*Disclaimer: I received the book for free in exchange for an honest review.*
Synopsis
“Justice has grown up witnessing the many ways her grandma serves the community. She wants to make a difference in the world too, but how? Isn’t she too young?
Through conversations with her grandma and their shared love of books, Justice learns about important women and men throughout history who changed the world: Ella Baker, Shirley Chisholm, Charles Hamilton Houston, Dr. Wangari Maathai, Paul Robeson, and Ida B. Wells. Justice learns how each leader was a champion for advancing justice and improving the world, and she dreams of becoming a change maker too– “Miss Freedom Fighter, Esquire,” a superhero with a law degree and an Afro!”
Worth the purchase?
This book is very content rich. It features call to actions and history lessons for the reader. I love the book opening with Justice going to visit her grandmother and having a conversation. They weren’t watching TV, they were reading books! I know it may not seem significant, but I appreciate the imagery of a young black girl and grandmother reading books together and sharing knowledge. Justice watched how hard her grandmother worked serving her community. She was interested in helping, but wasn’t sure how because of her age. The book does a wonderful job highlighting not only the actions we can take to be impactful, but also not letting age be a roadblock. I love books that reinforce the message that young people can start being great at any age.
Feedback from the kids
The grandmother in the book gave Justice some homework. She ended up researching important black historical figures. This was the perfect opportunity to invite my 9 year old to some research. I’m trying to stick to the black history 365 days a year mantra. She didn’t have to go far because the authors included a bio section for all the important names mentioned in the book. This was certainly an unexpected bonus! The pages in the book were big, bold and beautiful. My children loved following along with the pages. My 3 year old stopped me on every page to ask me who each person was. The history facts went over her head but I kept telling her “she is important too”. My 9 year old really enjoyed the book and ended up taking it to read to her class!
Book Details
Author: Dr. Artika Tyner & Jacklyn Milton
Genre: Picture Book
Book type: Fiction
Publisher: Book Bridge Press