Social Justice Books

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

I Am Birch

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: A colleague wrote to ask me about Scott Kelley’s I Am Birch. Published in 2018 by Islandport Press, it is getting a ‘not recommended’ from me. In the back of I Am Birch is an “About the Book” page that tells readers that:  The legends of […]

Darius the Great Is Not Okay

Reviewed by Edi Campbell Review Source: Cotton Quilts Book Author: Darius Kellner is a high school sophomore in Portland. He comes from a tight-knit family, but doesn’t have a particularly close relationship with his father. Darius’ hobbies include brewing tea and all things Star Trek. And, he has depression. When his family receives news that […]

Apple in the Middle

Reviewed by Jean Mendoza Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: Two Native high school girls, two unique stories about not fitting in, and about trying to make sense of Indigenous heritage/ancestry when something has disrupted their place in a Native community…. Most regular readers of this blog won’t need to be convinced that […]

Merci Suarez Changes Gears

Reviewed by Lyn Miller-Lachmann Review Source: De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children Book Author: It’s the beginning of Mercedes (Merci) Suarez’s sixth grade year, and right away she notices big changes. There’s a new boy in class, just moved to South Florida from Minnesota, and Merci has been assigned to be his […]

Escape from Aleppo

Review by Islamic School Librarian Review Source: Islamic School Librarian Book Author: N.H. Senzai’s newest book (published in January 2018), gives a face and a voice to the grave situation in Syria.  Like Senzai’s other books, she uses the rich culture and history of a country to inform the reader, and a compelling front story […]

Hearts Unbroken

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: I’ll start by echoing the title of this post. I highly recommend Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Hearts Unbroken. Lou, the main character, is a senior in high school. There’s a lot in here that I love, for several reasons. There are spoilers below, so you might […]