Illustrated by Luisa Uribe 3 stars A sweet story about the music and song behind every name. After the first day of school, a little girl refuses to go back. No one can say her name, including her teacher. As they walk home, her mother shows her the song in every name and that she…
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Illustrated by Kadir Nelson 3.5 stars An engaging read with sweet themes of confidence and not being afraid to be different. Sassy dreams of dancing on stage, but she’s taller than all the other girls in her ballet class and none of the boys can lift her. She feels different because of her height, long…
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Illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist 3.5 stars “Life is for us, and is shining. We have a right to sing.” An colorfully illustrated edition of Brooks’ poem, “A Little Girl’s Poem”, to celebrate her 100th birthday. A lovely poem wishing the best for all the children in the world. Promotes themes of acceptance, joy, love,…
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Illustrated by Sanjay Patel 4 stars A gorgeously illustrated story inspired by Hindu mythology. When Ganesha was young, he loved going out with his friend Mr. Mouse to collect sweets from the temples to snack on. But after breaking his tusk on a Super Jumbo Jawbreaker Laddoo, Ganesha becomes self-conscious. Until he meets Vyasa who…
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4 stars A fantastic story about a young girl making her way through life in Reconstruction-era Louisiana. Though slavery in America has ended, ten-year old orphan, Sugar, is still stuck on the River Road Plantation working the sugarcane fields. All she wants to do is have fun, but she’s the only kid left on the…
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Illustrated by Faith Ringgold 4 stars A nice collection of poetry focused on the lives of children in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago. The book includes a variety of themes expressed with different rhythms and rhymes. It covers relatable topics of friendship, moving to a new place, making new friends, dealing with illness, death of…
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3 stars An interesting combination of memoir, self-help, call to action, and handbook for creating change in the world. Lee shares memories from her life and inspires readers to create change in their daily lives through kindness, understanding, and leading by example. Lee explores her experiences with racism, her work to make Juneteenth a federal…
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3 stars A beautiful collection of poems that incorporate storytelling, song, and reflection into stunning free verse. The poems explore themes of death, grief, birth, nature, creation, culture, dreams, lore, memory, and family. Each poem is followed by a blurb from Harjo that provides information on the context, inspiration, and/or reflection on the poem, which…
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Narrated by Nile Bullock, Mekhi Hewling, Jade Williams, Brandon Miles, Ryan Vincent Anderson, Amir Royale, Jasmin Richardson, Christopher Grant, Khaya Fraites, Nadine Simmons, Robb Moreira, Wé Ani, Rocky Anicette, and Brandiss Seward 5 stars Thanks to Libro.fm for the ALC of this book. I absolutely loved this book. Well-balanced with humor, tough topics, and heartwarming…
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4 stars Mia doesn’t feel fully connected to her Jewish identity. She looks different than most of the kids at her Jewish day school (some of whom are quick to point it out) and she feels disconnected from her Muscogee identity. So she decides to visit her father in Oklahoma to learn more about Muscogee…
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