Social Justice Books

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

Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh

Reviewed by: Megan Schliesman Review Source: Reading While White Book Author: During the first part of the 20th century, immigrants from India were not allowed to become citizens of the United States (the law changed in 1946). Restrictions on immigration also meant many Indian men came alone to the California area, and a number of […]

One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance

Reviewed by: Padma Venkatraman Review Source: The Pirate Tree Book Author: I, for one, am immensely grateful that one last word will not be the last word by this talented author whose work has gained much well-deserved recent attention. There are few books that I treasure not just for the writing but also for the artwork, […]

The People Shall Continue

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: Ortiz begins The People Shall Continue with Creation. Not Genesis, but Creation, as viewed by several different Indian tribes. From the opening pages of his book, children learn that there is more than one way to view Creation. And they learn about diversity in […]

SanTana’s Fairy Tales

Reviewed by: Lyn Miller-Lachmann Review Source: De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children Book Author: Storyteller and visual artist Sarah Rafael García offers six “Fairy Tales for Trust and Justice,” all of them set in Santa Ana, a city in southern California that borders “the happiest place on Earth.” But that place is “never […]

Uninterrupted View of the Sky

Reviewed by Lyn Miller-Lachmann Review Source: De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children Book Author: Because Francisco’s father is Indigenous, the police consider him guilty of Bolivia’s infamous Ley 1008, with no way of proving himself innocent. Unable to cope as a single mother with the stigma of a husband in prison, Francisco’s Mestiza […]

Luz Makes a Splash

Reviewed by Lila Quintero Weaver Review Source: Latinx in Kid Lit Book Author: OUT OF PRINT How can young readers learn about something as abstract as water conservation? This graphic novel for elementary grades introduces wise water-usage in a kid-friendly package. It’s part of a two-book series called The Future According to Luz. The companion book […]