Mary Ellen Oslick, Tracey Hodges, Jeanne Gilliam Fain, Bethany Scullin, Lesli Morris, and Emily Reed
 
This second column on the 2024 Notable Books for a Global Society features picture books and novels that are informative and intriguing. Committee members are delighted to share their reviews of the award winners. Members of the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group will find additional resources such as teaching suggestions and related books in the spring 2024 Dragon Lode article.

Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior. Carole Lindstrom. Illus. by Bridget George. (2023). Roaring Brook.
Anishinaabe/Métis author Carole Lindstrom’s poetic texts and Anishinaabe artist Bridget George’s stunning illustrations bring to life the story of water warrior and activist Autumn Peltier (b. 2004) and her great-aunt, Josephine Henrietta Mandamin (1942-2019), told from the perspective of water itself. Indigenous water protectors traditionally care for and ensure clean water for seven generations into the future. Following colonization, the water was not as clean as it used to be. That is until Josephine fought for water rights by walking the circumference of Lake Superior taking 35 days (the full story is detailed in the back matter). Josephine taught and inspired future water warriors. Her great-niece Autumn Peltier meets with leaders all over the world, including the United Nations, advocating for Indigenous and water rights as she looks seven generations into the future. Back matter includes additional information on Josephine Mandamin and Autumn Peltier and their environmental activism. (PreK Up)
—LM

Breaking to the Beat! Linda J. Acevedo. Illus. by Frank Morrison. (2023). Lee & Low.
The cacophony of rhythm and sounds of 1970s Bronx is captured on the pages of Linda J. Acevedo’s debut picture book complemented by Frank Morrison’s expressive acrylic artwork. Readers follow Manolo from his Puerto Rican roots listening to the beats of the conga to battling for hip-hop pride on the streets. As his neighborhood crumbles around him due to negligent landlords and corrupt politicians, he practices his moves and finds his groove. “Foot work of the TOPROCK. / Drop of the SIX-STEP. / Pose of the BABY FREEZE” until he is known as KID FLEX. Combining all types of dance moves, Manolo and some friends form the dance crew Borinquén Breakers, eventually dancing for the whole world to see in the 1980s. In an afterword, Acevedo explains that Manolo is a composite of the breakers and dance crew members of the time period. The back matter includes a glossary of break-dancing terms, an author’s note, acknowledgments, and sources for learning more about breaking. (PreK Up)
—LM

Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series. Traci Sorell. Illus. by Arigon Starr. (2023). Kokila.
The true story of Charles Bender (1884-1954) and John Meyers (1880-1971), the first Indigenous professional baseball players to play against each other in a World Series, comes to life in Traci Sorell’s picture book. Enduring the racial slurs of newspapers and baseball fans throughout their careers, Charles (Ojibwe-German American) and John (Cahuilla-German American) were no strangers to adversity. As a child, Charles was sent to an Indian boarding school in Philadelphia that forced him to assimilate into white culture and religion, while John was raised on a reservation by a single mother in Southern California. Both grew up loving to play baseball and made it to the major league. Charles became a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and John a catcher for the New York Giants. Contenders tells the story of Charles and John and their facing each other in the 1911 World Series, but it also tells the story of the continual degradation of Indigenous peoples especially in sports. Back matter includes an author’s note, a time line, sources of quotes, and resources readers can explore to learn more about the significance of the 1911 World Series and the impact Bender and Meyers had on baseball. (PreK Up)
—LM

Eagle Drums. Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson. (2023). Roaring Brook.
Readers learn the origin of the Iñupiaq Messenger Feast, a Native Alaskan tradition, in this middle-grade magical realism novel. Young Piŋa is helping his family prepare for winter when he meets the eagle god, Savik, at the top of a mountain and is forced to follow him on an arduous journey to the home of the eagle gods. Once there, Savik and the Eagle Mother teach him to create drums, use songs to share stories, choreograph dances, work with others, and finally construct a qalgi (a place for community activities), all these lessons necessary for him to carry out Eagle Mother’s condition for letting him go back to his family. He has two winters to construct a new qalgi and invite strangers to a feast with song and dance. In an author’s note, Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson shares that this story has been passed down orally for generations and that she was inspired to write Eagle Drums after attending her first Messenger Feast. (Gr 3 Up)
—MEO

