THE CART THAT CARRIED MARTIN by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Don Tate. Martin Luther King Jr. used his peaceful words to help bridge the cultural and racial divide between African Americans and American Caucasians. He dedicated his life to making the world a better place and to teach love, equality, and acceptance in the hearts… Read more »
Beyond Boundaries
COUNTING BY 7’s
In Counting by 7’s by Holly Goldberg Sloan (2013 Dial), main character twelve year-old Willow Chance is a genius and she herself admits that she is strange. “But I know it and that takes the edge off. At least for me.” She’s also a young woman of color adopted and beloved by parents so white, “they… Read more »
IRA’S NEW BOOK AWARD: SOCIAL JUSTICE LITERATURE
“This award is presented to honor books that address social responsibility towards individuals, communities, societies, and/or the environment as well as invite reflection and socially responsible action by the reader.” – – IRA’s Literacy and Social Responsibility Special Interest Group What is social responsibility – what can it mean to young readers? And how does one… Read more »
DARE TO DREAM…CHANGE THE WORLD
DARE TO DREAM…CHANGE THE WORLD, edited by Jill Corcoran, illustrated by J. Beth Jepson This poetry anthology is all about the many ways individuals, including children, have changed the world. Some have been in little ways, others in big ways, courageous ways, such as the way Sylvia Mendez, when only ten years old, dared to… Read more »
“New Arrivals” – An Important Genre in the KidLit Arena
Children are children. Whether they wear a turban or track shoes, they share the same human need for a sense of belonging, acceptance, and understanding – no matter what culture they hail from. Well-crafted books are the place in which a bridge of cultural understanding can be established. Most especially, books crafted with America’s refugee… Read more »
A Conversation with Author Farhana Zia, Part 2
Farhana Zia is the author of THE GARDEN OF MY IMAAN, a middle grade novel about the challenges facing a contemporary pre-teen Muslim girl in the fifth grade. For a chance to win a free copy of the novel, send an email to: RIVET@peachtree-online.com and put “Book Give-away” in the subject line. Find the first… Read more »
Juan Felipe Herrera’s THE UPSIDE DOWN BOY
THE UPSIDE DOWN BOY (Children’s Book Press, 2000) is a picture book in verse – bilingual, Spanish and English – by California’s poet laureate, Juan Felipe Herrera and illustrated by Elizabeth Gomez. Juanito is bewildered by his new country, his new neighborhood, and especially, his new school. Everything feels upside down. His father reassures him: “Don’t… Read more »
