Social Justice Books

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

Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow

Reviewed by Julie Smolinski Review Source: Independent Book Author: Though the title would suggest otherwise, Satchel Paige: Striking out Jim Crow isn’t exactly a biography of the famous Negro League pitcher, Satchel Paige. The story is not told from his perspective and for the most part we don’t get too much information about Paige’s personal […]

Salsa: Un Poema Para Cocinar / A Cooking Poem

Reviewed by Allie Jane Bruce Review Source: Reading While White Book Author: The first-person narrator (who does the cooking) has a child’s voice, and teaches readers about the history and culture embodied in red salsa. “[M]olcajetes were / our ancestors’ / blenders”, the narrator tells us, and later references Nahua, Aztec, and Mayan ancestors (who Tonatiuh […]

Rock & Roll Highway: The Robbie Robertson Story

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: Decades ago—and now, too—I revel in the music of The Band. I was amongst those who went to see the film The Last Waltz. Of course, I bought CDs, too. At the time, I knew Robbie Robertson was Native, but didn’t know much […]

Pig Park

Reviewed by Lyn Miller-Lachmann Review Source: DeColores Book Author: Martínez’s Pig Park is a contemporary novel that depicts with affection and a light touch a bustling, though little-known, neighborhood in Chicago and an unholy alliance between business interests and politicians. Ever since the American Lard Company closed in 15-year-old Masi Burciaga’s Pig Park neighborhood of Chicago, […]

Panther Baby: A Life Of Rebellion & Reinvetion

Reviewed by Edith Campbell Review Source: Cotton Quilts Book Author: Honestly, I didn’t want to read Panther Baby: A Life Of Rebellion & Reinvetion when Doret first suggested it. But since I trust her judgment of books, I read the book and I’m so glad I did! I’ve wanted to put Panther Baby into the hands […]

Out of Darkness

Reviewed by Lyn Miller-Lachmann Review Source: DeColores Book Author: On March 18, 1937, a natural gas leak led to a deadly explosion and collapse of the all-white school in New London, a town in East Texas. Ashley Hope Pérez, who grew up nearby, mined her grandmother’s recollections, archives, and historical narratives to build a complex and […]