Resources for Families

Tips for talking to your children:

• How to talk to children about difficult news: The American Psychological Association gathers resources about speaking with your kids about difficult topics.

• Resilience in a time of war: Tips for parents and teachers of elementary school children: This article from the American Psychological Association can help adults guide their young children beyond fear and to resilience.

• Handle with Care: Supporting Young People During Crises: Learning for Justice offers recommendations and resources to help guide conversations with young people and to manage potential subsequent actions and reactions.

• How to Talk to Kids About Violence, Crime, and War: Common Sense Media gathers tips and conversation starters to help you talk to kids of different ages about the toughest topics.

• How to Talk to Kids About Violence in the News: Common Sense Media offers language for talking to and listening to children when they see or hear about violence in the world.

• Resilience in a time of war: Tips for parents and teachers of middle school children: The American Psychological Association provides tips and strategies for parents and teachers of middle school-aged children

• Supporting Youth Affected by the Violence in Israel and Gaza: Tips for Families and Educators was created by the National Association of School Psychologists.

• How to Talk to Kids About Violence, Crime, and War: Common Sense Media gathers tips and conversation starters to help you talk to kids of different ages about the toughest topics.

• Talking to Your Kids About War: VeryWell Family explores ways families can speak with young people about war, including tips on sharing information and restricting media coverage.

• How to Talk to Your Children About Conflict and War: UNICEF’s guide offers eight tips to support and comfort your children.

• Handle with Care: Supporting Young People During Crises: Learning for Justice offers recommendations and resources to help guide conversations with young people and to manage potential subsequent actions and reactions.

• How to Talk to Kids About Violence in the News: Common Sense Media offers language for talking to and listening to children when they see or hear about violence in the world.

Resources linked below are not comprehensive and the list here does not imply an endorsement of any one particular political perspective. 

Tips for families to talk to their kids about Israel and Palestine:

• How to Talk With Kids About the War in Gaza and Israel: The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, shares ways that adults can prepare themselves to have difficult conversations with children about humanitarian crises.

• How To Talk to Kids About the Israel-Hamas War contains tips for families from The Skimm.

• Supporting Youth Affected by the Violence in Israel and Gaza: Tips for Families and Educators was created by the National Association of School Psychologists.

• Talking to Your Kids About War: VeryWell Family explores ways families can speak with young people about war, including tips on sharing information and restricting media coverage.

• How to Talk to Your Children About Conflict and War: UNICEF’s guide offers eight tips to support and comfort your children.

• 10 Ways to Have Conscientious Conversations on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: The Anti-Defamation League shares ways adults can manage the strong emotions and differences of opinion the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can activate for many people. 

• How to Talk With Kids About the War in Gaza and Israel: The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, shares ways that adults can prepare themselves to have difficult conversations with children about humanitarian crises.

• How To Talk to Kids About the Israel-Hamas War contains tips for families from The Skimm.

Adapted from Berkeley Unified’s reading lists, these books celebrate cultural heritages, affirm identity, and promote awareness. We share these books to help develop a diverse consciousness with and for our youth, to ensure they know they are not alone, and to encourage them to speak out to help stop the spread of bigotry.

• Not Your All American Girl By Wendy Wan-Long Shang, Madelyn Rosenberg (Grades 3-7)

• Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine by Hannah Moushabeck (Grades TK-3)

• A Place at the Table By Saadia Faruqi (Grades 5-7)

• The Language of Angels By Richard Michelson (Grades K-3)

• These Olive Trees By Aya Ghanameh (Grades TK-2)

• Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story By Ken Mochizuki (Grades 2-6)

• Habibi By Naomi Shihab Nye (Grades 5-9)

• Dear Mr. Dickens By Nancy Churnin (Grades 1-5)

• We Are Palestinian: A Celebration of Culture and Tradition By Reem Kassis (Grades 4-8)

• Itzhak A Boy Who Loved the Violin: A Story of Young Itzhak Perlman by Tracy Newman, Abigail Halpin (Grades K-5)

• Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The Case of R.B.G. vs. Inequality by Jonah Winter, Stacy Innerst (Grades 3-5)

• Shoham's Bangle by Sarah Sassoon, Noa Kelner Grades K-2)

• A Concert in the Sand by Tami Shem-Tov, Rachella Sandbank, Avi Ofer (Grades K-5)

• All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold, Suzanne Kaufman (Grades K-5)

• The Miracle Seed by Martin Lemelman (Grades 3-5)

• I'm Albert Einstein by Brad Meltzer, Christopher Eliopoulos (Grades K-2)

• Osnat and Her Dove: The True Story of the World's First Female Rabbi by Sigal Samuel, Vali Mintzi (Grades TK-2)

• Under the Domim Tree by Gila Almagor (Grades 3-8)

• Hamas by Earl, Jr. Rice (Grades 6-8)

• RBG's Brave & Brilliant Women by Nadine Epstein (Grades 6-12)

• Mike's Place: A True Story of Love, Blues, and Terror in Tel Aviv by Jack Baxter, Joshua Faudem and Koren Shadmi (Grades 9-12)

• Beauty Queen of Jerusalem by Sarit Yishai-Levi (Grades 9-12)

• The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman (Instructional material for High School)

• The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain (Grades 9-12)

For Adult Readers

• Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth by Noa Tishby (Adult audiences only)
• Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices by Mosab Hassan Yousef, with Ron Brackin (Adult audiences only)

In addition, here are two lists that provide more reading options for elementary grades students.

• Arab American Heritage SCUSD Elementary Reading List

• Jewish American Heritage SCUSD Elementary Reading List

All of these titles are available through Santa Clara Unified School District school libraries as a physical and/or ebook. For more information about any of these books, or to check one of them out, ask your school librarian or library media assistant. 

SCUSD students and staff can read nearly all of these titles (and hundreds more!) on Sora as ebooks. You will be prompted to log in through the Classlink Portal to access Sora. 

Read-alouds or reviews of these books can be found online and YouTube as well.

Gale is a digital reference database owned by Cengage Group. Cengage is an educational content, technology, and services company for the higher education, K-12, professional, and library markets. It is headquartered in Boston, MA. Learn more about Gale’s curation practices.

Access to Gale and other research databases through the Classlink Portal.

Gale Middle School Database

Arab-Israeli Conflict

Gale High School Database

Arab-Israeli Conflict

Resources in school library collections are an integral component of the curriculum and represent diverse points of view on both current and historical issues. These resources include materials that support the intellectual growth, personal development, individual interest, and recreational needs of learners. More: SCUSD Library Plan.