Woodson reflects on her childhood in the south in the 1960’s and 70’s. The food, the family, the culture, the weather. Though she lives in a community where her family often lives in fear and faces degradation at the hands of those living in neighboring white neighborhoods, she learns to feel immense pride and strength […]
Tag: BIPOC
Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968
Written by: Alice Faye Duncan Illustrated by: R. Gregory Christie Reviewed by: Macey Putnam (2020-2021) Mountaintop Dream big. Walk tall. Be strong. March on. Don’t quit. Never stop. Climb up the MOUNTAINTOP! As the title details, Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968 is written from the perspective of a young girl […]
Not Quite Snow White
Written by Ashley Franklin; illustrated by Ebony Glenn. Meet Tameika, a sassy little Black girl who loves musicals! Not only does she have fabulous dance moves for every occasion, but a giant personality fit for stardom. She has her eyes set on the star role of her school musical, Snow White. As Tameika prepares for […]
I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes and Gordon C. James
I Am Every Good Thing written by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Gordon C. James Reviewed by Sarah Conley “I am one eye open, one eye closed, peeking through a microscope, gazing through a telescope, checking out the spaces around me and plotting out those far-off places I have yet to go- but will.” I […]
My Hair is a Garden
My Hair is a Garden Written and Illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera This book is a visual masterpiece by a Black artisan, puppeteer, and illustrator, Cozbi A. Cabrera. We follow the journey of a young Black student as she struggles to accept the power of her hair, eventually drawing comfort and confidence from the similarities […]
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom
We Are Water Protectors written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela Goade. Reviewed by Isabelle Grant. “Water is the first medicine” We are Water Protectors is a story inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America. With simple and powerful language alongside breathtaking illustrations, We Are Water Protectors details Indigenous traditions that honor […]
Going Down Home With Daddy
Written by: Kelly Starling Lyons Illustrated by: Daniel Minter Reviewed by: Macey Putnam (2020-2021) “There is nothing like going down home” Going Down Home With Daddy is a beautiful book that was awarded the Caldelcott for 2020 and showcases the traditions and culture of an African American family. In the story Lil Alan and his […]
The Hate U Give
Written by Angie Thomas Reviewed by Julia Marlin (2020-2021) Starr Carter is just a 16-year-old girl trying to navigate her identity. Depending on where she goes, she walks a fine line between being perceived as too Black or not Black enough. At Williamson Prep, the White-majority private high school she and her brother attend across […]
Indian No More
Before being terminated, I was Indian. Now I certainly don’t mean I was killed off or anything. It was 1954. The United States government didn’t do that anymore. They just filed away our tribal role numbers. Erased our reservation from the map.
Some Places More Than Others by Renée Watson
For the suitcase project, Amara’s teacher tells the class, “Everything and everyone tells a story.” This theme runs through the book taking Amara from her home in Beaverton, Oregon to Harlem, New York as she constructs HER story of place.