Finally Seen. Kelly Yang. (2023). Simon & Schuster.
Lina Gao, a ten-year-old Chinese girl, feels like she is the “left behind girl.” She has been living in Beijing with her grandmother for the past five years while her parents immigrated to America to study and build a new life. Lina, who is teased by her classmates in China for being abandoned by her family, finally gets to join her family in Los Angeles. However, life in the U.S. is not what she expected. She struggles with speaking English, connecting with her parents and younger sister, and missing her grandmother. She learns that life in America is not as wonderful as she had been led to believe. Her family has faced hardships earning enough money to pay for rent and food, learning who they can trust, and enduring racism. This engaging story shares the experiences of many immigrant families and reconciles with the challenges faced by those left behind and those working to build a better life. Kelly Yang’s author’s note provides the relatable inspiration for this story. (Gr 3 Up)
—TH

Game of Freedom: Mestre Bimba and the Art of Capoeira. Duncan Tonatiuh. (2023). Abrams.
Duncan Tonatiuh offers readers a powerful, carefully constructed biography of Manoel Dos Reis Machado (1899-1974), known as Mestre Bimba, who cared deeply about elevating the street game of capoeira in which many formerly enslaved Africans in Brazil participated. He invited everyone around capoeira, including upper-class Brazilian society members and government officials, to see its beauty and value beyond the local community. Capoeira precisely integrates acrobatics, martial arts, dance, and music. Mestre Bimba created a school with specific regulated rules in an effort to teach capoeira at a high level in order so participants could develop their craft and everyone would honor and respect the game. Strong back matter includes a glossary (with pronunciation guide), an extensive author’s note with different origin stories of capoeira and photographs, endnotes, and a bibliography. (Gr 3 Up)
—JFG

The Girl Who Heard the Music: How One Pianist and 85,000 Bottles and Cans Brought New Hope to an Island. Marni Fogelson & Mahani Teave. Illus. by Marta Álvarez Miguéns. (2023). Sourcebooks eXplore.
Imagine living 1,000 miles away from any other place. That is where a girl named Mahani lived on an island called Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island. A talented musician, she grew up taking music lessons on the island's only piano. After many years, Mahani moved away to become a concert pianist. As Mahani toured the world, her island always remained close to her heart. She wanted to help the island that struggled with ocean trash. When she returned to Rapa Nui, she had a bigger dream of saving the island by creating a music school with recycled trash. While other children experienced music for themselves at the school, the building also supported solar panels and a food garden. The back matter includes information on the island's culture, their people, and how the citizens used recycling and conservation to improve their island. (PreK Up)
—ER

Good Different. Meg Eden Kuyatt. (2023). Scholastic.
Written as a novel in verse, this extraordinary book tells the story of a neurodivergent girl who comes to understand and celebrate her differences. Readers will feel the pain and turmoil Selah goes through as she struggles to be one person in school and another person at home and feels she needs to wear a mask to hide her true self. One day she reaches a tipping point and hits another student. Her friends pull away, and the school threatens to expel her. Her world of rules and comfort begins to fade away. As Selah begins to figure out who she is, she comes to understand that different doesn’t mean damaged; it just means different. Using poetry to express her feelings, she finds that these poems connect her to fellow classmates in powerful ways and discovers the value of being open and vulnerable. (Gr 3 Up)
—ER

Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine. Hannah Moushabeck. Illus. by Reem Madooh. (2023). Chronicle.
Hannah, along with her two sisters, loves to listen to her father’s nightly stories, especially the ones about visiting his grandparents in the Old City of Jerusalem. This autobiographical picture book highlights her father’s stories, showing life in Jerusalem, rich in Palestinian culture and experiences. The story balances fun moments like street vendors and family times with the heartbreaking reality of being unable to return to their homeland. Throughout the book, pigeons emerge as powerful symbols of peace and are a recurring theme connecting to Palestinian hopes. Inviting illustrations help convey a story about family, tradition, and identity, offering a perspective that is meaningful and relevant today. The book ends with a glossary, a note from the author, and family photos that ground Homeland in real experiences and make it a timely read. (PreK Up)
—BS

Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter. Aida Salazar. Illus. by Molly Mendoza. (2023). Scholastic.
This is the true story of Jovita Valdovinos (1911-1996), who grew up wearing big skirts and dreaming of having the freedom to wear pants like her brothers in the 1910s in rural Mexico. She was a true heroine who didn't fit into her time period. When her Papá joined the revolutionary Criteros fighting for their rights against the Federation, Jovita wanted to be a soldier too. Jovita continually had to fight for her rights as a young woman and was often refused the right to participate in the civil rights fights. Jovita then decided to take matters into her own hands and she forced her skirts into her bloomers and used them as "pants." After several family members were killed by the government, she would not let the conventions of the times hold her back. She cut her long hair, wore overalls, and a straw hat and became a revolutionary known as Juan. Back matter includes an extensive “More About Jovita” section with captioned photographs, and author’s and illustrator’s notes. (PreK Up)
 —JGF

​Mèo and Bé. Doan Phuong Ngyuen. Illus. by Jesse White. (2023). Lee & Low.
Set in Vietnam during the 1960s, Mèo and Bé is a heart-wrenching tale of hanging on to hope despite abandonment and betrayal. When the war comes to their city, Bé and her mother move into her father’s home as his illegitimate daughter and mistress. Big Mother, her stepmother, frequently takes out her jealousy and anger on Bé, especially after Bé’s mother is driven out of the house. Bé stops talking and works as a servant in her own home but finds solace in caring for an injured kitten that she names Mèo. Big Mother eventually sells Bé, who manages to escape a life of captivity with other imprisoned young girls and women during a violent uprising. Somehow Bé is able to hold on to her beloved Mèo and even makes a new friend, Ngân, who becomes a sister to her and helps her find her voice again. (Gr 6 Up)
—MEO

​Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertransport. (2023). Caren Stelson. Illus. by Selina Alko. (2023). Carolrhoda.
“War.” The words escaped from our father’s lips. War. We knew the word, but what would war mean for us? We were soon to find out.” Imagine having to make the gut-wrenching decision to put your child on a train, not knowing if you will ever see them again. Imagine watching that train lurch forward with your child as you wave until the train disappears down the tracks. This seemingly impossible scene is what Jewish parents experienced in Czechoslovakia in 1938, before the start of World War II. This story, told from the perspective of a child fleeing their home as a refugee, shares the experience of the Kindertransport that Nickolas Winton helped organize and whose Winton’s heroic efforts saved 669 Czechoslovakian Jewish children from the Nazis. The back matter contains six pages dedicated to historical background information, a detailed timeline, author’s and illustrator’s notes, source notes, a selected bibliography, and recommended further reading. (Gr 3 Up)
—BS

Warrior Girl Unearthed. Angeline Boulley. (2023). Henry Holt.
Heists, a team of self-proclaimed misfits, and a legal battle combine for a heart-pounding mystery set in the world readers came to love in The Firekeepers Daughter (2021). Perry Firekeeper-Birch, “niece” to Daunis, is looking forward to a summer of fishing and few responsibilities. After she wrecks Auntie Daunis’ jeep, her “Summer of Slack” changes to a summer of responsibility. To repay her Auntie, she takes an internship at the local tribal museum working for Cooper Turtle, a polarizing advocate for funereal artifacts. Perry learns of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) which seeks to return stolen artifacts, many of which are displayed in universities or museums, to their native tribes. Interweaving laws and well-researched history, Angeline Boulley takes Perry and readers on an adventure to reclaim her Anishinaabe heritage and become an advocate in this fast-paced mystery that will keep readers hooked until the very end. (Gr 9-12)
—TH

