — Todd Parr (ages 3–5
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Ruby Finds a Worry — Tom Percival (ages 4–7
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The Whatifs — Emily Kilgore (ages 4–8
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What to Do When You Worry Too Much — Dawn Huebner (ages 6–12
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Outsmarting Worry — Dawn Huebner (ages 9–13
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The Anxiety Workbook for Teens — Lisa M. Schab (ages 13+)
Actions That Matter
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Talk honestly with kids — avoiding fear does not make it disappear
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Limit repetitive exposure to traumatic images, but don’t deny reality
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Reassure children that fear is a rational response to injustice
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Emphasize community, care, and collective responsibility
✊ Books About Justice, Activism, and Standing With Immigrant Families
When children witness cruelty, many instinctively ask: Why is this happening? and What can we do? These books make it clear that injustice is not inevitable — and that even young people can be part of change.
Recommended Reads
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Come With Me — Holly M. McGhee (ages 5–8)
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Something Happened to My Dad — Ann Hazzard & Viviana Aponte Rivera (ages 5–9)
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Until Someone Listens — Estela Juarez & Lissette Norman (ages 4–7)
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Sarah Rising — Ty Chapman (ages 5–8)
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Our World Is a Family — Miry Whitehill & Jennifer Jackson (ages 3–7)
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We Are All Neighbors — Alexandra Penfold (ages 4–8)
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I Am Every Good Thing — Derrick Barnes (ages 4–8)
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Say Something! — Peter H. Reynolds (ages 4–8)
📣 Actions Families Can Take Together
Books are the beginning — not the end.
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Talk openly about immigration, borders, and family separation
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Support organizations defending immigrant families in your community
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Show up for libraries, schools, and educators under political attack
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Teach children that neutrality in the face of injustice helps the oppressor
📚 Why This Work Matters
Censorship thrives on fear.
Authoritarianism thrives on silence.
And children pay the price when adults look away.
Books help us tell the truth.
They help kids feel less isolated.
They help families imagine a world rooted in compassion instead of cruelty.
At Annie’s Foundation, we will continue fighting to keep these stories accessible — especially when they are uncomfortable, political, or inconvenient to those in power.
Thank you for reading.
Thank you for resisting.
Thank you for choosing courage over silence.
