Social Justice Books

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

La Frontera: El viaje con papá ~ My Journey with Papa

Reviewed by: Kathleen Nganga Review source: Teaching for change Authors: La Frontera: El viaje con papá ~ My Journey with Papa is the true story of Alfredo Alva and his family’s migration from La Ceja, Mexico to the United States. Written by Alva and his neighbor Deborah Mills, the bilingual story tells Alva’s family history […]

The Big Bed

Reviewed by: Kathleen Nganga Review source: Independent Book Author: The Big Bed written by Bunmi Laditan and illustrated by Tom Knight is a delightful read. In the book, the young black female protagonist explains to her father why he shouldn’t sleep in the “big bed” with her and her mother. The young girl reasons with […]

Alma and How She Got Her Name

Also available in Spanish: Alma y cómo obtuvo su nombre Reviewed by Sierra Kling Review Source: Reading Is Resistance Book Author: Born in Lima, Perú, Juana Martinez-Neal incorporates her Latinx culture into her debut author/ illustrator book, Alma and How She Got Her Name, published in both Spanish and English! This is a pleasant read because […]

One

Reviewed by Deborah Menkart Book Author: An engaging story for very young children based on colors and numbers about “blue, a quiet color,” who gets bullied by “hot head red.” The other colors feel sorry for blue, but never stand up to red. Then “One” comes along. He — would have been nice to have […]

Walk with Me/Camino a casa

Reviewed by: Review Source: De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children Book Author: The cover of the Spanish version, Camino a casa, depicts a little girl who’s being held in the safety of whom we soon learn is a lion. The English version, Walk with Me, shows her offering a flower to the […]

Little Skeletons / Esqueletitos: Countdown to Midnight

Reviewed by Beverly Slapin Review Source: De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children Book Author: Based on the popular Latin American children’s song, “Los Esqueletos Salen de la Tumba” (“The Skeletons Come Out of the Tomb”), in which activities change from hour to hour, Esqueletitos is an interactive how-to-tell-time counting rhyme that features a […]