​Mary Ellen Oslick, Chair of the 2024 NBGS Committee, is an associate professor at Stetson University, DeLand, FL. Tracey Hodges is the owner of The Empowering Advocate, LLC, in Austin, TX. Jeanne Gilliam Fain is a professor at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. Bethany Scullin is an associate professor at the University of West Georgia, Carroltton, GA. Lesli Morris is a teacher specialist at Canyons School District in West Jordan, UT. Emily Reed is a Literacy Specialist at Northern York County School District in Dillsburg, PA. 

​Mary Ellen Oslick, Tracey Hodges, Bethany Scullin, Lesli Morris, Emily Reed
 
In this first of two columns, members of the 2024 Notable Books for a Global Society committee proudly present reviews of 12 of the 25 outstanding books for readers in PreK to 12th grades from this year’s list. These books, which vary in genre and format, represent multicultural literature at its finest, amplifying diverse voices and illuminating stories. 

The Artivist. Nikkolas Smith. (2023). Kokila.
Inspired by his own journey from artist and activist to artivist, Nikkolas Smith’s picture book The Artivist is a visually stunning masterpiece depicting a better world for all. The narrator is a Black child who is told he is an artist because he likes to paint and also an activist because he wants to help his community and “seed goodness in the world.” He shows the reader some problems in the world through a series of images depicting homelessness, voter suppression, and pollution in our oceans. The child combines his artistic and activistic sides to paint messages of hope for the world: love, clean water, protection of children from gun violence, justice, and more. Nikkolas Smith leaves the reader with the question, “What change will you create?” Each time readers open The Artivist, they will discover new depths of imagery on each page. (PreK Up)
—LM

Dancing Hands: A Story of Friendship in Filipino Sign Language. Joanna Que & Charina Marquez. Trans. by Karen Llagas. Illus. by Fran Alvarez.  (2023). Chronicle.
The allure of a new friend can make certain things like communicating in the same language seem trivial. A new family moves into Sam’s neighborhood, and she is intrigued to see a girl her age, Mai, using her “dancing hands” to talk to her family members. After a series of accidentally-on-purpose meetings, Sam and Mai become friends, and Mai teaches Sam how to make her hands dance in Filipino Sign Language (FSL). They work through their initial miscommunications and eventually share their dreams for the future—Mai wants to be a teacher, and Sam wants to protect the Earth. The back matter for Dancing Hand, originally published in the Philippines, includes information about Filipino Sign Language (FSL) and how it is different from American Sign Language (ASL) as well as sign languages around the world and a visual glossary of FSL words. The endpapers display images of Mai and Sam signing with English and Filipino translations. (PreK Up) 
—MEO

Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust. Elisa Boxer. Illus. by Amy June Bates. (2023). Abrams.
“Hate has a way of bringing out heroes.” As a teenager, Jacqueline Gauthier worked for the French Resistance during World War II fighting against the Nazis and protecting Jewish families. With cover as a social worker helping children, she was able to deliver false identity papers to Jews in the hidden compartment of a toy duck. “After all, who would suspect that a wooden duck with an orange beak and wheels and wings hid such a deep secret?” In this picture book based on a true story, readers learn of Jacqueline’s heroic acts of bravery and compassion; she was able to save over two hundred lives during the war. Readers also become privy to another secret—Jacqueline is really Judith Geller, a Jewish girl with her own false identity papers. The extensive back matter includes notes from the author and the illustrator and a bibliography with websites, testimonies, interviews, articles, and books listed. (PreK Up) 
—MEO

