English & Japanese YA Japanese Internment/Incarceration History Nonfiction Racism Oppression Personal Narrative Susan H. Kamei summary Meticulously researched and fastidiously detailed personal narration fill this historic book. Susan Kamei has done a marvelous job in describing the intricacies of the political events and racism that led to the incarceration of the Japanese American population following…
Category: Religion & Spiritual Practices
Better Together, Cinderella: A Big Sister Fairy Tale
English 2+ Siblings Family SEL Ashley Franklin, Ebony Glenn, & Saba Joshaghani summary Not Quite Snow White is such a sweet story, and now the duo behind it (plus a guest illustrator) has a new release that’s out now! Tameika is now big sister to TWINS! Double the fun, right? Maybe not… Tameika wants to…
LPBD: Malala Yousafzai
English 4-8 years Activism Islam Muslim Identity Feminism Education Historical Figures Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara & Manal Mirza summary Every adult has probably heard Malala Yousafzai’s story, and so I’m delighted that one of my favorite early-reader biography series has added this to the illustrious roster of the LPBD series. For #SweetsAndSocialJustice this week I…
Recommended for You
English, some Yiddish. YA Judaism Social-Emotional Learning Bookshops Relationships Laura Silverman summary Recommended For You has quiet power in the way diversity is clearly written into the plot. Characters are disabled, LGBTQ+, and in interracial and inter-abled relationships. Main character Shoshanna works at a bookshop called Once Upon, and it’s the place she feels safest…
World Meditation Day 2021
English 4 years & up Mindfulness Meditation Mental Health Social-Emotional Learning Coping Strategies Antiracism Various, see each book. For World Meditation Day this year, I have 3 books that focus on meditation and mindfulness for the whole family, and one humorous one about being cranky and fully feeling one’s emotions. Already a Butterfly: A Meditation…
Finding Junie Kim
English & Korean MG & Up Korean War Family History Korean-American Experience Racism Friendship Activism Own Voices SEL Immigration War Communism CW: Violent death of a pregnant woman Ellen Oh Cover Art: Alex Cho summary I’ll be real with you, I didn’t expect this book to rip my heart out in the way that it…
My First Book About Ramadan
English & Arabic 2+ board book Ramadan Islam Culture & Identity Sara Khan & Ali Lodge summary With Eid al Fitr tonight, I just squeaked in under the wire to share this lovely board book about Ramadan! This is a board book geared towards teaching young children about the month Ramadan, and what Muslim families…
Hair: Books for Joy, Confidence & Empowerment
English Wanda has some Xhosa 4-8 years Hair Joy Sikhism Own Voices Self-Confidence & Empowerment Black Joy See each book The dominant white culture in our society has strict, Eurocentric standards for what constitutes as appropriate and professional. These are books that push back on that narrative, and embrace the uniqueness of the strands that…
Indigenous #OwnVoices Roundup
English; Nłe7kepmxcín, & Halq’emeylem (Stand Like a Cedar); Ojibwe (It’s a Mitig!); Inuktitut (Grandfather Bowhead, How I Survived & I Am Loved); Rocky Cree (Pīsim) 4 years & up Indigenous Voices Coastal & Interior Salish Identity First Nations Inuit Identity Own Voices Indigenous Culture & Identity Nature & Animals SEL & Mindfulness Family, Foster Care…
In My Mosque
English & Arabic 4-8 years Muslim Identity Religion Islam Own Voices M.O. Yuksel & Hatem Aly summary this book is beautifully illustrated, and it’s clear that a trip to a mosque (or masjid) brings author m.o. yuksel great joy. I personally learned a lot, I have a very basic working knowledge of the history and…