Social Justice Books

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

Forever Cousins

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: As I turned the pages of Forever Cousins, I thought back to the early 1990s when we left Nambé’s reservation to go to graduate school in Illinois. Our daughter was three years old. She and her cousins were in tears. The always-present playing options […]

Still This Love Goes On

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: If Still This Love Goes On is not on your must-buy list yet, put it there right now. Better yet, order it, right now! You can read it as a book about seasons. You’ll see people and animals on wide landscapes of snow, or […]

Deb Haaland: First Native American Cabinet Secretary

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: In children’s literature, we talk about the importance of representation. Seeing someone who looks like you is powerfully affirming. In 2016, I experienced that affirmation. Deb Haaland was at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.  I shared my joy on Twitter:   And […]

The Great Bear: The Misewa Saga, Book Two

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature  Book Author: Thoughts on David A. Robertson’s The Great Bear being removed from libraries On April 15, I began to see posts on social media about David A. Robertson’s The Great Bear being removed from libraries. Published by Puffin (Penguin Random House Canada) in Sept 2021, it was […]

We Are Water Protectors

Reviewed by Lara Saguisag Review Source: Climate Lit Book Author: “Water is alive. / Water remembers our ancestors / Who came before us, she said.” This Caldecott award winner highlights water not just an important natural resource but as a sacred, living element that sustains and binds all together plants, animals, and humans. When the construction […]

The Frog Mother

Reviewed by Jean Mendoza Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: How I wish we could see a series like Mothers of Xsan for every part of the continent: local ecosystems from Indigenous perspectives! Hetxw’ms Gyetxw, Natasha Donovan, and Highwater Press have come up with a set of richly illustrated informational books about essential animal inhabitants of […]