How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee. Carole Boston Weatherford. Illus. by Frank Morrison. (2023). Candlewick.
This picture book biography immerses readers in the inspiring journey of eighth-grader MacNolia Cox (1923-1976) from Akron, Ohio, to becoming the first African American finalist in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Along with highlighting MacNolia's talent and determination, the story details the stark prejudices and discrimination she faced. When MacNolia and Elizabeth Kenney, another Black competitor, participated in the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D. C., in 1936, they were required to enter the competition stage through the back door and were seated at a card table apart from the white student contestants. Her story is a testament to courage and resilience educating readers about past injustices and celebrating the strength to challenge and rise above them. Carole Boston Weatherford’s provides a context for the story with a foreword and an epilogue about the Scripps National Spelling Bee and the history of the fight to integrate spelling bees in the United States. A bibliography is included. (Grade 3 Up)
—BS

The Lost Year. Katherine Marsh. (2023). Roaring Brook.
Thirteen-year-old Matthew is miserable. His father is overseas and his mother has just moved his 101-year-old great-grandmother in with them to finish out the time of the Covid pandemic. Like many others, he feels stressed and isolated. His mom even takes away his video game, and asks him to spend time with his great-grandmother. In an attempt to start a conversation, he asks about her past. Clues begin to unravel as Matthew finds a photograph and other items that are pieces to his great-grandmother's life growing up during the Holodomor, the Ukrainian famine. The book is written from different points of view and in alternating timelines connecting the present day to the  1930s and the United States to the Soviet Union. This novel inspired by the author’s family history is a page turner about secrets, survival, family, and sacrifice. The reader’s heart will beat fast as the mystery of Matthew’s great-grandmother’s life story is slowly revealed. (Gr 6 Up)
—ER

Mascot. Charles Waters & Traci Sorell. (2023). Charlesbridge.
 “Be strong. Be visible. Educate allies and keep them busy reaching out to others.” An eighth-grade English class is assigned to research and debate one of the most charged issues facing their suburban community: Should the school’s mascot, the Braves, be changed? Ms. Williams, the teacher, selects the side each student is to defend and pairs them with another student arguing the opposing side. Readers get to examine the issue from the perspectives of six students with diverse family backgrounds in short chapters in verse. Not everyone believes the mascot should be changed, and the students provide a wide variety of persuasive arguments for each side of the debate. As the story unfolds, each student must challenge their beliefs and those of their classmates. Back matter includes information and resources: Words to Know (Cherokee and Salvadoran Spanish), the history of Native people as mascots and advocacy against their use, and acknowledgments. (Gr 6 Up)
—TH

Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir. Pedro Martín. (2023). Dial.
Pedro Martín’s parents and eight brothers and sisters are taking a road trip down to Jalisco, Mexico, to pick up his abuelito to live with them in Watsonville, California.  As a first generation Mexican American, preteen Pedro has his own identity struggles. Is he American enough? Is he losing his Mexican heritage? Now, coming face to face with his legendary abuelito, a former fighter in the Mexican Revolution, Pedro worries that he is not tough enough to be part of his family. This graphic memoir balances the hijinks of a family’s Winnebago road trip in 1977 and the heartache of a man leaving the only home and people he has ever known. Despite their language barrier (Abuelito knows little English and Pedro prefers to speak English), the two connect during this time together and come to realize all they share. (Gr 3 Up)
—MEO

My Powerful Hair. Carole Lindstrom. Illus. by Steph Littlebird. (2023). Abrams
This remarkable picture book is a celebration of hair and its significance across Indigenous cultures. The narrator, a young girl, relates the length of her hair with events of her life. She can’t wait to have her hair grow long and to feel a connection to her culture, the Earth, and the people who came before her. Learning to fish with Nimishoomis (her grandfather), celebrating the birth of her baby brother, being taught how to make moccasins by her cousins, having her hair braided to dance at Pow Wow by Aunti Delia, and cutting her hair now past her waist in length when Nimishoomis dies—all of these are key events woven into her hair and are such a beautiful part of her. The illustrations visually express the beauty and strength that hair possesses for Indigenous cultures. This story reflects traditions, celebration. and recognition of the importance of belonging and culture. Back matter includes a note on the significance of hair in Indigenous cultures, an Ojibwe glossary, and an author’s note. (PreK Up)
—ER

