The Lopez Family: Science Fair Day (2011), written by Monica Bey-Clarke and Cheril N. Clarke and illustrated by Aiswarya Mukherjee, is one of several books published by MyFamily!/Dodi Press that depicts gay and lesbian families going about the business of living a pretty normal life. In this book, Felix Lopez […]
Sarah S. Brannen’s Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, published in 2008 by G.P Putnams’s Sons, is DELIGHTFUL. The story focuses on Chloe, a little girl worried that her favorite uncle, Bobby, will have less time for her once he marries his partner, Jaime. The couple announce their engagement at a family picnic, […]
If you or someone you know is over eight-years-old, you need a copy of Zetta Elliott’s urban fantasy Dragons in a Bag! Dragons in a Bag introduces readers to Jaxon, a sweet and smart young boy with brown skin and unruly eyebrows. Jaxon’s father passed away and he lives alone […]
Ruth Lehrer’s gritty realism is reminiscent of Dorothy Allison, as is her exploration of poverty, abuse, neglect, miraculously strong girls, and the failure and promise of family. But, Lehrer’s pace and unrelentingly complicated descriptions of young teen subjectivity set Bring Fishkill firmly within the field of YA literature. *A few […]
Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968, written by Alice Faye Duncan and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, is not the story of a single man – it is the story of a collective struggle. Duncan makes this struggle real and accessible to even the youngest of […]
I must be the luckiest person in the world! I was just paired with a SECOND book for Multicultural Children’s Book Day. I am so excited to participate this year and spread the word about some amazing books!
Alice Faye Duncan’s A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks recounts Brooks’ life in carefully crafted verses and introduces readers to Brooks’ own work through sensitively selected poems. Xia Gordon’s evocative images pair well with the text, creating a meditative mood with pictures that at times appear to glow. The brightness of […]
Today I was matched with a book for my Multicultural Children’s Book Day review. I’m so excited to participate. Look for my upcoming review of Art Coulson’s Unstoppable: How Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team Defeated Army!
Big Foot and Little Foot and Axel and Beast are two new series for confident young readers comfortable with early chapter books. Both series introduce emotionally engaging boy protagonists and their beastly besties.
Written by Christine A. Emery and illustrated by Kellie R. Emery, The Black Cloud Blues does the important work of acknowledging childhood depression. In doing so it makes a valuable contribution to children’s literature. Kellie Emery’s deliberate illustrations provide access to the unnamed narrator’s feelings as he takes readers on […]
Raise Them Righteous 