Social Justice Books

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

The Smoking Mirror

Reviewed by Cris Rhodes Review Source: Latinx in Kid Lit Book Author: DESCRIPTION FROM THE BOOK JACKET: Carol and Johnny Garza are 12-year-old twins whose lives in a small Texas town are forever changed by their mother’s unexplained disappearance. Shipped off to relatives in Mexico by their grieving father, the twins learn that their mother is a nagual, […]

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 […]

Amal Unbound

Reviewed by Edi Campbell Review Source: Cotton Quilts Book Author: Among the 14 facts about Aisha Saeed on her website are the facts that she’s worked as a lawyer and an elementary teacher, she speaks three languages and she’s a fantastic air hockey player. And, she loves to write. When interviewed by Publishers Weekly about what inspired her to […]

Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: For some time now, I’ve been waiting for Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices. Edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Leatherdale, it was getting buzz in Native networks on social media. Given my commitment to bringing the work of Native writers to the fore—especially […]

We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices

Reviewed by The Brown Bookshelf Review Source: The Brown Bookshelf Book Author: Edited by Wade and Cheryl Hudson and published by Crown Books for Young Readers in cooperation with the Hudsons’ company, Just Us Books, We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices is a treasury of poems, prose and art that offers hope and encouragement to children in these […]