We Need Diverse Books
LION OF THE SKY by Ritu Hemnani — Book Recommendation
Title: LION OF THE SKY Author: Ritu Hemnani Publisher: New York: Balzer & Bray/HarperCollins, May 7, 2024 Genre: Middle Grade Fiction Audience Age: 9 to 12 Themes/Topics: Partition of India and Pakistan, Indian Independence 1947, family, political conflict, religious intolerance It is an honor to share this amazing book with you today. Thank you, Ritu, for…
Read MoreLOVE LIKE SKY by Leslie C. Youngblood (MG)
This is another book that I’m just setting down long enough to post about it, then going right back to reading. It is moving and real. I was immediately drawn to G-baby (Georgie), the main character, who is trying so hard to get used to being part of a “blended-up” family. She’s torn between a…
Read MoreMERCI SUAREZ CHANGES GEARS by Meg Medina (MG)
Just a few pages in, I can already tell this book is going to be excellent. Author’s website Publishers Weekly review Horn Book Review
Read MoreHEARTS UNBROKEN by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Title: Hearts Unbroken Author: Cynthia Leitich Smith Publisher: Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2018 Genre: YA Fiction, #ownvoices Audience Age: 14 to 18 years Themes/Topics: Friendship, romance, Native American history and issues, racism Synopsis: Lou (short for Louise), is a high school junior in current-day Kansas. By the time the book ends, she is a senior.…
Read MoreHARBOR ME by Jacqueline Woodson — Book Recommendation (plus thoughts on writing, Thanksgiving, and supporting each other)
Today is Thanksgiving in Canada. Usually I would write a post about some of the things I am grateful for, and in a way, this post is about gratitude, for gratitude is important. But it’s a different kind of gratitude than the sort we usually think about on Thanksgiving. As you know, I write for…
Read MoreAmina’s Voice by Hena Khan — Book Recommendation
Title: Amina’s Voice Author: Hena Khan Publisher: New York: Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster Children’s, 2017 Genre: Middle Grade Fiction Audience Age: 9 to 12 Themes/Topics: empowerment, racism, feeling comfortable with who you are, lifting up your voice Opening Sentences: Something sharp pokes me in the rib. “You should totally sign up for a solo,” Soojin…
Read MoreThe Youngest Marcher by Cynthia Levinson — Book Recommendation
Title: The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist Author: Cynthia Levinson Illustrator: Vanessa Brantley Newton Publisher: New York: Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, 2017 Genre: Picture book, nonfiction/biography Audience Age: 5 to 10 years Themes/topics: Audrey Faye Hendricks, civil rights movement, protest marches, The Children’s March Opening Sentences: Whenever Mike flew…
Read MoreMartin Luther King Jr.: A King Family Tribute — book recommendation
Today, since it is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I am commemorating the man with a book about him. Title: Martin Luther King Jr.: A King Family Tribute Edited by: Angela Farris Watkins (niece of Dr. King) Publisher: New York: Abrams, 2012 Genre: Non-fiction, photo album, tribute Audience Age: 12 to as old as a…
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