The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth and Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. Reviewed by Isabelle Grant. “When Dad went to a bank to borrow money to open a bookstore for black people, the banker said no. He said Dad could have a loan to sell fish and chips or […]
Tag: #ownvoices
The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander, Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
The Undefeated written by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. Reviewed by Isabelle Grant. “This is for the underdogs and the uncertain, the Unspoken but no longer untitled” The Undefeated is an illustrated poem honoring the incredible strength of the African American community. With sharp, smooth prose alongside masterful, oil painted illustrations, The Undefeated […]
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
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 […]
Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Parks
Linda Sue Park, the award winning author of A Single Shard, A Long Walk to Water, and Project Mulberry brings middle grade readers Prairie Lotus — a deeply moving work of historical fiction set on the colonized prairie in 1870. The resemblance to the Ingalls-Wilder series is not coincidental. In the back matter, Parks details […]
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 […]
Just Ask
Written by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and the first Hispanic Latina member of the court, Sonia Sotomayor. Illustrated by Rafael Lopez. Be Different. Be Brave. Be You. Justice Sotomayor gifts the reader with a textual conversation about differently abled children. She gracefully makes a connection between the many different […]
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 […]
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.
Dreamers
We are dreamers. Soñadores of the world.