Book Week Scotland 2024: Our favourite cosy human rights reads this winter

Happy Book Week 2024!

Here's our round-up of our favourite reads for all ages with human rights and social justice at their heart -- most of which are available from the Amnesty bookshop.

1) Woman. Life. Freedom. edited by Malu Halasa

An illustrated guide to women’s creative protest against Iran's Morality Police since 2022, from mass demonstrations to forbidden fashion shows and weaponised hair dye: https://tinyurl.com/2kpeskn4

2) The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee (5+)

Scared of what’s behind the wall keeping him safe, a knight in trouble gets help from an unexpected source. A tale for young readers about walls and what they keep in/out: https://tinyurl.com/3smutrab

3) The Language of Kindness: A Nurse’s Story by Christie Watson

In a personal account of a profession defined by acts of care, Watson argues that society only stands to benefit when we protect everyday rights like health and education: https://tinyurl.com/56yvs798

4) This Is Not a Drill: An Extinction Rebellion Handbook (YA/adult)

A guide to staging your very own climate rebellion – with advice, tips and tricks from the UK’s biggest movement to stop climate change today: https://tinyurl.com/2jbr9rnm

5) Children Who Changed the World: Incredible True Stories about Children’s Rights by Marcia Williams (7+)

Inspire your littles with stories from kids who saw something wrong and decided to make it right: https://tinyurl.com/3bm35z9n

6) The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla

A collection of essays on what it means to be ‘other’ in a country that doesn’t seem to want you: https://tinyurl.com/229bc57h

7) Queer Advantage by Andrew Gelwicks: Conversations with LGBTQ+ Leaders on the Power of Identity

A collection of interviews celebrating the unique, supercharged power of queerness as seen through the eyes of leaders who credit their queer identity with their success: https://tinyurl.com/5trv9tj8

8) Windrush Child by Benjamin Zephaniah

A moving account of Leonard, a Jamaican child of the Windrush generation, who faces culture shock and myriad challenges after arriving in Southampton to start a new life: https://tinyurl.com/3w9mf9zp

9) Belonging by Umi Sinha

This beautifully engaging novel leads you on a narrative journey through generations of British life in India, across an era of intense colonial prejudices and tension: https://tinyurl.com/2pn534nm

10) Freedom, We Sing by Amyra Leon

Is freedom a place? Is it a thought? Can it be stolen? Can it be bought? This lyrical picture book helps little ones think about big questions: https://tinyurl.com/542jv8sn