by Eloise Greenfiled Illustrated by Daniel Minter 5 stars A truly stunning collection of poetry showcasing African American midwives throughout time. The poems travel from Africa to America, sharing experiences through enslavement, emancipation, and into the modern era. Wonderfully written and expertly crafted. The dreamlike illustrations are beautiful and demonstrate the power, strength, care, and…
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Adapted by Steven Scott & Justin Eisinger Illustrated by Harmony Becker 4 stars A great graphic autobiography that explores Takei’s acting career, education, political involvement, friendships, family, sexuality, and activism. Nicely written. This book takes on a lot of material and does not disappoint. A wonderful focus on activism and the joy of living as…
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3 stars Serves as a nice overview of food-related waste. The book goes through the food production system, pointing out various waste problems along the way. This includes waste at the farm, in manufacturing, in supermarkets and stores, in restaurants, and at home as well as food packaging waste. Presented in an easy-to-understand format, the…
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Illustrated by Markia Jenai 5 stars Fantastically recounts the history behind Juneteenth, from the Middle Passage and enslavement to the Civil War and emancipation. The book shows ways Juneteenth has been celebrated, how Jim Crow laws affected its spread, and how Opal Lee and others worked to make it a national holiday. Nice illustrations. A…
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by Meeg Pincus Illustrated by Meridth McKean Gimbel 5 stars A fantastic picture book biography with beautiful themes of being true to yourself and working for a better world for all. This powerful story shows how Sarah McBride was able to follow her dreams, overcome fear, and live authentically. Wonderfully told. Great emphasis on McBride…
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5 stars A fantastic introduction to the topic of immigration. Wonderfully written. Includes information about why people may immigrate, some of the challenges they face, and a bit about the immigration application process. Also points out the harmfulness of using dehumanizing language to describe people. Promotes kindness, understanding, and listening to others when they tell…
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4 stars A nice introduction to what it means to be in foster care. The book is mostly directed to those who are not in foster care, encouraging them to not make assumptions, listen, and be mindful about the questions they ask. The book goes through what foster care is, the emotions someone may feel…
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5 stars Told with sympathy, understanding, and humor, the book walks through different aspects of a loved one dying. This was such a wonderful read. Was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. I especially love that it points out some of the confusing things people say to children (“She’s only sleeping.”,…
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Illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler 3 stars A beautiful picture book detailing the life and activism of Wangari Maathai. Stunning artwork. Beautiful use of color. The natural aesthetic perfectly matches the themes of the text. Nicely written. It is quite a long picture book with some wordy pages, but it includes a great amount of…
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Artwork by Ekua Holmes 4 stars A fantastic collection of poetry. Absolutely stunning. Powerful words and a wonderful variety of poems. Watson pulls from her own life experiences to highlight issues of race, gender, and class in America. The collection covers topics such as growing up, hair, violence against Black people, family, community, love, influential…
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