If you’re looking for a quick monthly roundup, check out the best 5 books I read in March below! You can find all of the books I shared over on Instagram organized by month on Bookshop! This incandescent story is part biography, part metaphor, and entirely needed. Loujain dreams nightly of flying, something she’s not…
Tag: history
Yummy: A History of Dessert
English MG & Up History Desserts Graphic Novel Victoria Grace Elliott summary Snickerdoodle lovers rejoice, for I have a new recipe for you. And it’s inside this fantastic new graphic novel, Yummy: A History of Desserts. I know, you’re thinking, ‘But Coco, how did a graphic novel get inside your brain like this?’ And I…
Learning About Africa: 2 Reads
English 5+ African Culture & Identity Historical Figures African Countries summary Can you recall what you learned about Africa when you were in school? I can. We learned all of the countries and then had a test where we had to fill in a map in 7th grade. That’s it. We didn’t learn about historical…
Fearless: The Story of Daphne Caruana Galizia, Defender of Free Speech
English 6+ Historical Figure Protest Journalism Free Speech CW: Pet death, Daphne’s death mentioned in back matter. Gattaldo summary I had never heard of Daphne Caruana Galizia, a journalist from the island of Malta, before seeing this book from Candlewick. Upon reading, I was flabbergasted that I’ve never heard of this amazing journalist working for…
Magick & Lore: Halloween is here!
English 6+ summary One look at me and you know I hail from the land of potatoes: Ireland (and Scotland). But the aspect I most love about my Celtic heritage? It’s that we invented trick-or-treating of course! Samhain, All Souls Eve & Day, Halloween. They’re all basically about the same thing. The veil between the…
Notable Native People
English with tribal affiliations. MG & Up History Colonialism Historical Figures Indigenous Voices Adrienne Keene & Ciara Sana summary I recognize that y’all might not believe me when I say that I’ve been looking forward to this arriving for weeks. Peeking into the mailbox with my fingers crossed that this beautiful book would be waiting…
Season of the Witch & Tarot for Kids
English 6+ summary If you’re like me, not only is there an entire Spooky Season, but it’s a full-on lifestyle. Season of the Witch is the perfect history book to settle in with when I want to learn more about our witchy global past. When the weather gets hotter here in western MA, I long…
Shaped by her Hands: Potter Maria Martinez
English & Tewa 4-8 years Artist Indigenous Voices San Ildefonso Pueblo Pottery Ceramicist Historical Figure Anna Harber Freeman, Barbara Gonzales & Aphelandra summary Shaped by Her Hands is a lovely biography aimed at typical picture book audiences about famous Native American potter Maria Martinez. She grew up in the San Ildefonso Pueblo at the turn…
Without Separation: Prejudice, Segregation, and the Case of Roberto Alvarez
English 5+ Historical Figures Legislation Racism Mexican American Community Social Change Larry Dane Brimner & Maya Gonzalez summary Roberto Alvarez liked growing up and attending school in Lemon Grove. That is until one day when he gets to school, and he’s turned away. Roberto and the other Mexican American students are being sent to another…
When Can We Go Back to America? Voices of Japanese American Incarceration during WWII
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…