Review Source: READING (AS)(I)AN AMERICAN Book Author: Note: I read this book as part of the #DiversityDecBingo reading challenge. You can find out more about it here. My Summary: Aristotle and Dante are as different as night and day. Aristotle envies Dante’s talents, confidence, and openness. He feels inferior. He feels lonely. He feels lost. However, when they […]
A Thunderous Whisper
Reviewed by Lyn Miller-Lachmann Source: DeColores Author: Díaz González’s second novel mines her rich family history originating in the Basque region of Spain, specifically the experiences of her grandparents and great-grandparents who came to the Americas following the Spanish Civil War. Drawing from their lives and culture, she weaves an original and powerful story of […]
A Path of Stars
Reviewed by Bridget Feldman Review Source: Independent Book Author: A Path of Stars by Anne Sibley O’Brien explores the joys and sorrows that dwell within the childhood memories of an elderly Cambodian woman. Through O’Brien’s use of vivid imagery and powerfully emotive language, these stories are passed down to young Dara by her grandmother, Lok Yeay. This children’s […]
Passion for Elephants: The Real Life Adventure of Field Scientist Cynthia Moss
Reviewed by Brenda Randolph Review Source: Africa Access Book Author: The setting for this picture book is generic “Africa,” a place “Many people might be afraid to go…all alone.” Cynthia Moss an American scientist from Ossinging, New York “was not afraid of the BIG continent.” She settled in “the wide-open savannahs of East Africa” and […]
Martín de Porres: The Rose in the Desert is a Thorny Choice
Reviewed by Amy Rothschild Book Author: As an early childhood educator looking for excellent texts that promote diversity, inclusion, and equity, I looked forward to reading Martín de Porres: The Rose in the Desert, written by Gary D. Schmidt and illustrated by David Diaz. The book tells the story of Martín de Porres, a brother […]
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
Reviewed by Enid Lee Book Author: Halfway through reading Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption I wanted to hop on a plane and fly to wherever Stevenson was to say, “How can I help?” Stevenson has written an incredibly moving narrative of the injustice that is visited by the justice system […]