Social Justice Books

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

The Case of Windy Lake

Reviewed by Jean Mendoza Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: Hutchinson’s Mighty Muskrats are four cousins — Atim, Chickadee, Otter, and Sam — who live on the Windy Lake First Nation (pretty sure this is a fictional location) in what’s currently called Canada. These tweens are smart, curious, and resourceful. They operate out […]

The Fire

Reviewed by Jean Mendoza Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: I’m very happy to add a title to our 2021 Recommended Books list: Thomas Peacock’s The Fire. This is my “short and sweet” review. As you may remember, “short and sweet” reviews are not in-depth; they cover four reasons for our decision about […]

Birdsong

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Reviewed Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: Add Julie Flett’s Birdsong to your shelves! It is on several Best Books of 2019 lists and it got starred reviews from the major review journals. Most of the reviews note Flett’s artistic style and the seasonal arrangement of the story. Most note the growth […]

Kimotinâniwiw Itwêwina / Stolen Words

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Reviewed Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: I picked up Melanie Florence’s Stolen Words with a bit of trepidation because her previous picture book, Missing Nimama, was so troubling. It, and her novel, The Missing, felt off. (Here’s my post about them.) At the time, I couldn’t put my finger on why her books were unsettling. […]

Spíləx̣m: A Weaving of Recovery, Resilience, and Resurgence

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: Today’s Short and Sweet Rec is for Nicola I. Campbell’s memoir, Spílexm: A Weaving of Recovery, Resilience, and Resurgence. I’ll begin with the description from the publisher’s site: If the hurt and grief we carry is a woven blanket, it is time to weave ourselves anew. In […]

Ban This Book

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Reviewed Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author:  On November 3, 2019, Mike M. submitted this comment to AICL’s post about Lois Lenski’s Indian Captive: I’ve come to Dr. Reese’s review of Indian Captive because of its appearance in Alan Gratz’s 2017 novel Ban this Book. Gratz’s story is about a schoolgirl standing up against […]