Social Justice Books

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

A Little Piece of Ground

Reviewed by Edi Campbell Review Source: Cotton Quilts Book Author: I first heard about A Little Piece of Ground back in 2006 at a dinner in Jeddah. It’s only fitting that I found out about this book on that trip because it’s when I really began to put a face on Palestine, to understand that real people were affected […]

Awâsis and the World Famous Bannock

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indian’s in Children’s Literature Book Author: I settled in to do some reading last night. I reached for Dallas Hunt’s Awâsis and the World Famous Bannock. Amanda Strong’s illustrations drew me in as I turned the pages, following Awâsis as she sets out to take her grandma’s world-famous bannock to a relative. […]

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement

Reviewed by Deborah Menkart Reviewed Source: Rethinking Schools Book Author: Finally, a book for children about Fannie Lou Hamer, one of the most influential women in the modern Civil Rights Movement. Voice of Freedom is infused with Hamer’s own quotes and the colloquial style that defined her skill as a speaker. It introduces key events […]

Honey, I Love

Each of the sixteen poems in Honey, I Love is spoken straight from the perspective of a child. Riding on a train, listening to music, playing with a friend…each poem elicits a new appreciation of the rich content of everyday life. The poems are accompanied by both portrait and panorama drawings that deepen the insights […]

Benny Doesn’t Like to Be Hugged

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: A few days ago, I added a new feature to AICL. I called it “Reviewed on Twitter.” It is for books that I talk about on Twitter, in a series of numbered or threaded tweets. Earlier today (October 3, 2017), I did […]