Earlier this year, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism and Loyola Press published Everyone Belongs, an illustrated children’s book addressing racism. Today, it was announced that the book has been awarded a gold medal in the Religion/Spirituality category of the 2020 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards.
Everyone Belongs, inspired by the November 2018 statement of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love, A Pastoral Letter Against Racism), empowers young readers to reflect on the dignity of the human person created in God’s image and the reality of racism in our society.
Intended for children ages 5-12, Everyone Belongs helps young readers explore potential solutions, reconciliation, and healing. The children’s book, published by Loyola Press, shares the story of a young boy whose family fled violence in their home country to come to the United States as refugees. The family’s excitement as they move into a new neighborhood is interrupted when someone spray paints a hurtful message on their garage. Everyone Belongs will allow conversations with readers about what our faith calls us to do, especially now, as our country grapples with the realities of racial injustice.
Launched in 2007 by the Jenkins Group, the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards are intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators. Everyone Belongs may be purchased online at LoyolaPress.com/EveryoneBelongs. Additional education and prayer resources to accompany the bishops’ pastoral letter on racism, Open Wide Our Hearts, may be found at usccb.org/racism.
