by Nagabe Translated by Adrienne Beck 4 stars Abandoning their previous home, Shiva and Teacher have escaped the soliders for now. They travel far to find a new home in an attempt to escape the past. But it always has a way of catching up to them. Another fascinating read. The mysteries continue to build….
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by Tonya Duncan Ellis Illustrated by Jenin Mohammed 5 stars A beautiful celebration and history of Emancipation Park. Told from the perspective of the park itself, the book follows the park’s founding in 1872, its vital role in the community especially during the time of Jim Crow laws, its years of disrepair, and its eventual…
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by Laura Obuobi Illustrated by Olivia Duchess 4 stars An absolutely stunning picture book biography of Michaela Mabinty DePrince. The story follows DePrince’s life from her time at an orphanage in Sierra Leone, her adoption and moving to the US, her passion for ballet growing up, and her success as a ballerina. It also explores…
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4 stars A conversational book about how to be more inclusive and how our differences can bring us closer. Together Ashton Mota and Rebekah Bruesehoff discuss what inclusion means and different ways to be inclusive. While they emphasize their experiences as trans youth, they also use examples such as moving to a new place, coming…
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Illustrated by Kitt Thomas 5 stars Another powerful story from Abrams. After witnessing a classmate have to give his tray back when he can’t pay for lunch at school, Stacey decides to do something about it with the help of her friends and family. Even though public speaking makes Stacey uncomfortable, she knows using her…
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by Drs. Chelsea Johnson, LaToya Council, and Carolyn Choi Illustrated by Ashley Seil Smith 4 stars A wonderful exploration of some of the different ways people can be part of a family told through rhyming narration. Each page spread introduces readers to a new family who represents different concepts. The book shows different types of…
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Illustrated by Laura Freeman 5 stars A fantastic picture book biography of the life and work of Justice Ketanji Jackson. The book follows important events throughout Justice Jackson’s life from childhood, through her education, taking on various jobs, marriage, motherhood, and finally her becoming the the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. Well-written…
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5 stars An absolutely stunning book! A sweet story of friendship, kindness, understanding, and perseverance paired with breathtaking artwork. Lily dreams of soaring high, but no matter how hard she tries she just can’t fly. It isn’t until she encounters a human in the forest that she discovers the magic of a supportive friendship and…
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5 stars A fantastically-worded poetic letter about figuring it out, being enough, and chasing your dreams. Wonderful imagery. Full of power, inspiration, and the vulnerability of admitting you don’t know it all. I loved the visual elements of the text with changes in fonts, sizes, and grayscale highlighting. Pure Reynolds. Lyrical, powerful, inspirational, and honest….
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Illustrated by Kat Fajardo 4 stars After his mom gives a presentation to his class about starting your own business, Rohan is inspired to create a new pet-sitting business to raise funds for the school garden. The only problem? He doesn’t have much experience with pets and if he’s honest… they make him a little…
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