Social Justice Books

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

One Wish: Fatima Al-Fihri and the World’s Oldest University

Reviewed by Paige Pagan Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: One Wish is a powerful narrative about a Muslim woman whose faith, passion, and determination led to something greater than herself. Fatima was born in a time and place where boys went to school and girls were tutored at home. Fatima wished that she could […]

Freedom Bird: A Tale of Hope and Courage

Reviewed by Paige Pagan Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: Following in the tradition of oral storytelling, Freedom Bird is a blend of history and folklore. Reminiscent of Roots, but targeted for children and inspired by The People Could Fly, Nolen tells the multigenerational story of the Wheeler family on Simon Plenty’s fictional plantation. The narrative […]

The Notebook Keeper: A Story of Kindness from the Border

Reviewed by Brad Manker Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: Our home is different. Not like it used to be. When the protagonist, Noemí, and her mother are suddenly uprooted and forced to flee their homes in central Mexico, they seek refuge in the United States. At the border checkpoint, they meet Belinda, a […]

The Year We Learned to Fly

Reviewed by: Maria Ramos-Chertok Review Source: Latinxs in Kid Lit Book Author: On a dreary, stuck-inside kind of day, a brother and sister heed their grandmother’s advice: “Use those beautiful and brilliant minds of yours. Lift your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and believe in a thing. Somebody somewhere at some point was […]

Sitti’s Bird: A Gaza Story

Review Source: This Week in Palestine Book Author: Written and illustrated by Palestinian artist Malak Mattar, Sitti’s Bird: A Gaza Story is a sensitive and heartwarming story of how a little girl in Gaza finds strength and hope through her discovery of painting. Growing up in Gaza, Malak Mattar was like a lot of other children her age. […]

Still This Love Goes On

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: If Still This Love Goes On is not on your must-buy list yet, put it there right now. Better yet, order it, right now! You can read it as a book about seasons. You’ll see people and animals on wide landscapes of snow, or […]