Social Justice Books

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

Milo Imagines the World

Reviewed by Nell Beram Review Source: Shelf-Awareness Book Author: Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson’s Milo Imagines the World, like their justifiably celebrated Last Stop on Market Street, centers on a child’s regular ride on public transportation to a destination initially unknown to readers. But while Market Street‘s CJ asks his grandmother why they’re going where they’re […]

Sulwe

Reviewed by Vanessa Oyugi, Ph.D. Review Source: Africa Access Book Author: Sulwe, Lupita Nyong’o’s first picture book, subtly celebrates her Kenyan heritage. The main character’s name means star in Luo (Lupita’s mother tongue) and there is an illustration of young girls playing a classic Kenyan jumping game called kati. Sulwe, the story of a young black girl dealing […]

The Range Eternal

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: When I was a little girl on our reservation (Nambé Owingeh), I sat by my grandmother’s wood stove and watched her cook and tend the fire in her stove. In The Range Eternal, we see a mother and daughter standing at their stove, making soup. Here’s […]

Abigail the Whale

Reviewed by Kassie Colón Review Source: Independent Book Author: I’ve always been a fat girl. Growing up my chubby body experienced all the awful bullying associated with having cheechos. But if there was one thing I hated more than the vulgar names peers directed at me while I joyfully ate the food that made me […]

Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book

Reviewed by Beverly Slapin Review Source: De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children Book Author: With his sugar-skull face and Día-de-los-Muertos outfit consisting of a bowler hat, wristwatch, and braces to hold his teeth in, Señor Calavera is polite yet insistent. It’s time, he says, for Grandma Beetle to come along with him. […]

Lift as You Climb: The Story of Ella Baker

Reviewed by Judy Richardson Review Source: Independent Book Author: Children’s Book on Ella Baker: A Critical Review by a SNCC Veteran As a former Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) staff worker who knew Ms. Baker, I looked forward to reading the 2020 picture book, Lift as You Climb: The Story of Ella Bake by Patricia Hruby […]