Written By: Edwidge Danticat Illustrated by: Leslie Staub For Ages: 5 years and up Language: English & Haitian Creole Topics Covered: Immigration, ICE, Activism, Family, Undocumented, Family, Detainment, Poetry, Imagination, Own Voices. Summary: Mama’s Nightingale follows a young girl named Saya whose mother is detained for being undocumented. In an emotional narrative, Saya yearns for…
Tag: poetry
28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World
For #sweetsandsocialjustice this week I went down a bit of a rabbit hole for the stunning book 28 Days, which celebrates iconic moments and contributions made by the Black community. I ended up finding a really cool article from the Smithsonian (which you can read here) about how enslaved chefs shaped American cuisine, one from First We Feast (link here), and one from the NYT (hopefully there’s no paywall and you can read it here). I eventually landed on making an apple cake in my trusty cast iron skillet.
No Voice Too Small
Edited by: Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson, Jeanette Bradley Illustrated by: Jeanette Bradley For ages: 5-9 years Language: English Topics Covered: Activism, Youth Activists, Poetry, Own Voices, Environmental Activism, Violence, Indigenous Voices, American Citizens, LGBTQ, Education, Muslim Activist, Community. Summary: Y’all need to buckle up for this book. These are the type of books I started this website for. No Voice…
A Story About Afiya
Written by: James Berry Illustrated by: Anna Cunha For ages: 3-8 years old Language: English Topics Covered: Imagination, Poetry, Memories, POC-Centric Narratives, Black Culture & Identity. Summary: A Story About Afiya tells of a joyful girl named Afiya and her magic dress, which picks up imprints of her daily experiences but clears itself overnight. As Afiya spins through fields of…
Firebird
Written by: Misty Copeland with Charisse Jones Illustrated by: Christopher Myers For ages: 4 years and up Language: English Topics Covered: Trailblazers, POC-Centric Narratives, Poetry, Ballet, Historical Figure, Historical Events, Art, Growing Up, Hard Work, Inspiration. Summary: This book is a beautiful conversation between trailblazing ballerina Misty Copeland and a young hopeful. Lyrical text and flowing illustrations help capture the long…
A Likkle Miss Lou: How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice
Written by: Nadia L. Hohn Illustrated by: Eugenie Fernandes For ages: 4-8 years Language: English & Jamaican/Caribbean Patois Topics Covered: Historical Figure, POC-Centric Narratives, Poetry, Global Community, Trailblazer, Black Culture & Identity, Jamaica, Language, Literacy. Summary: Louise is a young girl living in Kingston, Jamaica. She loves words and writing poetry, but the words get stuck when she tries to speak. Louise gains inspiration…
They Call Me Güero; A Border Kid’s Poems
Written by: David Bowles Cover Art by: Zeke Peña For ages: YA upper elementary/middle grades Language: English & Spanish Topics Covered: Growing Up, Mexican-American Experience, Immigration, Prejudice, Culture & Traditions, Poetry, Own Voices, Latinx. Summary: Our narrator is a twelve year old boy known only as Güero, a slang term/nickname for a person with red hair and freckles. He lives near…
Freedom over me; Eleven slaves, their lives and dreams brought to life
Written & Illustrated by: Ashley Bryan For ages: 10-12 years (grades 4-6) Language: English Topics Covered: POC-Centric Narratives, Enslavement, Enslaved People, Historical Figures, Historical Events, Poetry, Historic Narratives, Narratives of Enslavement. Summary: This book is comprised of poems telling the stories of 11 enslaved people. Records of these individuals were found in a historical document owned by the author himself, who…
Keep Climbing, Girls
Written by: Beah E. Richards (Introduction by LisaGay Hamilton) Illustrated by: R. Gregory Christie For ages: 4 years and up Language: English Topics Covered: POC-Centric Narratives, Self-Expression, Acceptance, Self-Acceptance, Independence. Summary: This is a poem about girl power! The main character is determined to prove her bravery and climb to the top of the tree, despite threats from the intimidating figure…
A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks
Written by: Alice Faye Duncan Illustrated by: Xia Gordon For ages: 4 years and up Language: English Topics Covered: POC-Centric Narratives, Poetry, Black Culture & Identity, Women Poets, Own Voices, Trailblazer, Historical Figure, Historical Events. Summary: This book is a fascinating rendition of poetry surrounding Gwendolyn Brooks, some of it is her own poetry and some is the author’s. The author…