Remember Us. Jacqueline Woodson. (2023). Nancy Paulsen.
“When the thing we remember is gone, I wondered, what do we have left to remember it by?” In this short and poignant novel taking place over one year, Jacqueline Woodson explores the remembrance of childhood while simultaneously letting go of the past. Black 11-year-old Sage lives in “The Matchbox,” a run-down section of Brooklyn where houses are burning down, and waits for the day her own home will burn. She spends her time playing basketball better than all the neighborhood boys and exploring the familiar streets with her best friend, Freddy. However, their friend Jacob dies when his house burns down in the summer, and Sage discovers that the neighborhood isn’t as safe for her as she once thought. In the end, she reflects on that summer acknowledging “that time soothes the sharp sting of pain. Until only the soft and hazy edges of the hurt are remembered.” (Gr 6-8)
—LM

Saints of the Household. Ari Tison. (2023). Farrar Straus Giroux.
Saints of the Household is a compelling exploration of brotherhood, resilience, and the search for identity. The novel follows Max and Jay, two Bribri American brothers trying to deal with the aftermath of a violent incident they were involved in set against their struggles with family abuse and their cultural heritage. Alternating narratives of Max’s vignettes and Jay’s poems tell their story, offering a raw and insightful look into the complexities of their lives during their last year in high school in a small town in Minnesota. This novel stands out for its honest portrayal of challenging themes such as abuse, recovery, and moral integrity as it captures the essence of the Bribri (Indigenous Coast Rican) culture and the brothers' journeys toward understanding and healing. With its combination of depth and straightforward narrative, the book makes a notable contribution to young adult literature. This thoughtful and engaging story highlights the power of family bonds and personal growth. (Gr 9-12)
–BS

Tenacious: Fifteen Adventures Alongside Disabled Athletes. Patty Cisneros Prevo. Illus. by Dion MBD. (2023). Lee & Low.
Patty Cisneros Prevo, a Paralympian who competes in basketball, provides profiles of 15 athletes, including a blind downhill skier, an adaptive surfer, and a wheelchair basketball player, who are tops in their sports and have set world records, won medals and championships, and accomplished many other amazing achievements. Each entry includes an introductory verse, a brief biography, and the athlete’s expression of their “daily challenge” and “daily joy” as an athlete with a disability set against a background illustration of the individual engaged in their sport. The back matter includes an author’s note, a section on the preferred language in the book, resources, glossary, timeline of the Paralympics, and bibliography. (PreK Up)
—ER

That Flag. Tameka Fryer Brown. Illus. by Nikkolas Smith. (2023). Harper.
Is a flag a “symbol of violence and oppression” or “a celebration of courage and pride”? This stunning picture book examines two friends’ different understandings of what is represented by the Confederate flag. Keira, a young Black girl, treasures her friendship with Bianca, a young white girl. Keira says they are just alike as they share interests and spend time together, but their friendship faces one glaring challenge. Bianca’s home displays a Confederate flag. Ater their class takes a field trip to the Southern Legacy Museum where the students learn about the history of that flag, Keira talks with her parents about the history of racism and views a TV broadcast the next day of a tragedy involving the shooting of two Black people. The friends must reckon with their beliefs and decide if their friendship can endure. This tender portrayal of a divisive topic provides young readers with an introduction to the racist history symbolized by the Confederate flag. Back matter includes additional information about the Confederate flag, author’s and illustrator’s notes, and source note and recommended reading. (PreK Up)
—TH

Mary Ellen Oslick, Chair of the 2024 NBGS Committee, is an associate professor at Stetson University, DeLand, FL. Tracey Hodges is the owner of The Empowering Advocate, LLC, in Austin, TX. Bethany Scullin is an associate professor at the University of West Georgia, Carroltton, GA. Lesli Morris is a teacher specialist at Canyons School District in West Jordan, UT. Emily Reed is a Literacy Specialist at Northern York County School District in Dillsburg, PA.