Reviewed by Heba F. El-Shazli Review Source: Africa Access Book Author: What is a lullaby? A lullaby is defined as a quiet, gentle song full of soothing refrains to lull a child to sleep and even sometimes the reader, too! However, Egyptian Lullaby by Zeena M. Pliska is a different kind of lullaby — it is […]
The Coquíes Still Sing: A Story of Home, Hope, and Rebuilding
Reviewed by Rethinking Schools Book Author: This is a beautifully written and illustrated story of resilience and community, seen through the eyes of a young girl in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of devastating Hurricane María. The silence and return of the song of the native coquí threaded throughout shows a sacred connection to nature and […]
Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement
Reviewed by Keesha Ceran Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: This summer, after reading the words below, I became undone. With steadfast faith and tender care, Emmett did recover, but the polio left a scar — an invisible reminder — a stutter of speech, From time to time, Emmett’s tongue and mind […]
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 […]
Black Is a Rainbow Color
Teaching Idea Reviewed Source: Rethinking Schools Book Author: A tightly woven celebration of Black — identity, history, culture, struggle, activism — this child-narrated “Black is” poem is both accessible and complex. The extensive back matter includes a song list, background for many of the poem’s line references, a timeline of Black ethnonyms, and the full […]
Fry Bread
Reviewed by Ashleigh (13), Alexis (19), Charlie (17), Langston (13), and Michael (18) Review Source: Indigo’s Bookshelf: Voices of Native Youth Book Author: There is no doubt about it–Native children’s literature and YA literature, fiction and nonfiction, is having a moment. Every time we turn around, there’s another wonderful book at the library or the publication details are announced […]