Social Justice Books

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

Knock, Knock: Turning Pain into Power

Reviewed by Linda Christensen Review Source: Rethinking Schools Book Author: The Rethinking Schools article below, by Linda Christensen, is about teaching Daniel Beaty’s poetry that was the basis for his picture book, Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me. Too often today, schools are about standards and common curriculum: Scarlet Letter and Huck Finn first quarter, move on to Great Gatsby … […]

Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq

Reviewed by Rethinking Schools Book Author: “The trouble with world history is it started so long ago,” I complained to anyone who would listen as I wrestled with the best way to start the year for my 10th-grade World History students. In their first journal entries, many of my students had already told me they thought […]

Bitter

Reviewed by Alex Brown Review Source: Tor.com Book Author: In Pet, Akwaeke Emezi’s 2019 young adult debut, we followed Jam and Redemption as they hunted down an all-too-human monster with the titular creature, an angel from another dimension. Two years later Emezi has bestowed upon the world the follow-up, a prequel about Jam’s eventual parents, Bitter and […]

Yes! No! A First Conversation About Consent

Reviewed by Makai Kellogg Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: Consent is a big deal for my three to five-year-old students. As a population who navigates their days around people who exert power — both peers and adults — conversations about consent are critical for building a safe classroom environment. Expressing one’s feelings, understanding […]

The Assignment

Interview by Alaina Leary Review Source: Diverse Books.org Book Author: Book description: SENIOR YEAR. When an assignment given by a favorite teacher instructs a group of students to argue for the Final Solution, a euphemism used to describe the Nazi plan for the genocide of the Jewish people, Logan March and Cade Crawford are horrified. Their […]