Social Justice Books

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

Sing to the Moon

Reviewed by Kirkus Reviews Review Source: Kirkus Reviews Book Author: A young boy and his jjajja share memories and wishes in this tender tale set in Uganda. Have you ever wished to “ride a supernova straight to Mars” or travel to the spice markets of Zanzibar or ride a crane to a large feast? This young […]

Forest World

Reviewed by Padma Venkatraman Review Source: The Pirate Tree Book Author: In Forest World, Young People’s Poet Laureate, Margarita Engle, once again demonstrates her mastery over the verse novel form, wielding it to speak eloquently of the need to protect our environment. Told through the eyes of its young protagonists, Edver and Luza, however, this underlying […]

Yo Soy Muslim: A Father’s Letter to His Daughter

Reviewed by Beverly Slapin Review Source: De Colores Book Author: In this letter to his young daughter, Afro-Mexica Muslim father, poet and spoken-word artist Gonzales gently and lovingly introduces her to the many facets of her world. Speaking directly to Muslim children and indirectly to all children everywhere, he addresses the beauty of Islam and […]

Biddy Mason Speaks Up

Reviewed by Sarah Jo Zaharako Review Source: Reading While White Book Author: In 1866, Biddy Mason bought a parcel of land on the outskirts of Los Angeles. The purchase provided a legacy for her family and helped Mason become one of the wealthiest people in Los Angeles. She was 48 years old, a midwife and herbalist; […]

Love from A to Z

Reviewed by Notes from an Islamic School Librarian Review Source: Notes from an Islamic School Librarian Book Author: Now that there is legitimately a genre of YA Islamic Romance out there told in Own Voice, the expectations are high that a book is compelling, realistic, and unique somehow.  While the author’s first book, Saints and Misfits, […]

Margarito’s Forest / El Bosque de don Margarito

Teaching Ideas Reviewed by Lila Quintero Weaver Review Source: Latinx in Kid Lit Book Author: PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION: Margarito’s Forest, a bilingual book in English and Spanish with excerpts in K’iche’, is based on the life of Don Margarito Esteban Álvarez Velázquez as told by his daughter, Doña Maria Guadalupe. It is a story of Maya culture and […]