As a trusted community partner, The Library’s primary goal is to help those seeking knowledge and understanding, while serving the needs of all members of the community.
In that spirit, and with your help, we’re continually developing our resources and reading materials for everyone who wants to explore the concepts of Democracy, our Constitution, Voting and Activism. We hope to create a pipeline for dialogue and increased awareness that will allow us to move forward as a united society. Below you will find access to online resources as well as some reading suggestions for adults as well as titles for adults to read with children and young adults.
How can we do better? Let us know at dcls.org/strategicplan.
> > This list will continue to be updated, help us by suggesting other titles to add to our collection on this topic.
> > Need help with your research? Ask a Librarian.
Online Resources
Democracy
American Government / What is Democracy?
Pew Research Center Democracy Topics
For Children: Democracy in the United States
Constitution
The Constitution of the United States – View digital images of its four pages, transcripts of its content, and links to other articles on this important historic document.
The Constitution of United States in Spanish
The U.S. Senate provides a transcript of the original text of The Constitution of the United States
Annotated version of the Constitution
Educational resources for teaching/learning about The Constitution of United States
The framing of the Constitution
Activism
History Daily: The History of Peaceful Protests in America
Georgetown Law Guide: history of the civil rights movement in the United States
TIME: Top 10 Nonviolent Protests – Photo Essays
Library of Congress
Right to Peaceful Assembly: United States
Nonviolent Philosophy and Self Defense
Why Civil Resistance Works – Journal Article
FindLaw: Right to Peaceful Protest
Reading Suggestions for Adults
Democracy
Can Democracy work?: a short history of a radical idea, from ancient Athens to our world, James Miller
Democracy in America: and two essays on America, Alexis de Tocqueville
Democracy: stories from the long road to freedom, Condoleezza Rice
The idea of America: reflections on the birth of the United States, Gordon S. Wood
The soul of America: the battle for our better angels, Jon Meacham
Writings, George Washington
Speeches and writings: 1859-1865: speeches, letters and miscellaneous writings, presidential messages, and proclamations, Abraham Lincoln
Constitution
The everything U.S. Constitution book: An easy-to-understand explanation of the foundation of American government, Ellen M. Kozak
The heart of the Constitution: how the Bill of Rights became the Bill of Rights, Gerard N. Magliocca
How to read the Constitution and why, Kim Wehle
The lives of the Constitution: ten exceptional minds that shaped America’s supreme law, Joseph Tartakovsky
The presidents and the Constitution: a living history, Ken Gormley
The annotated U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence, Jack N. Rakove
U.S. Constitution, Dr. Michael Arnheim
The Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay
The American Republic: primary resources, edited by Bruce Frohnen
Activism
Picturing resistance: moments and movements of social change from the 1950s to today, Melanie Light and Ken Light
#1960now: photographs of civil rights activists and Black Lives Matter protests, Sheila Pree Bright
Revolts, protests, demonstrations, and rebellions in American history: An Encyclopedia, Steven L. Danver
Together we rise: behind the scenes at the protest heard round the world, The Women’s March organizers and Condé Nast
Why we march: signs of protest and hope: voices, from the Women’s March
Road map for revolutionaries: resistance, activism, and advocacy for all, Elisa Camahort Page
Rebels and renegades: a chronology of social and political dissent in the united states, Neil A. Hamilton
History teaches us to resist: how progressive movements have succeeded in challenging times, Mary Frances Berry
Working Americans 1880-2006: social movements, Scott Derks
Pamphlets of protest: an anthology of early African-American protest literature, 1790-1860, edited by Richard Newman
This is an uprising: how nonviolent revolt is shaping the twenty-first century, Mark Engler and Paul Engler
Say what you mean: a mindful approach to nonviolent communication, Oren Jay Stofer
Gandhi: selected writings, Mohandas Gandhi
His truth is marching on: John Lewis and the power of hope, Jon Meacham
The dream: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the speech that Inspired a nation, Drew D. Hansen
Poetry
A patriot’s handbook: songs, poems, stories, and speeches celebrating the land we love, selected and introduced by Caroline Kennedy
Our sacred honor: words of advice from the founders in stories, letters, poems, and speeches, edited with commentary by William J. Bennett
American journal: fifty poems for our time, selected with an introduction by Tracy K. Smith.
