Castaway Mountain: Love and Loss Among the Wastepickers of Mumbai

English & Marathi YA & Up Indian Culture & Identity Waste Non-fiction Saumya Roy summary Castaway Mountain is an extremely detailed book that follows 4 families living on the outskirts of Mumbai, making a scant living by picking through the refuse that’s trucked in infinitely from the city. It’s a fascinating combination of a look…

Child of the Civil Rights Movement

Written by: Paula Young Shelton Illustrated by: Raul Colón For ages: 4-8 years Language: English Topics Covered: Modern Black Freedom Struggle, Black Culture & Identity, Activism, Protest, Historical Figures, Non-Fiction, Community, Family. Summary:  When Paula was 4 years old, her family moved from New York back down South to organize and protest during the Civil Rights/Modern Black Freedom Struggle of…

Black Music Greats: 40 inspiring icons

Written by: Olivier Cachin Illustrated by: Jérôme Masi For ages: Middle Grades, ages 8 and up Language: English Topics Covered: Black Culture & Identity, Music, History, American History, Trailblazers, Women in Music, Non-Fiction.  Summary:  This is a beautiful and amazing book that takes the reader on a winding journey of music history! The layout of the book makes it easy to…

The Boreal Forest: A Year in the World’s Largest Land Biome

Written by: L.E. Carmichael Illustrated by: Josée Bisaillon For ages: 8-12 years  Language: English Topics Covered: STEM, Biology, Pint-Sized Professor, Nature, Non-Fiction, Animals, Boreal Forest, Indigenous Voices.  Summary:  This is a really fascinating book that spans a whole year in the world’s largest biome.  I really liked how it’s designed for older elementary readers, because everyone loves beautifully illustrated books…

The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage

Written by: Selina Alko Illustrated by: Sean Qualls & Selina Alko For ages: 4-9 years Language: English Topics Covered: Activism, Legislation, Segregation, Family, Interracial Marriage, Modern Black Freedom Struggle, Own Voices, Non-Fiction, Historical Figures, Family, Love.  Summary:  We are so excited to have another round of #sweetsandsocialjustice in conjunction with #thefictionfeast (even though this is a non-fiction story) and made…