Tag: anti-racism

REVIEW: Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

REVIEW: Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lula Dean is on a crusade to rid the town libraries of “pornography.” It doesn’t matter that the erotic cookbook was put on a shelf as a prank. Lula has found her calling.

Beverly Underwood has been Lula Dean’s long-time nemesis. And as the head of the school board, Beverly has a front row seat as Lula and her “Concerned Parents Committee” attack the various school and public libraries with their “righteous” intensions. And the townsfolks are ready to watch the “filth” burn. Beverly is blindsided by the whole thing. But her college-aged daughter, Lindsay, is inspired to action.

In the dark of night, Lindsay swaps out the prim books in Lula’s Little Free Library for the banned titles confiscated from Lula’s crusade, setting them inside the jackets of Lula’s “approved” titles.

And then people in the town start reading those banned books – without Lula noticing.

Review

What a brilliant story! Once the premise is set up, most of the chapters focus on one person and one book from Lula’s library – and how reading that book changes something for them. It’s a series of fascinating short stories from a variety of perspectives.

Positioned around those vignettes is the larger story of Lula, Beverly, and the town. It’s stunning – like watching something get woven together. In the end as the threads are finally pulled taut, you see the whole picture come together in a way that is nothing short of brilliant. It’s a creative structure that elevates an excellent story to a whole other level. (I feel the same way about The Candymakers for kids.)

This is thought-provoking – and funny. But it’s also grim at times. I was captivated by the folks in this town and the way books influenced families and kids and siblings and spouses. The ending is supremely satisfying – including an epilogue from 2034 that was more than I even hoped for.

This will definitely be one of the top reads for me in 2024!

(Language, some sexual content. TW: racism, homophobia, rape, gun violence, suicide, white supremacy/Christian nationalism)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ – Outstanding!

HOLIDAY: June 19, 2024, Juneteenth

HOLIDAY: June 19, 2024, Juneteenth

Posted on by Jaymie

In honor of the Juneteenth holiday today, I am going to direct you to 3 books that stand out in my mind from my reading over the last few years about race and racism:

Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation As an Exercise in Hope (♥♥♥♥♥) – I didn’t post a full review of this, but I thought it was outstanding! I highly recommend this one.

 

 

 

 

Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor (♥♥♥♥½) – You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

 

The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church’s Complicity in Racism (♥♥♥♥♥) – You can read my full review here.

REVIEW: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel Acho

REVIEW: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel Acho

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Roaring Brook Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

Emmanuel Acho is the creator behind the video series and book titled Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man. This book takes some of the questions and topics from the adult content and formats them for kids 10 and up. Each chapter introduces a concept with a question. Then some history is given (“Let’s Rewind”) and the talk gets frank (“Let’s Get Uncomfortable”). Finally there are suggestions for what to do to take action about a particular concept (“Talk It, Walk It). Topics include things like the N-word/language, history of Blacks in America, bias, “color blindness,” privilege, the Confederate flag, systemic racism, and “reverse racism.”

The tone is conversational; I could actually hear the author’s speaking voice as I read. He never talks down to readers and often adopts a coaching tone, which I loved. But because of the seriousness of the topic, some of the material is heavy and intense. Struggling readers may need some assistance – reading chunks at a time, discussion groups/family conversation – to push through all of the material. And it is absolutely worth pushing through! This is an exceptionally good resource for kids, teens, and adults, including school personnel, pastors, youth workers, and helping professionals.

There are no citations in the text for some of the history and statistics the author gives, but there are references listed in the backmatter. There are also suggestions of other materials – books, documentaries – to go deeper. This is a starting point resource, not the be-all-end-all discussion of race and racism. But the history and context given makes this an excellent foundation to build on. As an adult, I found the history enlightening (and alarming), and the conversation frank and helpful. When I talk about race and racism with other adults, there are common refrains from those who do not believe racism is still an issue, those who want to “move on.” This includes terrific talking points and responses for people of all ages looking to grow in their understanding and practice of anti-racism.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++*

* ♥♥♥♥♥+++ = Best of the best!

 

REVIEW: A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

REVIEW: A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Clarion Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Sara and Elizabeth meet at an afterschool cooking club at Sara’s new school. Her mom is teaching the class South Asian cuisine, and Elizabeth is taking it with her best friend, Maddy.

Sara’s struggling at the new school. Before this she went to a Muslim school. She knew all of her peers and felt like she fit in. Now, there are hundreds of other sixth graders, and even more 7th and 8th graders on top of that. Sara’s not sure she will ever fit in here.

Elizabeth and Maddy have been best friends for years, but ever since Elizabeth went away to summer camp, Maddy’s been more interested in being friends with another, more popular girl. With Elizabeth’s mom struggling with her grandmother’s death, things at home are strained, and now things at school are, too.

But Sara and Elizabeth find common ground at the cooking club. Sara might not like to cook, but she’s knowledgeable and skilled. Elizabeth loves the recipes they are cooking. And both girls, for different reasons, are coaching their mothers through the American citizenship curriculum. Maybe the moms could become friends, pass their tests, and life could get better – for both families.

Review

Outstanding! I loved this! Sara’s prickly at the start – at school and at home – so it takes a bit to warm up to her. But once I did, I adored the frank relationship she and Elizabeth have together, the freedom they have to ask religious and cultural questions of each other. (Elizabeth is Jewish, and her mom is British. Sara’s family is from Pakistan, and they are Muslim.)

All the threads – food, family, friendship, culture, anti-racism – are perfectly woven together. All of the pieces are kept in balance, and I loved every bit of it.

This is an excellent middle school friendship story that I think works for both older elementary and middle school students. The racism/anti-racism pieces are unambiguous, but also age appropriate for readers at the younger end of the range. There are creative elements with the food and cooking as well as Sara’s art that will appeal to kids. Mental health and mental illness (depression) are talked about in an age-appropriate way as well. This would be an excellent addition to classroom and home libraries as well as for reading aloud at school or at home. (Mental health/Depression)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