Social Justice Books

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

The Head of the Saint

Reviewed by Lyn Miller Lachmann Reviewed Source: Pirate Tree Book Author:  Translated fiction for teen readers is not easy to find. Despite the recent success of adult titles by Elena Ferrante, Steig Larsson, Roberto Bolaño, Haruki Murikami, and others, and the growing number of acclaimed picture books from other countries, middle grade and young adult […]

The Marrow Thieves

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: I first came to know Cherie Dimaline’s writing last year, when I read “Legends are Made, Not Born” in Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time: An LGBT and Two-Spirit Sci Fi Anthology. The character she writes about in that story is named Auntie […]

Piecing me Together

Reviewed by Crystal Brunelle Review Source: Rich in Color Book Author: Jade creates stunning collages. She’s an artist turning bits and pieces of color, texture and shapes together. Art has often been one of the ways people explore what they think about the world and sometimes it’s a way to find healing. Jade creates these […]

Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation

Reviewed by Crystal Brunelle Review Source: Rich in Color Book Author: Kindred is not generally tagged as young adult, but it will likely be a cross-over title and it was one I wanted to read for our focus on women in graphic novels this month. Dana, the main character, has just turned twenty-six when the main […]

All American Boys: A Novel

Reviewed by Zetta Elliot Review Source: Zetta Elliot Book Author: Jason Reynolds It’s an important book, I’m glad it exists. I’ve read all of Jason Reynolds’ books and went into this one worried he’d give short shrift to Black girls—and I wasn’t disappointed. Despite giving a shout out in the acknowledgments section to women who […]

American Street

Reviewed by Lyn Miller-Lachmann Review Source: Pirate Tree Book Author: In Ibi Zoboi’s debut novel, American Street, 16-year-old Fabiola Toussaint has just arrived from Haiti to the United States with her mother, but things have gone terribly wrong. While Customs & Border Patrol officials wave Fabiola through—because she was born in the U.S. but returned to […]