Social Justice Books

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

The Year We Learned to Fly

Reviewed by: Maria Ramos-Chertok Review Source: Latinxs in Kid Lit Book Author: On a dreary, stuck-inside kind of day, a brother and sister heed their grandmother’s advice: “Use those beautiful and brilliant minds of yours. Lift your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and believe in a thing. Somebody somewhere at some point was […]

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 […]

The Bridge Home

Reviewed by Edi Campbell Review Source: Cotton Quilts Book Author: Padma Venkatraman has now published four books for young readers. She most often writes stories based in her Indian heritage and just as often reflects themes of social justice and activism. In The Bridge Home, her activism shifts in a more spiritual and inward direction. The Bridge […]

Hannah and the Ramadan Gift

Reviewed by Ariana Sani Hussain Review Source: Hijabi Librarians Book Author: At eight years old, Hannah’s family says she is too young to fast from dawn to sunset through the month of Ramadan, but Dada Jaan has an idea of how Hannah can help. He says that Ramadan is a reminder to Muslims to help those […]

Yes! No! A First Conversation About Consent

Reviewed by Makai Kellogg Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: Consent is a big deal for my three to five-year-old students. As a population who navigates their days around people who exert power — both peers and adults — conversations about consent are critical for building a safe classroom environment. Expressing one’s feelings, understanding […]

Laxmi’s Mooch

Reviewed by Nikitha Menon Review Source: Brown Girl Magazine Book Author: A brown girl’s journey with her hair is always an emotional and personal one. For me, it started in the sixth-grade gym. More specifically when Scott pointed out that I had “man arms.” In retrospect, he was probably just jealous he couldn’t grow his […]