3 stars “Without silence, there’s no music.” A sweet story celebrating sound and silence. Follow Karima as she goes about her day, taking in the sounds of the world. Though everyone calls her Quiet Karima, that is not all she is. Being quiet allows her to hear the music all around her and to create…
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by Sarah Prager Illustrated by Caitlin O’Dwyer 5 stars A fantastic overview of LGBTQIA+ history that includes events and people from various places in the world. The book provides an introduction to LGBTQIA+ topics, contributions, and famous individuals, as well as a breakdown of events from ancient times, 1600s-1940s, 1950s-1960, 1970s-2020s, and a brief look…
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Illustrated by Jenin Mohammed 5 stars A beautiful story of stopping to appreciate the world around you, sharing experiences, and changing perspectives. Told through rhythmic text, the book tells the story of Emmalene and Grandma Jean’s journey to church. On the way, Emmalene listens to the song of the city, but Grandma Jean doesn’t have…
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by Carole Boston Weatherford Illustrated by Frank Morrison 4 stars A remarkable exploration of history as told through the modernized lyrics of the popular spiritual, “Standing in the Need of Prayer”. The book works in various events throughout history from the American slave trade to Emancipation to the Civil Rights Movement to the Black Lives…
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5 stars What a great read. I loved this book! It tackles so many great issues (misunderstandings with parents, fights with friends, bullying, sensory sensitivities) along with an entertaining plotline about secret internet fame. Burgess provides a great example of a parent trying to look out for their child and doing what others tell them…
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by Suma Subramaniam, Illustrated by Shreya Gupta 5 stars A stunning picture book following the life of M.S. Subbulakshmi. Subbulakshmi loves to sing and wants to share her magnificent voice with others, but girls are barred from singing at public performances in India. That doesn’t stop her. With the support of her mother, she keeps…
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5 stars For more bookish thoughts, see my blog: Craft-Cycle Being a seer sounds easy enough. But even seers can’t always predict where the future will take them. A wonderful romance about so much more than falling in love. Ray, a seer with insight to the present, has wanted to be a Council member since…
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5 stars A beautifully-told journey of the struggle between two worlds, friendship, grief, and acceptance. I loved every page. Pulling from her own life experiences, LaRocca creates a truly fantastic story. This novel-in-verse strikes to the core. It perfectly captures the struggles of its main character. Though the book is relatively short, it covers so…
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3 stars A lovely picture book that goes beyond Aretha Franklin’s career as a singer and delves into her activism and faith. Abdurraqib’s text is lyrical with some lovely images created. He focuses not just on Franklin’s most well-known song, but how it inspired others to act and its continued effect in bringing people together…
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3 stars A nice updated version of Black Canary suitable for young readers. Dinah Lance has to navigate the world of junior high complete with arguments with friends, that one bully who’s mean for no reason, and a principal that seems to be out to get her… as well as the strange happenings of things…
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