Social Justice Books

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

Forever Cousins

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: As I turned the pages of Forever Cousins, I thought back to the early 1990s when we left Nambé’s reservation to go to graduate school in Illinois. Our daughter was three years old. She and her cousins were in tears. The always-present playing options […]

Evicted! The Struggle for the Right to Vote

Reviewed by Rethinking Schools Book Author: African American sharecroppers in Fayette County, Tennessee, tried to exercise their legal right to register to vote in the late 1950s. A key motivation was to break the practice of all-white juries which denied African Americans a fair trial. The white backlash was brutal. Black people who attempted to register […]

Troublemaker

Reviewed by Edi Campbell Review Source: Cotton Quilts Book Author: Jordan Park is convinced that he’s a disappointment to his parents. What makes it even worse is that they and his school principal have confirmed that to him. Since he can never measure up to his sister, Jordan opts to fall short with intention. He chooses […]

Deb Haaland: First Native American Cabinet Secretary

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: In children’s literature, we talk about the importance of representation. Seeing someone who looks like you is powerfully affirming. In 2016, I experienced that affirmation. Deb Haaland was at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.  I shared my joy on Twitter:   And […]

The Great Bear: The Misewa Saga, Book Two

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature  Book Author: Thoughts on David A. Robertson’s The Great Bear being removed from libraries On April 15, I began to see posts on social media about David A. Robertson’s The Great Bear being removed from libraries. Published by Puffin (Penguin Random House Canada) in Sept 2021, it was […]

The Bridge Home

Reviewed by Edi Campbell Review Source: Cotton Quilts Book Author: Padma Venkatraman has now published four books for young readers. She most often writes stories based in her Indian heritage and just as often reflects themes of social justice and activism. In The Bridge Home, her activism shifts in a more spiritual and inward direction. The Bridge […]