Social Justice Books

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

Abigail the Whale

Reviewed by Kassie Colón Review Source: Independent Book Author: I’ve always been a fat girl. Growing up my chubby body experienced all the awful bullying associated with having cheechos. But if there was one thing I hated more than the vulgar names peers directed at me while I joyfully ate the food that made me […]

When Rosa Parks Went Fishing

Reviewed by Brianne Pitts Review Source: Independent Book Author: A picture book rendition of young Rosa Parks’ early life hopes to explore the joy, challenges, and agency of her childhood in rural Alabama. Though promising, like many well-meaning educators teaching the story of Rosa Parks, this text leaves readers with a sterile story that reinforces […]

Lift as You Climb: The Story of Ella Baker

Reviewed by Judy Richardson Review Source: Independent Book Author: Children’s Book on Ella Baker: A Critical Review by a SNCC Veteran As a former Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) staff worker who knew Ms. Baker, I looked forward to reading the 2020 picture book, Lift as You Climb: The Story of Ella Bake by Patricia Hruby […]

Missing Daddy

Reviewed by Rethinking Schools Staff Review Source: Rethinking Schools Book Author: According to author Mariame Kaba, 2.7 million children under the age of 18 have an incarcerated parent. In an author’s note, Kaba says that she wrote Missing Daddy because of her frustration finding materials that can help children deal with the “loss, grief, and trauma” […]

We March

Reviewed by Allyson Criner Brown Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom is popularly remembered as the backdrop for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s now-famous speech. We March tells the story of the March on Washington from the perspective of the marchers — in particular, one […]

It Jes’ Happened

Reviewed by Rebecca Lehr Review Source: Independent Book Author: It Jes’ Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw is a biographical children’s book about the  African American folk artist who started drawing at the age of 81 and produced over 1,000 drawings and paintings by his death at the age of 95. It chronicles his life […]