Reading Suggestions for Adults, Young Adults and Children to Read Together
Board Books
A is for Activist, Innosanto Nagara
An ABC of equality, Chana Ginelle Ewing; illustrated by Paulina Morgan
Baby loves political science: democracy!, Ruth Spiro; illustrated by Greg Paprocki
The Constitution for babies, senior editors: Shannon Beatty, Dawn Sirett
Juvenile Picture Book
Boycott blues: how Rosa Parks inspired a nation, Andrea Davis Pinkney; illustrations by Brian Pinkney
If I ran for president, Catherine Stier ; illustrated by Lynne Avril
Grace for president, Kelly FiPucchio; pictures to LeUyen Pham
Peaceful fights for equal rights, Rob Sanders; illustrated by Jared Andrew Schorr
Vote for me!, Ben Clanton
We march, Shane W. Evans
Juvenile Early Reader/Nonfiction
I’m an activist, Wil Mara
Juvenile Nonfiction
The Constitution decoded: a guide to the document that shapes our nation, Katie Kennedy; illustrated by Ben Kirchner; contributing editor, Kermit Roosevelt
Democracy for dinosaurs: a guide for young citizens, Laurie Krasny Brown; illustrated by Marc Brown
A fair deal: shopping for social justice, Kari Jones
The little book of little activists, introduction by Bob Bland, co-chair of the Women’s March on Washington and afterword by Lynda Blackmon Lowery
No voice too small: fourteen young Americans making history, edited by Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley; illustrated by Jeanette Bradley
Sit-in: how four friends stood up by sitting down, Andrea Davis Pinkney; illustrated by Brian Pinkney
We the people: the story of our Constitution, Lynne Cheney; illustrated by Greg Harlin
What can a citizen do?, Dave Eggers; art by Shawn Harris
What is the Constitution?, Patricia Brennan Demuth; illustrated by Kevin McVeigh, Tim Foley
Juvenile Poetry
One today, Richard Blanco
The poetry of us: with favorites from Maya Angelou, Walt Whitman, Gwendolyn Brooks, and more: more than 200 poems that celebrate the people, places and passions of the United States, edited by J. Patrick Lewis
That is my dream: a picture book of Langston Hughes’s “Dream variation”, illustrated by Daniel Miyares
When thunder comes: poems for civil rights leaders, J. Patrick Lewis
Young Adult
Dear Martin, Nic Stone
The hate u give, Angie Thomas
Make trouble: standing up, speaking out, and finding the courage to lead, Cecile Richards with Lauren Peterson; adapted by Ruby Shamir
Bernie Sanders guide to political revolution, Bernie Sanders; with illustrations by Jude Buffum
Into the streets: a young person’s visual history of protest in the united states, Marke Bieschke
Making it right: building peace, settling conflict, Marilee Peters
One person, no vote (young adult adaptation): how not all voters are treated equally, Carol Anderson
You call this democracy?: how to fix our government and bring power to the people, Elizabeth Rusch
We are power: how nonviolent activism changes the world, Todd Hasak-Lowy
Poetry for Young Adults
Dreams from many rivers: A Hispanic history of the United States told in poems, Margarita Engle
For everyone: a poem, a nod, a nothing to lose, by Jason Reynolds
Indivisible, poems for social justice, edited by Gail Bush & Randy Meyer
Ink Knows no Borders: Poems of the Immigrant and Refugee Experience, edited by Patrice Vecchione
Say Her Name, Zetta Elliott
How can we do better? Let us know at dcls.org/strategicplan.
> > This list will continue to be updated, help us by suggesting other titles to add to our collection on this topic.
> > Need help with your research? Ask a Librarian.