Social Justice Books

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

Grandma’s Gift

Reviewed by Lila Quintero Weaver Review Source: De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children Book Author: In a category where such books are woefully rare, both of Velasquez’s Grandma stories represent positive images of Afro-Latino children and their families. Although the story in Grandma’s Gift takes place inside a few square miles of contemporary New York City, it also […]

On the Other Side of the Garden

Reviewed by Beverly Slapin Review Source: De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children Book Author: In the entire universe of graphic comics, is there any sillier way to appeal to the sensibilities of young readers than five pages of fart jokes? Than little kid mosquitos, flying through the air, “powered by pedos”? Pretending to […]

Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets: A Muslim Book of Shapes

Reviewed by Mahasin Review Source: Hijabi Librarians Book Author: “Cone is the tip of the minaret so tall. I hear soft echoes of the prayer call,” begins this charming picture book which explores a variety of everyday shapes and angles, as experienced by Muslims of diverse skin tones, who are depicted living, playing, and worshiping together. […]

Mommy’s Khimar

Reviewed by Mahasin Review Source: Hijabi Librarians Book Author: “A khimar is a flowing scarf that my mommy wears,” explains a young African-American girl in the opening pages of Mommy’s Khimar, a new picture book from Simon and Schuster’s Salaam Reads imprint, written by first-time author, educator, and activist Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and illustrated by Ebony Glenn. The term “khimar” […]

A Werewolf Named Oliver James

Reviewed by Edith Campbell Review Source: Cotton Quilts Book Author: I’m not sure what you, the author, illustrator, editor or publishers may have seen in this story but, I’m seeing a young boy of African descent on the streets at night being perceived as a monster. I do not refer to him as African American […]

Dreamers

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: The first library I knew as a child was a cardboard box full of books. You see, I went to a government day school on my reservation. We didn’t have a library. What we had was a librarian from the nearby public […]