Social Justice Books

Critically reviewed selection of multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators.

The Heart Never Forgets

Reviewed by Veronika Jenke Reviewed Source: Africa Access Book Author: The Heart Never Forgets, written by Ana Ot, is the story of a young girl who attends a celebration of ancestors without her grandfather, who recently passed away. This annual celebration brings together the entire town with music, dancing, and masquerade performers. But the little […]

Kirby’s Lessons for Falling (In Love)

Reviewed by Paige Pagan Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author:  Kirby’s Lessons for Falling (In Love) is a touching young adult graphic novel that underscores the highs that may come out of the lows in life. From a complex sapphic romance to grief over the loss of a parent and from the pressure of being […]

FREADOM Town Hall Rally

Children’s book author Kwame Alexander hosted a FREADOM Town Hall Rally on May 31 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C. as part of his Read Strong America initiative. The event was included in the Teach Truth Day of Action map of events. Speakers included Kwame Alexander, Amanda Jones, Meg Medina, […]

Some of Us: A Story of Citizenship and the United States

Reviewed by Social Justice Books Staff Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author:  Some of Us: A Story of Citizenship and the United States endeavors to celebrate the diversity of immigrants in America and the contributions they make to society as well as underscore the freedom and milestone of choosing to become a naturalized citizen, but […]

Juneteenth in Picture Books

With Juneteenth a national holiday, we share our Reconstruction booklist to introduce young people to the emancipation era. When reading picture books on Juneteenth, we were disappointed to find that many reinforce Eurocentric narratives. The most common problem with the books is that they strip African Americans of any agency in their own liberation, crediting […]

Ophie’s Ghosts

Reviewed by Paige Pagan Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author:  Ophie’s Ghosts, winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, is a beautifully tender middle grade novel set in the 1920s about the complexity of grief and its lingering effects on both the living and the dead. Author Justina Ireland offers a thought-provoking message […]