Social Justice Books

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

Martin Luther King Jr.: Little People, Big Dreams Series

Reviewed by Paige Pagan Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author:  Enter the children’s section in any bookstore or library and you are bound to see a display of titles from the Little People, BIG DREAMS picture book series. Written for very young readers, they include titles on a range of activists, religious leaders, artists, […]

Greta Thunberg: Little People, Big Dreams Series

Reviewed by Paige Pagan Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author:  Enter the children’s section in any bookstore or library and you are bound to see a display of titles from the Little People, BIG DREAMS picture book series. Written for very young readers, they include titles on a range of activists, religious leaders, artists, […]

Freedom Bird: A Tale of Hope and Courage

Reviewed by Paige Pagan Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: Following in the tradition of oral storytelling, Freedom Bird is a blend of history and folklore. Reminiscent of Roots, but targeted for children and inspired by The People Could Fly, Nolen tells the multigenerational story of the Wheeler family on Simon Plenty’s fictional plantation. The narrative […]

Abuela’s Weave

Reviewed by Brad Manker Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: Abuela’s Weave tells the story of a girl (Esperanza) and her grandmother (Abuela), a tale of an older generation passing on a traditional artform — weaving — to a younger one. It begins in the rural Guatemalan compound where the two women live with their […]

The Notebook Keeper: A Story of Kindness from the Border

Reviewed by Brad Manker Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: Our home is different. Not like it used to be. When the protagonist, Noemí, and her mother are suddenly uprooted and forced to flee their homes in central Mexico, they seek refuge in the United States. At the border checkpoint, they meet Belinda, a […]

Sona Sharma, Very Best Big Sister?

Reviewed by Paige Pagan Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: Note: While I recommend this book for early readers because it offers an authentic representation of the Hindu ceremony, namakarna, along with other Indian traditions and customs that accompany the birth of a new baby, it’s also worthwhile to note this naming ceremony is […]