Social Justice Books

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

Saving Sunshine

Reviewed by Paige Pagan Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author:  Saving Sunshine is a contemporary graphic novel that makes issues such as Islamophobia and covert racism accessible for a middle grade audience. Zara and Zeeshan can’t remember the last time they had anything in common — they’re the epitome of opposite twins. Neither one of […]

Speculation

Reviewed by Paige Pagan Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author:  Inspired by the work of authors such as Toni Morrison and Alice Walker, Speculation is a middle-grade novel that explores the myriad of ways in which Black families in America have been, still are, and always will be intrinsically affected by slavery.  Set in 1960s […]

All My Rage

Reviewed by Paige Pagan Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author:  A powerful contemporary young adult novel, All My Rage is rife with anger and grief on the ongoing price of the American dream for immigrant families. This narrative is an homage to the predecessors who painstakingly worked to carve out a smoother pathway for their […]

Mamas Just Like You!

Reviewed by Makai Kellogg Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: This beautiful book is an anthem for mamas and their children. Part of the Shout Mouse Mini Mirrors series for toddlers, it is appropriate for children from infancy to full fledged readers. This playful and joyful book provides readers with a repetitive pattern that […]

Sebastian’s Apartment Family

Reviewed by Makai Kellogg Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: Sebastian’s Apartment Family was written by three mothers in a Shout Mouse Press workshop. They open the book with a dedication: “We wrote this book for the villages that help to raise our children.”  This colorful and engaging book centers collective caregiving. As a […]

The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester

Reviewed by Deborah Jung Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester is an original and heartfelt, if occasionally uneven, paranormal mystery centered around a close-knit friend group of LGBT+ teens. Sam has always collected stories of other teenagers who died before their nineteenth birthdays and occasionally experiences visions […]