Social Justice Books

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

Sebastian’s Apartment Family

Reviewed by Makai Kellogg Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: Sebastian’s Apartment Family was written by three mothers in a Shout Mouse Press workshop. They open the book with a dedication: “We wrote this book for the villages that help to raise our children.”  This colorful and engaging book centers collective caregiving. As a […]

Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey from Darkness Into Light

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: Before you read Tim Tingle’s Saltypie to your child or students in your classroom or library, spend some time studying what Tingle says at the end of the book, on the pages titled “How Much Can We Tell Them?” There, you’ll learn a little […]

Thanku: Poems of Gratitude

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: I haven’t studied book covers for edited books of poems before. This observation, therefore, might not hold water. Here’s the cover for Thanku: Poems of Gratitude. As you see, Thanku: Poems of Gratitude is illustrated by Marlena Myles (Myles is Spirit Lake Dakota/Mohegan/Muscokee Creek) and […]

My Shadow Is Purple

Reviewed by Ifeoma Ndujife Review Source: Independent Book Author: My Dad has a shadow that’s blue as a berry, and my mom’s is as pink as a blossoming cherry. There’s only those choices, a 2 or a 1. But mine is quite different, it’s both and it’s none. My Shadow is Purple by Scott Stuart […]

The World Needs More Purple Schools

Reviewed by Zapoura Newton-Calvert Review Source: Reading Is Resistance Book Author:  Much like its prequel, The World Needs More Purple People, The World Needs More Purple Schools by Kristen Bell, Benjamin Hart, and Daniel Wiseman celebrates a “purple world,” where “different people come together to mix their stories, their ideas, and their smarts to make […]

The Story of Hurry

Reviewed by Alison Kysia Book Author: The Story of Hurry, written by Emma Williams and illustrated by Ibrahim Quraishi, is a useful tool for introducing the colonization of Palestine to young children. The captivating mixed media illustrations frame a story of the imaginative use of animals by one compassionate zoo keeper who will do anything […]