Social Justice Books

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

Black Is a Rainbow Color

Teaching Idea Reviewed Source: Rethinking Schools Book Author: A tightly woven celebration of Black — identity, history, culture, struggle, activism — this child-narrated “Black is” poem is both accessible and complex. The extensive back matter includes a song list, background for many of the poem’s line references, a timeline of Black ethnonyms, and the full […]

Kiyoshi’s Walk

Reviewed by Pat Corekin Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: “Where do poems come from?” young Kiyoshi asks his grandfather, Eto, and so begins a wonderful journey of poetic discovery. Eto takes Kiyoshi for a walk through their city. The smallest events — a cat knocking over oranges at the corner store, birds soaring […]

Calling the Doves / El canto de las palomas

Reviewed by Grace Cornell Gonzales Review Source: De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children Book Author: Calling the Doves is a prime example of two of the qualities that draw me to Juan Felipe Herrera’s work again and again: the richness of his poetic language and his fluent writing in both Spanish and English. […]

Violet the Snowgirl: A Story of Loss and Healing

Reviewed by: Pat Corekin Review source: Teaching for Change Book author: Two children, Jerzie and Josiah, spend a day building a snowgirl with their grandmother. As they construct their snowgirl, their imaginations create a number of adventure stories — Violet the Snowgirl is a pilot, an alien, a third grade teacher, a librarian, a veterinarian, […]

Each Kindness

Reviewed by Deborah Menkart Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: Warning: This picture book for young children does not have a happy ending. And therein is the power and beauty of the story. When a group of children ostracize a new child who is poor, they do not realize how hurtful they are being […]

Swimmy

Reviewed by Deborah Menkart Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: Swimmy is the sole survivor of an encounter between a school of small fish and a tuna. When he meets a new group of small fish hiding among the rocks, he is determined to hatch a plan so they can safely explore their world. […]