Author: Marianna Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard
Publisher & Date: Magination Press ― American Psychological Association, 4 Apr 2018
Page Count: 40 pages
ISBN: 978-1433828546
Age/Reading Level: 4-8/Preschool-Grade 3
Representation: Black, female main character
Other Information: Part of the “Something Happened…” series
Book Information
Something Happened in Our Town follows two families―one White, one Black―as they discuss a police shooting of a Black man in their community. The story aims to answer children’s questions about such traumatic events and to help children identify and counter racial injustice in their own lives. There are many benefits of beginning to discuss racial bias and injustice with young children of all races and ethnicities. Research has shown that children even as young as three years of age notice and comment on differences in skin color. Humans of all ages tend to ascribe positive qualities to the group that they belong to and negative qualities to other groups.
Challenges & Bans
This book has been challenged for concerns that it promotes divisive language, anti-police views, and potentially undermines trust in law enforcement.
Specific Challenges*:
Awards & Accolades
National Parenting Product Award (2018), NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People (2019), New York Times bestseller, and IndieBound bestseller. Thia book was the sixth most banned and challenged book in the United States in 2020, according to the American Library Association.
