Launching youth activism with award-winning international literature.

Using qualitative content analysis, the authors explored depictions of activism in 35 international, translated titles receiving Mildred L. Batchelder Award and Honor commendations. Findings included identification of three social justice issues appearing in the texts: characters were challenged by poor living conditions or homelessness, labor exploitation, and lack of freedom. Further, the authors found a continuum of activism depictions ranging from selfless, collaborative activism to emerging activism. These findings suggest Batchelder books are useful sources for teachers and teacher educators interested in raising awareness of global social justice issues and engaging students in activism. Further, the study calls attention to a set of books little known to educators and includes recommendations for their use as launching points for activism.