Social Justice Books

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

Marti’s Song for Freedom / Martí y sus versos por la libertad

Reviewed by Beverly Slapin Review Source: De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children Book Author: Guantanamera, guajira guantanamera Guantanamera, guajira guantanamera Yo soy un hombre sincero De donde crece la palma, Yo soy un hombre sincero De donde crece la palma Y antes de morir, me quiero Echar mis versos del alma Guantanamera, guajira […]

My Beautiful Birds

Reviewed by Deborah Menkart Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: This picture book about a child and his family fleeing the destruction of their beloved town in Syria features exquisite mixed-media art. Sami, the protagonist, is worried about the survival of his pet pigeons as his family makes the long trek to a refugee […]

Book Uncle and Me

Reviewed by Deborah Menkart Review Source: Rethinking Schools Book Author: Nine-year-old Yasmin Kader, who lives in India, is an avid reader. Her favorite place to visit is the Book Uncle’s free outdoor lending library. His mantra is, “Right book for the right person for the right day.” One day the “right book” he lends her is […]

Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library

Reviewed by Deborah Menkart Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: “Where is our historian to give us our side? To teach our people our own history?” asks Afro-Puerto Rican Arturo Schomburg on the first page of this beautifully illustrated picture book. Schomburg’s 5th-grade teacher had told him “Africa’s sons and daughters had no history, […]

Mamá the Alien // Mamá la Extraterrestre

Reviewed by Wendy Bermudez Review Source: Independent Book Author: Mamá the Alien is a humorous story about how one word with two different meanings can be interpreted by a young Latina girl. Sofia only knows one definition for the word alien; one that means a creature from outer space. When Sofia finds her mother’s identification […]

Mississippi Morning

Reviewed by Matthew Smee Review Source: Independent Book Author: Ruth Vander Zee’s Mississippi Morning tells the story of James, a young white boy growing up in rural Mississippi during the Jim Crow era. It’s 1933 and James’s father (Pa) owns the local hardware store. Pa’s store is a popular place, where locals gather to discuss issues […]