Social Justice Books

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

Young Water Protectors: A Story About Standing Rock

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: Aslan and Kelly Tudor’s Young Water Protectors: A Story About Standing Rock is a non-fiction photo-essay published by EagleSpeaker Publishing. The “about” page tells us that the author, Aslan Tudor, was eight and nine years old during the period depicted in the book, and […]

We Are a Garden: A Story of How Diversity Took Root in America

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: To understand this critique of We Are A Garden: A Story of How Diversity Took Root in America you must begin with, and hold fast to, the fact that Native peoples were nations of peoples before the U.S. was a nation. Our status as nations […]

Healer of the Water Monster

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: I am delighted to recommend Brian Young’s Healer of the Water Monster. Below I will share some of the reasons why I think you should have this book on your school library shelf, and in your classroom library, and in your home library. If there’s […]

In My Anaana’s Amautik

Reviewed by Jean Mendoza Review Source: American Indian’s in Children’s Literature Book Author: A while back, Victoria J Coe tweeted that Teresa Peterson’s Grasshopper Girl is a “huggable book.” What a great descriptor — some books are just that! And we need those, in these strange times when hugging people we love can actually be dangerous. Another example […]

A Day with Yayah

Reviewed by Jean Mendoza Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: As a grandmother and longtime teacher of young children, I’m delighted to share my enthusiasm for A Day with Yayah, a 2018 Crocodile Books release by award-winning author Nicola I. Campbell (Interior Salish), illustrated by another award-winner, Julie Flett (Cree-Metis). A Day with Yayah is a visual […]

The Grizzly Mother and The Sockeye Mother

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: Teachers! Get The Grizzly Mother for your classroom — and ask your librarian to get in on the library shelves, too! Written by Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson) and illustrated by Natasha Donovan, it will be released on September 1, 2019, from […]