iNelle has lived in Monroeville, Alabama her whole life, so she knows how people there expect her to behave. But she's never felt comfortable in the frills and dresses other girls wear and would much rather climb trees or play with her slingshot than stay clean indoors. Tru is staying with relatives when he comes to town. With his fancy, big city fashions and high voice he is instantly marked as an outsider. The impeccably dressed boy and tom-boy find something in common in their love of Sherlock Holmes. Before long their pretend game of Sherlock and Watson turns into a real investigation when someone is falsely accused of a crime.


This book, based on the real-life friendship of Truman Capote and Harper Lee, contains so many gems that it's hard for a brief description to do it justice. Tru and Nelle (as they were called as children) instantly bond over their outsider status. They investigate cases while pretending to be Sherlock and Watson, hang out at the court house, write stories, and put on a memorable Halloween party. The book doesn't gloss over anything and racial prejudices, the Klan, depression, and abuse are all mentioned. These details help create an authentic sense of place. The book takes its structure from Capote and consists of a novel with a set of related short stories afterwards. Even those unfamiliar with Capote and Lee will be drawn into this story and find them easy to relate to as outsiders.

Tue & Nelle by G. Neri

Erica's Picks
4th & up
​Tags: biography, character driven, family life, friendship, historical fiction, issues fiction, LGBTQ, mystery, social justice, summer vacation

,Stunning, powerful and spiritual, this book is a poetic presentation of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s final months. The Pinkneys, who have collaborated on many fine books, join their talent, wisdom and heart to take you on an emotional journey through history.  The author's hope is "that each poem brings insight and dignity to the men and women who risked everything to end injustice, while also  painting the story of humanity's power, against all odds, to change the world by working peacefully together." The artist sought to "create visual metaphors to symbolize  how Martin embraced his own family with his love...that ultimately cast its luminescent power throughout the world." This is the most tender and moving tribute that I have seen; read this illuminating book and share Dr. King's dream.

Click here for a video of the Pinkneys talking about their inspiration.youtu.be/vv9cEm12Usg

Feminism Reinventing the f-word by Nadia Abushanab Higgens explores the history of feminism in the U.S., then goes on to highlight twenty-first-century feminists who are pushing for diverse beauty standards, improved access to reproductive control, freedom from sexual violence, LGBTQ rights, affordable health care and individual expression of femininity. After reading this book, you will be able to respond to "Am I a feminist?" with an informed voice

Tessa's Picks, 6th-8th grade, Nonfiction, Social Justice, LGBTQ

Tessa's Picks, 5th-7th grade, Nonfiction,LGBTQ, People of Color, Social Justice

Three different kids. Three times and places in the world. One mission in common. Escape

Osef is a Jewish boy living in 1930”s Nazi Germany.  With their traumatized father recently released from a camp, the family sets sail bound for Cuba. The fate of that ship is a fact of history  and a heart wrenching story of the choices that people must make in war times.

Isabel is a Cuban girl living during the riots and government repression of 1994. With her pregnant mother and family, they join another family on a leaky raft, hoping to find safety in America.  Facing drowning and sharks, they brave stormy  seas.

Mamoud is a Syrian boy in 2015.  His homeland is torn apart by violence and when the family’s apartment is bombed, they flee.  They face military violence, betrayal, near drowning and separation as they make their way to Europe.

All these families faced unimaginable dangers as well as hope for a better life.  Although separated by  decades and geography, unbelievable connections will tie their stories together.
This is an action-packed moving story that puts you in the heart of three actual happenings in the past and present.  The topics are both timely and timeless: courage, survival and the journey to find home.


Tessa's Picks, 5th-8th grade, Historical Fiction, Adventure, People of Color, Issues fiction, Social justice

Tina and her mother fled the Congo when she was five. She doesn't remember much of her life there, and her mother never talked about it. They lived as refugees, working on the estate of a rich family, the Greyhills, in Kenya until Tina's mother was murdered. Tina knows that Mr. Greyhill is the one who killed her, and she's spent the last five years since her mother's death training to become a thief with a local gang and plotting her revenge. But when that day finally comes, she's caught red-handed by Mr. Greyhill's son, her former best friend. He's convinced his father didn't kill Tina's mother, so they strike a deal to find proof. Even if that means smuggling back into the depths of a war-torn Congo. 

City of Saints and Thieves is part heist, part murder mystery, and 100% thrilling. I was completely absorbed by the setting and the characters' search for justice in a place where morality is murky and hard to find. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for an absorbing, page-turning adventure.

