Not My Idea: A Book about Whiteness, by Anastasia Higginbotham

Part of the Ordinary Terrible Things series, a white child sees TV coverage of a police shooting—and has some questions.

Not My Idea is a sincere look at racial hierarchies—usually unspoken—that exist in America, and kids notice. It’s a gentle primer that helps white children see how white people have been socialized to see themselves as outside of conversations about race—and thus not part of ending racism. It’s written for children, so it is simple enough for adults to understand, if they are curious and open to new ideas.

"A necessary children's book about whiteness, white supremacy, and resistance.  Important, accessible, needed." —Kirkus

"Anastasia Higginbotham knows something that far too many of us have forgotten: Children are smart. Children are observant. Children understand fairness and justice. and they have an immense capacity for engaging with the "difficult" topics that we grown-ups too often try to avoid. I am in love with Not My Idea, and with Higginbotham's direct, radical, compassionate approach to talking about whiteness, racism, and the need to tell painful but important truths. As a white parent working to raise conscious, loving, anti-racist humans, I cannot wait to share it with my kids."  —Kate Schatz, NYT-bestselling author of Rad American Women A-Z, Rad Women Worldwide, and Rad Girls Can

“For white folks who aren’t sure how to talk to their kids about race, this book is the perfect beginning.” —Jacqueline Woodson, award-winning author and National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature