When the Mapou Sings by Nadine Oinede - OPTIONAL

When the Mapou Sings by Nadine Oinede, 432 pages. Candlewick, 2024. $20

Language: PG-13 (10 swears,  0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (Description of a young girl beginning her period); Violence: PG-13 (A secondhand account of an alleged rape)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

16yo Lucille lives in the countryside of Haiti with her father and aunt, as her mother died in childbirth. She communicates with trees and, like her father, is a talented wood carver. Her closest friend, Fefina, is abducted by the Station Chief and made to be his outside wife. After Fefina disappears, Lucille begins a quest to find her and creates a stir when she confronts the community and her disappearance. Her father sends her to Port-au-Prince to be a servant in a wealthy household. When the family’s son returns from Europe, he and Lucille begin a friendship which develops into something more. The head household servant doesn’t like their friendship and coaxes the wealthy employer to send Lucille away. Lucille again sent away and employed as a servant to Zora Neale Hurston, author of Their Eyes Were Watching God. Lucille helps Zora acclimate and navigate Haitian culture.

When the Mapou Sings is especially notable for its exploration of the journey through a young womanhood experience. Pinede gives voice felt by those living between different classes and, skillfully portrays the longing for home and the search for belonging. Her language is poetic and vivid, joining landscapes and inner worlds with equal intensity. Pinede’s work is both a tribute and a reminder that the past is never truly past, and that the roots we carry shape our thinking. Written in three parts, the story construction is at times loose and episodic. When the Mapou Sings is not for everyone and the reader will have to have a strong desire to read and finish.

Bryant Baird, Librarian

Radiant by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson - ADVISABLE

Radiant by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, 309 pages. Dutton (Penguin), 2025. $19

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (Hitting, Reference to a bombing)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

5th grader Cooper Dale lives in 1963 Pittsburgh in a predominately white neighborhood. She wishes she could be white and shine ( shine as in stand out in a good way) and wants to feel good about her black heritage. While she makes some good friendships in her all white class at school, she is bullied by a boy named Wade Carter and she feels picked on by her teacher. She deals with the turmoil of the times like the Birmingham church bombing and the assassination of President Kennedy. She revels in the rise of the Beatles. During the course of the year, Wade's mother falls ill with cancer and leaves school for a time. Cooper struggles with how to treat him when he returns. Cooper grows as she finds her own way to shine. 

Radiant shows how to spread compassion in many directions: for oneself, for friends, and for enemies. It is a sweet coming of age story. Light imagery and Wizard of Oz imagery weave the story together throughout the book. While many significant historical events take place in the book, they are only mentioned in passing. The verse style of the book limits the richness the story could have had if these events would have been elaborated on. Cooper is of white and black heritage. Most of her friends are white. A friend that appears later in the book is Hakim, who is also of black heritage. 

 MOMMAC 

Will’s Race for Home by Jewell Parker Rhodes - ADVISABLE

Will’s Race for Home by Jewell Parker Rhodes, 208 pages. Little Brown, 2025. $18

Content: PG (mild violence, some dead mentioned)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

12yo Will, his parents, and his paternal grandfather are barely eking out an existence as Black sharecroppers in Texas in 1889 - 25 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. When his father gets word of an open land rush in Oklahoma, WIll convinces his father to take him along as he will try to stake a 100 acre claim for their Black family where they can work for their own futures. Along the way they will come up against the prejudices and anger still harbored by those who fought for the Confederacy, but also find some kindness. Also, the dangers of trail don’t only come in human form.

I love Rhodes’s look at another dimension of US history, and Black history in particular. A great classroom read aloud choice for elementary schools. If you have any kids who like reading Westerns, point them here! There are so many other details that Rhodes exposits so well - I believe she could easily write a 10 book series a la Louis L’amour touching on Black history in the West. I love that the book is just at 200 pages - room for a story, but Rhodes had to keep the writing tight and interesting.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

 

Black Star by Kwame Alexander - ESSENTIAL

Black Star (Door of No Return #2) by Kwame Alexander, 384 pages. Little, Brown, 2024. $18.

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (lynching mentioned) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

12yo Charlene (Charley) is good at baseball. She can pitch with both hands and hits well, too. But except for Cool Willie Green and Henry, called Socks, she doesn't have a team. Being black in the segregated south in the 1920s leaves her few options, so when the town bully challenges Charley and her "team" to a baseball game at the church picnic, Charley accepts, even though 3 kids aren't really a team. 

Black Star is the 2nd in Alexander's novel in verse trilogy, The Door of No Return. Kofi from the 1st book is now Charley's wise and beloved grandfather. I was on the edge of my seat for the last half of the book, loved Nana's stories and the glimpses of his history. Alexander now has a Basketball title (Crossover), a Soccer Title (Booked) and now this one about Baseball. An essential purchase, especially if you have The Door of No Return. 

Lisa Librarian 

The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon - ADVISABLE

The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon, 373 pages. Candlewick, 2024. $19. 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (pirates, peril, slavery) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

11yo Dally receives an unusual inheritance from her grandfather, the knowledge of a Secret Library. Although everyone (even her grandfather) would like her to wait until she's older, Dally finds the library and discovers it's not just a secret, it's a library of secrets - Family Secrets. 

I enjoyed the story. Dally discovers her family history is full of secrets, including pirates! I loved that she didn't read about the secrets, but that she experienced them. Magoon does a great job reconciling the secret scenes so it doesn't mess up the future. I appreciated the family tree at the end so we could put everyone in perspective. I'm not sure the intended audience has the background knowledge to fully understand the slavery and civil rights, which won't take away from their enjoyment of the book, but might not adequately deliver the author's intent. Dally is black 

Lisa Librarian 

The Color of a Lie by Kim Johnson - ESSENTIAL

The Color of a Lie by Kim Johnson, 325 pages. Penguin, 2024. $20

Language: G (1 swear, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: PG (Fight between characters resulting in an accidental death)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS, ADULT - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

16yo Calvin, a black teenager, passes as white in 1955. His family moves to an all-white suburb for a safer life, but maintaining their secret is exhausting. Calvin seeks solace with new friends and Lily, his crush, while uncovering the town's dark racist history. Torn between safety and truth, Calvin faces dangerous choices about identity and morality. The novel powerfully connects historical realities to personal struggles with race and belonging. This was an extremely powerful book which had me very tense and emotional throughout - at first because of Calvin trying to "pass" and later when the boys were on their "mission".

I really appreciated the historical references such as Emmitt Till and Martin Luther King Jr. which grounded the story in its time period and highlighted the relevance. I also appreciated the author's ability to educate readers, especially white readers, on the Black experience in America. I highly recommend this book to all readers of any color, race, young and old. Robert is Calvin's brother and he is black. Eugene and Harry are brothers who are black. Ben, Mary, Alex and Darin are white.

Jessica Nelson CTHS Librarian 

When We Flew Away by Alice Hoffman - OPTIONAL

When We Flew Away by Alice Hoffman, 304 pages. Scholastic 2024. $20

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

What was Anne’s life like before WWII arrived on the scene and she and her family hid in the Annex?

Hoffman has taken the pieces from Anne’s pre-hiding parts of her diary and some family history and turned it into a full blown speculative novel about her life in Amsterdam leading up to WWII. In her postscript she acknowledges that most of it is her own fabrication.  I wish the book had been about any other Holocaust victim than Anne Frank. There are so many other stories that deserve to be told.  I feel like it is “easy money” to use Anne’s name instead.  I would pass this up for Code Name Kingfisher  or Sky Over Rebecca, which are recent Holocaust novels not evoking Anne Frank.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Wander in the Dark by Jumata Emill - OPTIONAL

Wander in the Dark by Jumata Emill, 383 pages. Delacorte Press (Random House), 2024. $20 

Language: R (100 swears 67 'f');  Mature Content: R (reference to sex and drug use); PG-13 Violence received PG-13 because there was murder and some fighting, including blood being mentioned, but none was described in graphic detail. There was also discussion of owning enslaved people. 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO MANY 

17yo Amir does not want a relationship with his half-brother 16yo Marcel and the tension between them runs deep, but he shows up to Marcel’s birthday party only because Marcel’s friend Chloe, who is white, invited him and he thinks she might be interested in him. That night, Amir and Chloe hang out together and Amir passes out after doing some drugs. He wakes up in the early morning hours to find Chloe dead and he panics. The police and community are quick to place the blame on Amir: the black boy seen fleeing from her house. In spite of Amir pushing Marcel away, Marcel is determined to prove Amir’s innocence before he is indicted. His investigations reveal a dark trend of racism at their private school and the truth Chloe was fighting to bring to light. 

While this book got off to a slow start for me, I was totally sucked in and wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next! It is a great read for anyone who loves a good murder mystery mixed with elements of social justice, but mystery readers may find the ending to be too neat and the motive for murder less compelling. The main downside of this book for me was that it had some instances of feeling didactic because it overexplained racism at times and had the characters unnaturally using therapy terms; however, it didn’t detract too much from the plot. After the story got going, I became really invested in both Amir and Marcel. Not only was I rooting for them to overcome the systemic racism and injustice that Amir experienced and, of course, to solve the murder, but I also cared about their family relationships and the storyline of healing their family relationships. This book went many layers deep and did it all effectively, from divorce trauma to the pain of finding out that your friends aren’t really your friends to the issues of racism in the justice system. But, wow, there was a lot of drama and so much slang, which may be off-putting to adult readers, but felt right for a teen audience. Amir is black. Marcel is black and gay. Chloe is white. 

Marinda, librarian 

Kin: Rooted in Hope by Carole Boston Weatherford, art by Jeffery Boston Weatherford - ADVISABLE

Kin: Rooted in Hope by Carole Boston Weatherford, art by Jeffery Boston Weatherford, 208 pages. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023.  $19.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13 (slavery, descriptions of hunting down escaped slaves, enslaved women giving birth to mixed race children); Violence: PG-13 (enslaved peoples bought & sold, repeated whippings and beatings)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Carole and Jeffery Weatherford tell the stories of their enslaved ancestors through poetry and art. The poems' voices range from people in the author’s direct lineage, to luminaries like Harriet Tubman and Fredrick Douglass, to the people (slavers and landowners) and objects (e.g. the slave ships and plantation homes) directly involved in perpetuating the enslavement of human beings for hundreds of years and throughout generations.

Weatherford writes an incredibly powerful account of slavery in America, through the exploration of one family tree over time. The poems trace the roots of the family from the first free Black settlements after the Civil War, through the fields of the Lloyd plantation in Maryland, all the way to the shores of Africa. The scratch art is spare but impactful. I could see this book being an excellent supplemental material for American History lessons with lots of potential connection to literature and art.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, #bookswithbeddes

Courage to Dream by Neal Shusterman and Andres Vera Martinez - OPTIONAL

Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust by Neal Shusterman, illustrated by Andres Vera Martinez, 245 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Graphic (Scholastic), 2023. $15

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (Holocaust related deaths) Violence: PG (mild fighting) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Explore the Holocaust and Jewish mythology through five stories. 

As someone who has read both a lot of books about the Holocaust and a fair amount of Jewish mythology, the book made sense. I don't think most children will understand much of what they are reading. This is a case where the background knowledge should have been given at the front of each story, instead of at the end of each as it is. Even then, the examples are not helpful. There isn't much from the cover to explain that the stories are all a mix of history and magic -- so this can't be used for a Holocaust historical fiction book, for example. If I taught a high school level Holocaust class or a Jewish studies class, this would be a rich book for exploring the two topics together. The characters are Jewish and German. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds - OPTIONAL

We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds, 384 pages. Roaring Book Press/Macmillan 2022. $11 

Language: R (157 swears 25 'f') Mature Content:  PG-13 (making out vague descriptions, underage drinking, brief kissing, weed smoking nondescript kiss). Violence: PG (murder with no details.) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

17yo Avery goes to her mother’s hometown in Bardell County, Georgia, to take care of her grandmother, Mama Letty, who’s dying from cancer, after being away for twelve years due to the contentious relationship between her mom and Grandmother. Racism and the Ku Klux Klan destroyed Mama Letty when they killed her husband when Zora, Avery’s mother, was just a baby. Afterwards, Letty drank and checked out and was cruel to Zora and now they continue to be angry with each other. Avery and her father are caught in the crossfire. Scandals and secrets are revealed while Avery tries to break down the hurt between her mother and grandmother before time runs out. 

Mystery wrapped up in prejudice. I like the mysteries surrounding the different families in the story and they pulled me into the book. Avery and her father made me chuckle. I like how the author represents all types of people and also the prejudice that still lingers in our society. The characters are predominantly Black and White. Korean American is represented. 

LynnDell Watson, Delta High School Librarian

My Selma by Willie Mae Brown - ADVISABLE

My Selma by Willie Mae Brown, 229 pages. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Macmillan), 2023. $17

Language: G; Mature Content: PG (reference to attempted rape); Violence: PG (reference to murder and beatings)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

12yo Willie Mae loves Selma, Alabama: the smells, the community, the food. She lived a comfortable life. Her father worked as a boss over many endeavors in town. Willie Mae hated helping her father in the hot cotton fields, but she did whatever her father asked of her. Her brother, Maine, taught her how to fight and later, protest. Her father and Maine protected her from outsiders, including one incident when a few white men tried to enter her home to rape her. Willie Mae recalls how she felt when she heard the news about Emmet Till and the sit-ins. Once, her brother was arrested for protesting segregation in schools. While that was happening, she and her mother were fortunate to be present at a church rally given by Martin Luther King. He inspired her like he did so many. Later that year, tragedy strikes and leaves a permanent mark on her for the rest of her life. 

I enjoyed Brown’s clear telling of her experiences in Selma. Her use of the southern black dialect held my interest. Her story seems typical of a black teenager during that era in the south. I was disappointed, however, at how she ended the book. I was left hanging and wondering why the last part of the book was emphasized as it was. I wish that she would have integrated her strong words in her preface and afterword into the story. It would have made her story more powerful. MOMMAC 

The Paper Daughters of Chinatown by Heather B. Moore and Allison Hong Merrill - ADVISABLE

The Paper Daughters of Chinatown by Heather B. Moore and Allison Hong Merrill, 214 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2023. $19.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

At age six, Tai Choi is sold by her father and then several other adults in rapid succession. They take away the legacy of her family by unbinding her feet, they take away her country when they sell her in America, and they take away her name. Dolly (27yo) is excited for the opportunity to teach sewing skills to Chinese girls who have been rescued from trafficking, and she quickly becomes more involved in the rescue process – even as it threatens her life.

Based on a true story, this book has been adapted for young readers. The pain and sorrow and hope and triumphs are still moving, despite knowing this is the watered-down version. Knowing that human trafficking did and does happen makes readers more grateful, encourages readers to not lose hope in the face of their difficulties, and inspires readers to find ways to do good. We can be strong. We can become advocates for good.

All of the characters mentioned are either Chinese or white. The mature content rating is for mentions of brothels and prostitution, human trafficking, innuendo, and mentions of drugs. The violence rating is for child abuse, gun use, and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes and Dawud Anyabwile - ESSENTIAL

Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile, 202 pages. BIOGRAPHY, GRAPHIC NOVEL Norton YR. 2022. $23

Language: PG (0 swears 0 'f' 4 'n'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (image of hanged black man, other violence described, not graphic)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Tommie Smith worked alongside his brothers and sisters sharecropping in Texas. When he was about 7 they moved to California where he went to school more regularly. By 7th grade, Tommie was outrunning all the other students on the track. He was a star athlete in High School, playing basketball, and football as well as running track, but by college, his focus was entirely on track and field. During his time in college, he also became politically active, using his fame as an elite athlete to bring focus to the inequality and poor treatment of blacks in the United States. At the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie and John Carlos raised their fists in the air at their podium ceremony during the national anthem. 

Tommie Smith narrates Victory. Stand! and it is a beautiful graphic novel autobiography. Many of Smith's athletic achievements coincided with important moments in Civil Rights - the killing of Medgar Evans, the bombing of the church in Birmingham, and the Selma to Montgomery March, which put the protests he was involved with in context. I loved learning about his background and his convictions. Dawud Anyabwile's sports illustrations are the very best. An important graphic novel for either your biography section or to offer with your civil rights books. Tommie Smith is African American. 

Lisa Librarian

When Winter Robeson Came by Brenda Woods - ESSENTIAL

 When Winter Robeson Came by Brenda Woods, 160 pages. Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin), 2022. $17

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (Watts riots, deaths mentioned)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

It is 1965 and Eden is so excited her cousin 13yo Winter is coming to visit for two weeks. Eden and her family African American family moved to Los Angeles and she hasn't seen her cousin for a long time. She has a long list of things they will do while he is visiting. They start out doing fun things, then Winter wants to see if he can find his father that disappeared 10 years earlier in the Watts area of LA, near where Eden lives. They start playing investigators and slowly his father’s whereabouts start coming together for them until they hit a dead-end. At the same time riots start in Watts. Will life ever be the same again? Will they ever feel safe again?

This is a "must read" novel in verse. It was fascinating and educational. Because of this book I spent hours researching the Watts sculptures, the Watts Riots and that area of south east Los Angeles. I found it both fascinating and frightening. A great book to read to fifth graders or read in literature circles so all the things in the book can be discussed and talked about. Modern children may be a little jealous by the amount of freedom 1960’s kids had.

Ellen-Anita, Librarian 

Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson - ADVISABLE

Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson. 403 pages. Middle Grade Little, Brown and Company/Poppy. 2022. $17

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG no on-page violence, but beatings had occurred at the plantation and injuries were described. 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

 AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

12yo Homer and his sister 7yo Ada escape the Sutherland Plantation. They are without their mother as she didn't get away, but are discovered by Suleman who brings them to a community of people living deep in the swamps who have also escaped. Homer is desperate for news about his mother, and when he hears a wedding will happen soon at the Plantation, begins to make plans to return and rescue her. 

I loved reading about this little known part of American history - communities of ex-enslaved people living in less-than-desirable circumstances, but better than the alternative. There were plenty of adults telling the children what to do, as well as bounty hunters, overseers and plantation owners looking for the children and being generally terrible. Freewater was a long read, over 400 pages. There are several side stories and a lot of characters. However, it all weaves together well. There is a lot of danger and action which will keep the reader engaged.

Lisa Librarian

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - HIGH

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, 444 pages. HarperCollins, 2017. $10 (Scholastic Book Fair version)

Language: R (100+ swears, 54 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (teen drinking, marijuana, foreplay, arousal mentioned ; Violence: PG-13 (gun deaths, riots, beatings, police violence, fires set)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Starr lives in a rough part of town and after one of her best friends gets shot in a drive by shooting when they’re ten, Starr’s parents have her attend a private school that’s safer. Now Starr is 16yo and she witnesses her other childhood friend getting fatally shot by a police officer. Her friend did nothing to provoke the shooting, except for being black.

Thomas has a powerful novel that is about much more than racism. It’s also about choices, bravery, integrity and helping others. This book has a lot of swearing which is authentic to the lifestyle of the character’s surroundings, but the message of empowerment makes it a must read. This is a novel that will stick with me. I liked how the author shows reality and brings her characters to life to make the readers care about them. I like that two different worlds are brought together by two teens living in both and experiencing the stark differences in each. Character development is abundant and bravery and integrity are a huge factor in the main character’s life and family. I love how the main character’s family is open to discussing everything instead of keeping secrets from each other.

LynnDell Watson, Delta High School Librarian 

African Town by Irene Latham and Charles Waters - ESSENTIAL

African Town by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, 438 pages. G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin), 2022. $13

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: R (see below)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

In 1860, the Clothida was last slave ship to ever land on American soil. Follow the slaves through the horrific events of the Middle Passage, their attempts at creating community and normalcy once arriving despite the inhumanity shown to them, and finally, after the Civil War, their creation of a unique township that still exists today.

The novel in verse format makes an overwhelming and painful topic a bit more digestible. Told through the voices of 14 individual characters, the horrors that occur and the progression of the story are even more personal. Latham and Walters do not pull any punches. Humans are abducted in the middle of the night at knifepoint. A village is massacred and families are separated. Slavers intimidate with “severed heads hanging like ornaments from de soldiers’ belts.” Later, in America, a character alludes to a rape by her traitorous uncle (who sold her and others to the slavers) saying, “He laid on tops of me He did what bad men do.” Still, the story is one of strength, triumph, hope, and community. We are left with a clear understanding of the horror of the time, but also admiration for all those who persevered.

Reviewer: Bridget Rees, MS Librarian, Utah 

You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen - HIGH

You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen, 344 pages. Inkyard Press, 2022. $15 

Language: R (6 sears, 2 “F”); Mature Content: PG (reference to terrorist activity involving deaths); Violence: PG (reference but no depictions) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

The lives of three 17yo black Muslim young women are rocked by a terrorist attack in the D.C. metro. Of course, everyone assumes the assailant is a Muslim because his name is Hakeem Waters. So, Sabryia accidentally decides to create a blog called, “You Truly Assumed” as a voice for black Muslim young women. Zakat becomes interested in the site, and, because she is an artist, she volunteers to post comic strips and art for the site. Farah joins the fray as the web designer. As their last summer before their senior years unfolds, the girls take on racism and bigotry and learn who they are in the process. 

I enjoyed that Laila Sabreen, a black Muslim young woman, writes truth about the fear, sadness, and isolation in her world  - along with the truth that standing for who you are empowers the soul. This first book by a young writer is a keeper. 

MOMMAC 

The People Remember by Ibi Zoiboi and Loveis Wise - ESSENTIAL

The People Remember by Ibi Zoiboi, illustrated by Loveis Wise. PICTURE BOOK Balzer + Bray (Harper Collins), 2021 $20.00 9780062915641 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Using the principals of Kwanzaa, Ibi Zoboi lyrically tells the story of African Americans. Beginning in Africa (with an amazing poem for two voices)she writes about the slave ships, the ocean, the plantations, Harriet Tubman, emancipation, the great migration, celebrations, religion, and community. She mentions historic figures in industry, music, civil rights, literature and politics, and continues through today, recognizing the recent victims of violence. 

Zobois' debut picture book is magnificent. Like Kwame Alexander's "Undefeated", this is an important book - the histories are very brief, it is beautifully illustrated and will be a terrific addition to my picture book section. A great read anytime of year , but certainly one I will pull out with the Kwanzaa books in December.

:Lisa Librarian