Social Justice Books

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

Hair Love

Reviewed by Breanna McDaniel Review Source: Shelf Awareness Book Author: Matthew A. Cherry wears many hats as a film director, producer and editor. With his debut picture book, Hair Love, he can now add children’s book author to that list. A colorful collaboration with illustrator Vashti Harrison (Little Leaders), Hair Love was inspired by an animated short of the […]

The Old Man

Reviewed by Kirkus Reviews Review Source: Kirkus Reviews Book Author: Everyone is waking up to start the day. The children get ready for school. The old man must wake up, too. He’s sleeping rough on the streets and must leave before he’s shooed away. Sparse text and quickly stroked illustrations allow readers to drift through […]

¡Our Celebración!

Reviewed by Kirkus Review Review Source: Kirkus Review Book Author: Rhyming couplets in English and Spanish offer a language lesson to readers who join multicultural friends at a vibrant neighborhood celebration with music, fireworks, and a fabulous parade. The day begins with sunshine as the text invites readers to follow a happy, interracial group that […]

My Papi Has a Motorcycle

Reviewed by The Horn Book Review Source: The Horn Book Book Author: Quintero’s picture-book text acts as an evocative love letter to her apá and to the interconnected web of Mexican immigrant working-class people who built her hometown of Corona, California. When Papi gets home from work, young Daisy jumps into his arms for a […]

Sing to the Moon

Reviewed by Kirkus Reviews Review Source: Kirkus Reviews Book Author: A young boy and his jjajja share memories and wishes in this tender tale set in Uganda. Have you ever wished to “ride a supernova straight to Mars” or travel to the spice markets of Zanzibar or ride a crane to a large feast? This young […]

Yo Soy Muslim: A Father’s Letter to His Daughter

Reviewed by Beverly Slapin Review Source: De Colores Book Author: In this letter to his young daughter, Afro-Mexica Muslim father, poet and spoken-word artist Gonzales gently and lovingly introduces her to the many facets of her world. Speaking directly to Muslim children and indirectly to all children everywhere, he addresses the beauty of Islam and […]