​City of Saints & Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson

Erica's Picks
7th & 8th Grade
Tags: ​crime caper, fast-paced, mystery, people of color, social justice

In the summer of 1944, 50 sailors, all of them African American, were tried and convicted of mutiny by the U.S. Navy. They had refused to follow a direct order of loading dangerous rockets and munitions on ships bound for battle in the Pacific after an enormous explosion had killed more than 300 of their fellow sailors and other civilians working on the dock. At the heart of this story is the rampant racism that permeated the military at all levels, leaving minority sailors and soldiers to do the drudge work almost exclusively while their white counterparts served on the front lines. Through extensive research, Sheinkin effectively re-creates both the tense atmosphere at Port Chicago before and after the disaster as well as the events that led to the men's refusal of this one particular order that they felt put them directly in harm's way. Much of the tension in this account stems from the growing frustration that readers are meant to feel as bigotry and discrimination are encountered at every turn and at every level of the military.
The attractive and user friendly format is laced with primary-source material, including interviews with the convicted sailors, court records, photographs, and other documents, all of which come together to tell a story that clearly had a huge impact on race relations in the military.
This little known event is placed in historical context with Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson, and Eleanor Roosevelt figuring in the telling.
Sheinkin, who writes non-fiction with a “you are there” immediacy, gives voice to 50 new American heroes. “ If you are not outraged, you are not paying attention.”

Tessa's Picks, Nonfiction, 6th-8th grade, Social Justice, People of Color,

A Change of Heart
By Alice Walsh
Growing up in the 1930s in Georgia, young African American Lanier Phillips lived in fear of the Ku Klux Klan. When he grew up, Phillips joined the Navy looking for a more just atmosphere. Instead he faced more racism and discrimination as the black sailors were made to do menial tasks. Tragedy took no note of skin color when the USS Truxtun was shipwrecked off the coast of Newfoundland with few survivors. Phillips was the only black man rescued and taken into the home of good Samaritans.  Never having seen a black man, they thought that the oil from the ship had seeped into his pores. When he tells them that his skin is that color he expects their treatment of him to change.  The community’s kindness and care remain constant and their affirmation of his humanity changes his outlook on life forever. He says, “I was wounded in mind and soul, but I was healed in St. Lawrence, Newfoundland .”  He went on to march for civil rights with Martin Luther King, Jr.  This remarkable true story celebrates the healing power of love and kindness.



Tessa's Picks, 2nd-5th grade, Biography, History, People if Color, Social Justice

What would you do if your family didn't have enough to eat? If they didn't have access to running water or electricity? What if you had no money to fix any of it? If you're anything like William, then you'd head to the library! In this true story, William describes how he combined knowledge gained from studying library books with scrap metal and junk to make a windmill that changed his life forever.

This book is absolutely fascinating. Of course as a librarian I'm a sucker for any story about the transformative powers of libraries. William is remarkable and hearing his story in his own words was incredibly moving. Added morals about STEM, recycling, and life in Africa make this an ideal fit for classroom reading. It's an engaging read for students on their own too.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers Edition) by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer

Erica's Picks
4th - 8th grade
Tags: Biography, Makers, Nonfiction, People of Color, Social Justice

 
The book shares the story of Fred Korematsu, a second-generation Japanese American living on the West Coast during World War II, when the United States forced immigrants and citizens alike into internment camps. Fred resisted the order, and was jailed. The ACLU took up his case, which he eventually lost. He lost more than just the case. Many Japanese Americans turned on him, and he was officially considered a convicted felon. More than 40 years later, the ACLU decided to try his case again after finding new documents showing that the government had lied in his original case… and this time they won, setting an important precedent going forward. Fred knew what was happening was wrong and stood up against it. He was a changemaker.
Here’s an excerpt from the main text:
"Fred challenged something
he thought was unfair.
                                                                               He spoke up–
                                                                               for himself
                                                                              and for all Japanese Americans,
                                                                              even when no one stood with him.
                                                                              It was not easy.
                                                                              But Fred fought
                                                                              to make the United States–
                                                                              his country–
                                                                              a fairer place.
                                                                              And he won.
                                                                              We all won."
I love the lyrical, spare text of the book. I love the engaging layout and design featuring illustrations, full-color photos, definitions of terms, and historical timelines. There are also sidebars and pullout boxes that explain concepts in greater detail and add context. In addition to nonfiction text features such source notes, bibliography, photo and text credits, and an index, the book also includes a fantastic section about how readers can stand up for social justice themselves.
I urge you to check this one out for the children in your life, for yourself, for our country, and for ALL of its citizens.
(Review by L. Thompson)

Tessa's Picks
3rd through 8th grade, History, People of Color, Social Justice.