Social Justice Books

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

Max Loves Muñecas

Review by Ashley Hope Pérez Review Source: Latinx in Kid Lit Book Author: PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION: Max wants to visit a beautiful boutique that sells handmade dolls, but he worries that other children will tease him. When he finally finds the courage to enter the store, Max meets Señor Pepe who has been making dolls since he was […]

Last Stop on Market Street

Book Review by Pat Enciso Review Source: De Colores Book Author: Last Stop on Market Street is a stunning contribution to the legacy and future of book art and storytelling for children; no wonder, then, that it has won a Newbery Award, Caldecott Honor, and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor. With distinctive, poetic text by Matt […]

Shame the Stars

Book Review by Araceli Méndez Hintermeister Review Source: Latinxs in Kid Lit Book Author: Eighteen-year-old Joaquin del Toro’s future looks bright. With his older brother in the priesthood, he’s set to inherit his family’s Texas ranch. He’s in love with Dulceña and she’s in love with him. But it’s 1915, and trouble has been brewing along […]

The Only Road

Book Review by Cris Rhodes Review Source: Latinxs in Kid Lit Book Author: A recipient of a Pura Belpré honor, Alexandra Diaz’s The Only Road is chilling and heart-wrenching in the best possible way. From the moment that Jaime’s beloved cousin Miguel is killed by a local gang, the Alphas, it is evident that this book […]

Lucky Broken Girl

Book Review by Maria Ramos-Chartok Review Source: Latinxs in Kid Lit Book Author: DESCRIPTION FROM THE PUBLISHERS: Ruthie Mizrahi and her family recently emigrated from Castro’s Cuba to New York City. Just when she’s finally beginning to gain confidence in her mastery of English — and enjoying her reign as her neighborhood’s hopscotch queen—a horrific car accident […]

My Heart Is On the Ground: The Diary of Nannie Little Rose, a Sioux Girl

Review by Debbie Reese, Beverly Slapin, and more. Review Source: Rethinking Schools Book Author: My Heart Is on the Ground: The Diary of Nannie Little Rose, a Sioux Girl is a new book published by Scholastic as part of its “Dear America” series of historical fiction diaries. Immensely popular, the series is prominent both in bookstores […]