Kids Books About Lockdown Drills, School Shootings, and Gun Violence
I wish that this was a list I didn't have to write. However, with no changes in the foreseeable future, I'm so glad these books are available to help with conversations with kids about what they're hearing, seeing, or experiencing. In this book list, I have books specific to lockdown drills, school shootings, and gun violence in picture book, graphic novel, and chapter book formats. This is such a hard topic; I'm sending love to you as you navigate it with the reader(s) in your life.
If you're here reading this list, I assume there might be some more big feelings happening. Please check out my other book lists for more help on the topics of trauma and PTSD, fear, anxiety, war and refugees, sadness and depression, death, and all the feelings.
As usual, I have organized this list from the most simple to more complex reads so that you can choose the most fitting book for your reader.
Picture Books
After a lockdown drill at school, Ava is feeling all sorts of feelings. Granddad takes Ava for a picnic and painting. As they are out in nature, Ava slowly opens up to Granddad about her worries, and Granddad helps validate her feelings and talk things through with her. The illustrations are mainly of Granddad and Ava in nature, which could be helpful to readers who might be overwhelmed with images and text about this hard topic.
Upset at dinnertime, Willa tells her parents they had a lockdown drill at school, and now she's scared a bad person might come. Willa and her parents decide to role-play what she learned to stay safe. Willa is the teacher, Dad is the student, and Mom pretends to be the bad guy by wiggling her hands on the side of her head and scrunching up her face. In the kitchen classroom, Willa teaches Dad his first rule: always listen to teachers to stay safe. Willa makes a door barricade like a "large wall around a castle" to keep the bad guys out while Dad hides under the counter. The barricade works, and Mom cannot enter, but Dad has questions. What if he's not by a teacher when a bad guy comes? They play out a few scenarios with illustrations showing the family's pretend play at home and the lockdown practice at school. The back of the story provides questions to help guide discussions.
Gun violence is not mentioned in this book, but it could easily be tied into conversations with this book. When devastating news hits, the adults act differently, talking in whispers and it is scary to a child observing. When her teacher tells the class to look for helpers during upsetting times, she decides she wants to help her community in as big a way as possible. Eventually, she sees that even one small act of kindness can make a difference.
This is one of the go-to series about tough topics. The topics are always covered by someone knowledgeable about them and presented in child-friendly speech. There are no illustrations, but the text is shaped in various ways, sometimes with simple shapes to help with understanding. Excellent for conversation starters between kids and their caregivers; it will definitely be one to check out. This specific book talks about being prepared for emergencies, the feelings that come with the awareness of shootings, and the need to still live life and not let fear take over. *This book will be released on May 6, 2025.
After Miles’ teen cousin, Keisha was shot in the leg at their local park during a concert, Miles’ worries take over. The family talks through their issues and worries, as the story goes on. Keisha decides to join others in making a plan to do something about all the guns, eventually getting the mayor to fund the “Peace in the Streets” project. It does not show the shooting, just Keisha’s foot recovering afterwards. Love the turn to focus on actions you can do. There’s also a great reader’s note in the back talking more about gun violence, anxiety, adult-child dialogues, and more.
Middle Grade Chapter Book
It is a middle-grade novel about Simon, who has PTSD after surviving a school shooting. He was the only survivor from his class. The book does briefly describe the traumatic shooting. Simon and his family move to get away from the attention and memories of where it took place. Considering the main topic, this book is surprisingly funny at times, and Simon's friendships are fantastic. Readers get to see Simon work through his PTSD with the support of his new friends and community.
Graphic Novel
Graphic novel about a school shooting and how the student who experienced it works through his PTSD following the experience. Graphic novel and school shooting might not sound like the best combo, but the illustrations are well done and sensitive. The few that do flashback to the shooting just show a dark figure in a doorway, and the shooting involved just one teacher, one student, and the shooter—no one died. The graphic novel format makes the topic more approachable for many readers who prefer this format for reading. The story focuses on how the student who experienced the shooting works through the PTSD that it caused and the friendships they form.
