Reviewed by Betsy Bird Review Source: School Library Journal Book Author: The gutsy girl is a conundrum in children’s books. She seems so easy to conjure up. Writing a bit of historical fiction? Surely all you have to do is just give your heroine some feisty comebacks and historically accurate inequities and the audience will be […]
Viva’s Voice
Reviewed by Issac Abernethy Review Source: Reading Is Resistance Book Author: Many voices together can make a big noise, Papi. Viva’s Voice, written by Raquel Donoso and illustrated by Carlos Vélez Auiglera, is the story of Viva and her papi standing up for change and is inspired by the author’s childhood experiences as the daughter […]
Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong
Reviewed by Joshua Talosig Review Source: International Examiner Book Author: It is well known that children’s literature has a powerful ability to provide impactful and long-lasting lessons on its target audience. They can make our youth smile, laugh and feel empathy for the people whose tales are told within. Yet, we rarely see juvenile literature also […]
Calling the Doves / El canto de las palomas
Reviewed by Grace Cornell Gonzales Review Source: De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children Book Author: Calling the Doves is a prime example of two of the qualities that draw me to Juan Felipe Herrera’s work again and again: the richness of his poetic language and his fluent writing in both Spanish and English. […]
Side By Side/Lado a Lado
Reviewed by: Maria Ramos-Chertok Review Source: Latinxs in Kid Lit Book Author: Growing up, my mother told us we had to boycott grapes. At that time, I only understood farmworkers were treated badly and Cesar Chavez was helping them. Years later, I’ve found a bilingual children’s book that would have helped me understand, not only the […]
The World Beneath
Reviewed by: Marylee Crofts Review Source: Africa Access Book Author: This young adult novel is riveted with suspense and fear, providing the reader with a realistic view of the danger and unpredictability of life in urban South Africa during the period of school boycotts and armed conflict, in the mid 1970s. The main character is […]