Social Justice Books

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

Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border

Reviewed by Paige Pagan Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author:  Between Us and Abuela is a compelling story about family separation at the Mexico-United States border and the longing for reunion. Young María and Juan travel with their mother on La Posada Sin Fronteras (The Inn Without Borders) to the enforcement zone, located between […]

Nubia: Real One

Reviewed by Jessica Review Source: Rich in Color Book Author: Review: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — this is an excellent time to get into comics. Queer romance comics, epic fantasy comics, superhero comics, you name it. There is just so much exciting stuff out there right now, and I feel lucky […]

Other Words for Home

Review Source: Notes from an Islamic School Librarian Book Author: SYNOPSIS: Jude is a 12-year-old girl living on the beach in Syria, watching American movies with her friends and hanging out at her dad’s store.  With an older brother and a little sister on the way, life as told from her own perspective is pretty […]

For All / Para Todos

Reviewed by Paige Pagan Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author:  For All Para Todos takes children on Flor and her father’s journey of crossing the Mexico-United States border and the injustices they face as undocumented immigrants in a nation that is heralded as one united para todos. Growing up, television serves as a window […]

Save Me a Seat

Review Source: Teach Pluralism Book Author: Our first chapter book read aloud this year was Save Me a Seat by Gita Varadarajan and Sarah Weeks. It’s an amazing book for so many reasons, and was the perfect first read aloud for our class. While we felt it allowed for natural segues into many of the beginning of […]

The Woman Who Outshone the Sun

Reviewed by Judy Zalazar Drummond Review Source: De Colores Book Author: In the The Woman Who Outshone the Sun / La mujer que brillaba aún más que el sol, Lucía Zenteno arrives at a village, and because of her great beauty and her magical ways, all the creatures of the earth, air, and water — and the […]