5 stars A modern-day Monster with a story all its own. Told through powerful verse and emotive visuals, this is the story of Amal Shahid, a teenage artist and poet sent to prison for a crime he did not commit. I love Zoboi’s writing and this one did not disappoint. Packed with raw emotion, this book is…
Read More
3 stars A nice collection of poems centered around love. Giovanni travels the highs and lows of love in its various forms: romantic love, familial love, love for your heritage, love for your community. It celebrates the beautiful moments and gives voice to the painfulness of loss and what could have been. Humor, heart, and…
Read More
by Coretta Scott King with the Reverend Dr. Barbara Reynolds Adapted by Julia Sooy Illustrated by Ekua Holmes 5 stars A powerful adaptation of King’s memoir in a format suitable for young readers. I love to see so many more books focusing on the life and work of Coretta Scott King. The book covers King’s…
Read More
Illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff 5 stars I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The novel-in-verse genre at its finest. I absolutely loved this book. Well-written with engaging characters, powerful themes, and a wonderful story. Includes themes of friends growing apart, loss, grief, guilt, racism, crushes, masculinity, family, and societal expectations. There was…
Read More
Illustrated by Robert Paul Jr. 5 stars A wonderful celebration of Black men as role models, from entertainment to law, activism to sports. The narrator finds inspiration through different famous men, which inspires him to take an active role in his community. Told through lyrical text and a powerful refrain, this book celebrates both contemporary…
Read More
Illustrated by Erin K. Robinson 5 stars A gorgeous, soothing homage to libraries and reading. As a librarian, I may be a little bias, but this book is absolute perfection. The lyrical text celebrates the different versions of ourselves we live out when we read and the wonderful places our imagination can take us. The…
Read More
Illustrated by Brittany Jackson & Tajae Keith 4 stars Parker’s day is not going well. She’s missing her friend and her siblings are being too loud. Her mother helps her remember ways to feel better by breathing, exercising, and having some quiet time. A great example of how to deal with big feelings. This is…
Read More
by Andrea Jamison 5 stars Well-written and easy to understand. A fantastic resource for anyone involved in collection development and policy writing in libraries. The book centers around Jamison’s collection development policy inclusivity tool, J-MOD, which tracks the use and frequency of various words related to diversity and inclusivity. There are detailed instructions for using…
Read More
Illustrated by Jade Orlando 5 stars Sydney wants to grow up to be a great leader, but public speaking makes her nervous and she can’t get the words out. To help her gain the confidence to give a speech to her class, her father teaches her about famous Black women in history including Kamala Harris,…
Read More
5 stars A fascinating exploration of the life of Octavia Butler. Told through poetry, quotes, photographs, and short biographical prose, Zoboi shares events from Butler’s life and connects her writing with historic influences like the Red Scare, the Space Race, the Civil Rights Movement, and the larger development of the science fiction genre. This book…
Read More