Becoming Critically Literate

  Description from the publisher: " Discover both the past   and  present day's fight to vote with Quetta Little as she learns the power of casting your vote in this ideal picture book from acclaimed author Leah Henderson and illustrator Keisha Morris. The perfect companion for any young reader during election year! It’s Election Day, and Quetta, her mother, and her grandmother embark on their journey to cast their vote. Trekking through their vibrant neighborhood, they meet obstacle after obstacle before—and after—reaching their voting station. Unwilling to give up, Quetta’s mother and grandmother teach her about the importance of voting and those who fought for their right—and Quetta comes to discover the power of raising her voice. With warm illustrations, engaging text, and insightful timeline,  Your Voice, Your Vote  will inspire readers to embrace this civic duty in the face of today’s continued fight for voting rights." Text Features:  Realistic fict...

  Description from the publisher: " Rise Up and Write It  combines a celebration of civic engagement with the hands-on fun of real pull-out examples of activism tools and is sure to encourage young readers to want to get up and get involved. The book comes complete with a pull-out letter to the mayor, a ready-to-sign petition, a community meeting poster, a protest sign—and more! When Farah Patel realizes that the butterflies have disappeared from her neighborhood, she discovers that it’s likely because there aren’t enough flowers to attract them. She can’t help but think, “This isn’t right.” Luckily enough, Grove Hills is looking for ideas on what to do with the empty lot next door. And Farah has the perfect one—make it into a community garden to bring back a little green to their block! But when Farah finds out that she isn’t the only one with a plan for the future of Grove Hills, she’ll have to turn to her community for help. Open the six envelopes inside to f...

  Description from the publisher: "Visit a truly special street bursting with joy, hope, and dreams. Inspired by the neighborhood where they grew up as cousins, this gorgeous picture book from an award-winning illustrator and critically acclaimed author is the perfect gift or keepsake for every generation.   Welcome to Dream Street--the best street in the world!  Jump rope with Azaria--can you Double Dutch one leg at a time?  Dream big with Ede and Tari, who wish to create a picture book together one day. Say hello with Mr. Sidney, a retired mail carrier who greets everyone with the words, " Don't wait to have a great day. Create one!"  On Dream Street, love between generations rules, everyone is special, and the warmth of the neighborhood shines.   A magical story from the critically acclaimed author of  Nana Akua Goes to School  and a Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award winning illustrator. Illuminating this vivid cast of characters are...

  From the publisher: "Why are our skin colors different? What makes skin brown? Why are grown-ups mean to each other?  Five-year-olds have a lot of questions about skin color. And they're not always easy to answer.    With Different Differenter, Jyoti Gupta uses simple, age-appropriate explanations and 14 fun activities to help elementary schoolers discover answers to questions that often originate with skin color and lead up to cultural, ethnic, racial, and class- or caste-based differences. “Dismantling colorism is central to dismantling racism,” says Jyoti. “So why doesn’t every child know a key word like melanin?”    Drawing on her experience as a racial-literacy educator, mediamaker, and activist, Jyoti helps her readers understand the factual information about skin color and its related concepts that is missing from everyday conversations. She also gives her readers creative, play-based tools to challenge colorist narratives and cultivate healthy rel...

  Book description from the publisher:  " An inspiring look at young climate change activists who are changing the world The world is facing a climate crisis like we’ve never seen before. And kids around the world are stepping up to raise awareness and try to save the planet. As people saw in the youth climate strike in September 2019, kids will not stay silent about this subject—they’re going to make a change. Meet 12 young activists from around the world who are speaking out and taking action against climate change. Learn about the work they do and the challenges they face, and discover how the future of our planet starts with each and every one of us." Text Features:  Features 12 true stories of children who are environmental change makers Hybrid narrative and expository nonfiction text Critical Literacy Suggestions: Read & Discuss:   As you read about each child's story, pause to reflect on and discuss the following questions: What environmental harm is descr...