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Not My Idea, an award-winning book for kids about race and racism, a tool for talking to your family about race and white supremacy.

New softcover edition includes 8 bonus pages of interactive activities!

Not My Idea:
A Book About Whiteness

Written and illustrated

by Anastasia Higginbotham

On Sale September 4, 2018

ISBN 9781948340007 (Hardcover)

ISBN 9781948340403 (Softcover)

Media Kit

$18.95
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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.

For information about right-wing coverage of Not My Idea, click here.


"A much-needed title that provides a strong foundation for critical discussions of white people and racism, particularly for young audiences. Recommended for all collections.” –Ashleigh Williams, School Library Journal, starred review

"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-ZRad 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


About the Author

Photo by Isabel del Rosal

Photo by Isabel del Rosal

Anastasia Higginbotham is the White Raven award-winning author and illustrator of Divorce Is the Worst, Death Is Stupid, Tell Me About Sex, Grandma, and Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness—all part of the Ordinary Terrible Things series. Her other books include What You Don’t Know: A Story of Liberated Childhood and the forthcoming You Ruined It. She lives in Brooklyn.

anastasiahigginbotham.com


Videos

Anastasia reads Not My Idea

Animated read-aloud of Not My Idea, narrated by Anastasia

Anastasia talks about Not My Idea

Behind the scenes, creating Not My Idea


Podcasts


Also by Anastasia Higginbotham