Early Elementary

TFC REVIEW: A young girl's family experiences joy and celebration as black South Africans win the right to vote. Informative, touching and jubilant. A wonderful text for a lesson on voting, democratic action, and as a comparison to social movements in the United States.

TFC REVIEW: A young girl tells the story of the Greensboro sit ins. Like Skarmeta in the The Composition, Weatherford does a fantastic job presenting political struggle through the eyes of a child — when Connie’s father says Dr. King is coming to town, Connie asks, "who’s sick?," confusing him for a medical doctor. When Dr. King preaches, "she likes his booming voice" but doesn’t understand all of his speech. The fact that Dr. King provides encouragement in this struggle, while Connie’s siblings and neighbors are actors, will help children understand social movements beyond heroes. Connie’s family is middle/professional class and — educators might discuss the unique role of students in social movements. This book is a great introduction to the Civil Rights Movement and also has notes of complexity — Connie’s aunt from New York doesn’t have time for the "silly rules" of the South, and a white woman congratulates the A&T boys at the lunch counter. These figures allow for a discussion of complexities of geography and race. Weatherford offers accompanying lesson plans.

TFC REVIEW: In this original trickster tale, Senor Calavera arrives unexpectedly at Grandma Beetle's door. He requests that she leave with him right away. "Just a minute," Grandma Beetle tells him. She still has one house to sweep, two pots of tea to boil, three pounds of corn to make into tortillas -- and that's just the start! Using both Spanish and English words to tally the party preparations, Grandma Beetle cleverly delays her trip and spends her birthday with a table full of grandchildren and her surprise guest. This spirited tribute to the rich traditions of Mexican culture is the perfect introduction to counting in both English and Spanish. The vivacious illustrations and universal depiction of a family celebration are sure to be adored by young readers everywhere.

TFC REVIEW: Davey is new at school, and as his classmates learn, he's blind. In this moving text, Davey's classmates learn how much Davey can do on his own, and Davey learns that just like other kids, sometimes its okay to ask for help.

TFC REVIEW: Meet Danitra Brown is the tribute of one Black American girl, Zuri, to her best friend Danitra. Through thirteen rhyming poems, Grimes introduces themes of friendship, loyalty and sticking up for oneself. Danitra helps Zuri feel pride in her single-parent family: " 'You've got it good,' Danitra says when I am sad. 'Your mama loves you twice as much. Is that so bad?'" Danitra develops some of her own rhyme schemes, so that this book can help young writers acquire tools for powerful self-expression. Beautiful illustrations present everyday moments in an African-American community.

TFC REVIEW: One is a gorgeous book that renews the simple and powerful message of strength in numbers. It has wondrously broad appeal -- it is appropriate for preschoolers (and reinforces concepts like colors and counting!) and early adolescents, as a metaphor through which they may discuss their social roles and relationships. We meet a small blue drop who sometimes wishes he could be more sunny like yellow, more bright like green, etc. Red is a hot-headed color who runs the other colors over and makes Blue feel bad about himself. One comes to town and helps the colors turn into numbers, adding up into a group that takes Red on -- and even convinces Red to join them. One models and celebrates organizing and empathy. An essential text.

TFC REVIEW: A beautiful story told from the perspective of a young African American girl growing up in a rural area where adults tell black children and white children not to play together. Clover becomes curious about a lonely white girl who lives on the other side of her family's fence, and makes a bold move in deciding to join the girl on the fence. Clover becomes a leader, as her African-American friends who were hesitant decide to sit on the fence too, hoping that some day someone might knock it down. An excellent text for introducing the history of segregation or sparking discussion about leadership and seeking commonalities. Can be paired with other stories about inclusion, such as Moss's Say Something and Otoshi's One. Also see Woodson's Coming On Home Soon.

TFC REVIEW: Say Something has become an anchor text for bullying prevention campaigns around the country. A young girl initially feels satisfied that she does not participate when she witnesses teasing. When the teasing turns on her, she decides she can no longer be a bystander. The final page of the story in which she talks to the girl who sits alone on the bus affirms small, every-day actions as part of social change. The illustrations in this book present children of many skin tones and body types -- among the most beautifully illustrated and true to life portrayals of a diverse student body.