4 stars A powerful story with unforgettable characters. Alternating between three tales, follow three very different characters as they try to fit into the world around them. Jin Wang is the only Chinese-American student in a school that never lets him forget he’s different. The Monkey King masters various skills in order to distance himself…
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by Rebecca Donnelly Illustrated by John Hendrix 5 stars This is a fascinating read. In modern society, it’s easy to throw something away and forget about it, never questioning where it ends up. In this book, readers follow the history of garbage and how the relationship between humans and their trash has changed over time….
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by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard Illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin 4 stars A nice resource to guide discussions of race, discrimination, and police brutality. The fictional story follows conversations between two families, one White and one Black. These conversations bring up various issues such as racism, discrimination, fairness, and slavery, demonstrating the different…
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Young Readers’ Edition by Layla F. Saad 5 stars This is such a fantastic book. I want to give it all the stars! A kid-friendly primer on various concepts related to antiracism and white supremacy. There is a lot of information packed into it, but Saad gives the readers time to reflect and engage with…
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4 stars A powerful read about friendship and family with an emphasis on the continuous learning and action against prejudice, specifically racism and ableism. Nicely written. This book tackles quite a bit. From police shootings and microaggressions, to dissuading Deaf individuals from using ASL, to family making (intentional and unintentional) racist remarks. While it is…
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by Mahogany L. Browne with Elizabeth Acevedo and Olivia Gatwood Illustrated by Theodore Taylor III Forward by Jason Reynolds 5 stars A phenomenal collection of poetry focused on race, identity, equality, and justice. The book blends elements of history, resistance, injustice, and anti-racism. It also explains various concepts such as privilege, intersectionality, and stereotypes. Each…
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by Jacqueline Woodson 5 stars A beautiful novel that tackles many difficult topics in an approachable way. When a group of students are told by their teacher that every Friday they will meet without an adult in the old art room to talk about whatever they want, they are hesitant. But as the year goes…
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5 stars A fantastic autobiographical novel-in-verse that beautifully showcases Woodson’s voice. Set in the 1960s and 1970s, Woodson shares stories from her life living in Ohio, South Carolina, and New York. Woodson tackles so many themes in this book. From family upheaval to moving to a new place, experiencing death of family members to standing…
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5 stars From the poetic team that brought us, Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship comes a powerful novel-in-verse that tells the story of the last American slave ship. Waters and Latham give voice to the survivors of the journey on the Clotilda, the enslavers who put them on that journey, and even…
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Illustrated by Joanna Cacao 5 stars What a fantastic read! Though I typically am not drawn to realistic fiction, cheerleading is a topic I can’t resist. As I was reading this, I was pleasantly surprised that the book was about much more than cheerleading. Christina Soontornvat recounts her experiences in seventh grade, centered around the…
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