ACLU Back-to-School Bookshelf: Our Reading List to Build a More Perfect Union

Michelle Alexander, legal scholar and former litigator, argues that while Jim Crow laws have been erased, systemic racism persists today in the form of mass incarceration targeting Black and brown communities. Alexander explores how criminal justice policies disproportionately affect people of color by stripping them of basic civil rights like voting, employment, housing, and education — despite serving their sentences. She frames this argument as a continuation of racial control reminiscent of the old Jim Crow laws. Alexander then calls for a shift from traditional civil rights strategies to a broader human rights movement that addresses systemic racism at its roots.

A Look Inside: "Jarvious Cotton's great-great-grandfather could not vote as a slave. His great-grandfather was beaten to death by the Klu Klux Klan for attempting to vote. His grandfather was prevented from voting by Klan intimidation; his father was barred by poll taxes and literacy tests. Today, Cotton cannot vote because he, like many black men in the United States, has been labeled a felon and is currently on parole."

Vibe: Fierce, urgent, and unapologetic. For those who are ready to get uncomfortable.

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A cult classic, this dystopian novel is set in a totalitarian state where the government, led by the omnipresent Big Brother, controls every aspect of life. The story follows Winston Smith, a low-level worker at the Ministry of Truth, who questions the regime’s manipulation of truth, history, and language. As he seeks freedom, he’s met with brutal surveillance, psychological control, and the crushing power of a system that erases dissent. “1984” has been banned for its political themes, sexual content, and perceived anti-government messages, especially during times of ideological tension, such as the Cold War. Its chilling warning about surveillance, propaganda, censorship, and the fragility of truth echoes today’s concerns over digital privacy, authoritarianism, and the manipulation of information in media and politics.

A Look Inside: “For, after all, how do we know that two and two make four? Or that the force of gravity works? Or that the past is unchangeable? If both the past and the external world exist only in the mind, and if the mind itself is controllable — what then?”

Vibe: If you’ve ever worried that your phone is listening to you, this novel’s for you. Orwell saw it coming decades ago, and it’s way scarier on the page.

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This is one of the first novels published by a Black woman in the United States and offers a powerful, historically-grounded look at race, identity, and freedom during the Civil War and the Reconstruction era that followed. The story follows Iola, a mixed-race woman who was freed from slavery by the Union army. Afterwards, she works to reunify her family and embrace her heritage, while committing herself to improving the conditions for Black people in post-Civil War America. The novel highlights the work of formerly enslaved people who fought for education, dignity, and political agency. It’s an early literary blueprint for civil rights – emphasizing self-determination, moral leadership, and the transformative power of collective action.

A Look Inside: “It was a strange sight to see these black men rallying around the Stars and Stripes, when white men were trampling them under foot and riddling them with bullets.”

Vibe: For fans of HBO’s “The Gilded Age,” Peggy Scott interviewed Harper in season 3 about her advocacy for women’s voting rights.

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In this reader-friendly historical analysis, sociology professor James W. Loewen examines how 12 popular history textbooks present a misleading and sanitized version of the past. He argues that omitting such truths does a disservice to students, discourages critical thinking, and encourages social inequities. Whether it’s the truth about Christopher Columbus or the Vietnam War, this book exposes the systemic racism, oppression, and controversy hidden between the pages of an average history textbook. In doing so, the author calls for students to confront an uncomfortable past in hopes of creating a more empowered future.

A Look Inside: “Textbooks in American history stand in sharp contrast to other teaching materials. Why are history textbooks so bad? Nationalism is one of the culprits. Textbooks are often muddled by the conflicting desires to promote inquiry and to indoctrinate blind patriotism. ‘Take a look in your history book, and you’ll see why we should be proud’ goes an anthem often sung by high school glee clubs. But we need not even look inside.”

Vibe: For a wide audience, especially young people, ready to flip the script on American history.

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In this poetic message from a son to a mother who cannot read, the speaker, Little Dog, explores his family’s history rooted in Vietnam, as well as the complexities of growing up Vietnamese in America. This debut novel discusses themes of identity, family, and love. It also addresses the harsh realities of the intergenerational trauma of war, immigration, and poverty, while also exploring Little Dog’s awakening to his queerness, his fraught relationship with language, and the pain and beauty of first love. While the poetry and prose is beautiful, Vuong confronts questions about addiction, violence and trauma. This non-linear collection of memories is a story about people who live in two different worlds and how they protect one another without losing themselves – how does one live versus survive?

A Look Inside: “Did you know people get rich off of sadness? I want to meet the millionaire of American sadness. I want to look him in the eye, shake his hand, and say, 'it's been an honor to serve my country.”

Vibe: Lyrical, raw, and intense. This book is perfect for readers who crave poetic storytelling that unpacks identity, queerness, and generational trauma – and for people ready to cry.

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