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 …

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HEARTS 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. …

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HARBOR 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 …

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Amina’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 …

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The 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 …

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Martin 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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