Our current consciousness remains focused on social injustices in the world. While issues such as immigration and climate change have been in the forefront for a while, the injustice of underrepresented groups is now receiving more attention. Many of this season’s selections address this last topic. While racial injustice was central to 2020, the writing approach of these books ensures that they will remain relevant for quite some time. Each series approaches the issue from a different angle or with a different audience in mind, meaning there is something here for everyone. Rosen’s “Rosen Verified: Current Issues” series may not address racial injustice, but provides updated information on important topics. Each of these series will open readers’ minds to the world around them and expand their knowledge.

Elementary

Markovics, Joyce. 1963 March on Washington. ISBN 9781534186309.
––––. 1969 Vietnam War Protest March. ISBN 9781534186316.
––––. 2014 People’s Climate March. ISBN 9781534186323.
––––. 2017 Women’s March. ISBN 9781534186330.
––––. 2018 March for Our Lives. ISBN 9781534186347.
––––. 2020 Black Lives Matter Marches. ISBN 9781534186354.
ea vol: 24p. (Protest! March for Change). Cherry Lake. Jan. 2021. Tr. $28.50.
Gr 2-5 –A chronological approach is used to describe the issues leading to major protests in the United States. Each book reaches back to the origins of the movement, the people who have influenced the cause, and the conclusion and/or future of the movement. While a few statistics and facts are provided, these short books serve more as an introduction to the protests than as resources for thorough research. Vibrant colors and photos fill the pages and a table of contents, glossary, time line, further resources, and index make these books user-friendly. VERDICT Young activists will find motivation and young researches will launch their projects with this great series.

Upper Elementary to Middle School

El-Mekki, Fatima D. with Kelisa Wing. How Can I Be an Ally? ISBN 9781534180253.
Erickson, Leigh Ann with Kelisa Wing. What Is White Privilege? ISBN 9781534180239.
Henry, Jessica S. with Kelisa Wing. What Does It Mean To Defund the Police? ISBN 9781534180260.
Nichols, Hedreich with Kelisa Wing. What Is Anti-Racism? ISBN 9781534180215.
––––. What Is the Black Lives Matter Movement? ISBN 9781534180222.
Wing, Kelisa. What Are My Rights? ISBN 9781534180246.
ea vol: 32p. (21st Century Skills Library: Racial Justice in America). Cherry Lake. Jan. 2021. Tr. $29.93.
Gr 3-7 –This series explores the deeper concepts of race and racial justice, such as white privilege, antiracism, policing, legal rights, and being an ally. Social justice movements are detailed and suggested personal actions help readers put antiracist ideas into motion within their world. To help readers think more deeply about what they are learning, active lessons are provided. Colorful photos and side notes enrich the text and a table of contents, glossary, index, and further readings increase usability. Each of these well-written, thought-provoking books provides a necessary understanding of our racial past, how to think about the important issues of today, and where to go in the future. These books are essential reading about systematic and intrinsic racism delivered in a powerful way. VERDICT A great choice for supporting current conversations and lessons about racial justice in the United States. Highly recommended.

Green, Amanda Jackson. Controversial Monuments: The Fight over Statues and Symbols. ISBN 9781728429601.
––––. Diversity and Entertainment: Black Lives in Media. ISBN 9781728429595.
––––. Hidden Black History: From Juneteenth to Redlining. ISBN 9781728429588.
Tyner, Artika R. Black Lives Matter: From Hashtag to the Streets. ISBN 9781728429564.
––––. Black Voter Suppression: The Fight for the Right To Vote. ISBN 9781728429663.
––––. Vigilante Danger: A Threat to Black Lives. ISBN 9781728429571.
ea vol: 32p. (Alternator Books: The Fight for Black Rights). Lerner. Jan. 2021. Tr. $29.32.
Gr 3-7 –The six attractive books in this series take on distinct perspectives in the fight for Black rights. Each book provides a bit of history on its topic then addresses current events and movements. Focused less on statistics, stories that include dates and people are used to bring these books to life. Readers will be excited to read about people they are familiar with and intrigued to research historical figures who are unfamiliar. Personal questions interspersed throughout ask readers to identify what they would do in similar situations. These short books are easy to read and a plethora of colorful photos help readers connect with the text. VERDICT A well-written and beautiful series that brings life to the fight for Black rights.

Hand, Carol. Immigrants and Refugees. ISBN 9781499468472.
Keppeler, Jill. Fake News. ISBN 9781499468359.
Light, Char. Climate Change. ISBN 9781499468328.
––––. Gender Identity. ISBN 9781499468380.
Scherer, Ellen C. Gun Violence. ISBN 9781499468410.
Uhl, Xina M. Homelessness. ISBN 9781499468441.
ea vol: 48p. (Rosen Verified: Current Issues). Rosen. Jan. 2021. Tr. $31.80.
Gr 4-8 –Each of the books in this timely series provides a detailed overview of a topic, focusing more on a wide understanding than an in-depth, narrow view. This makes each book a perfect introduction to its topic. Each book includes plenty of research information on the 48 graphic- and photo-filled pages, while not overburdening readers with too much text. Background colors, photos, text boxes, and fonts make these research books visually appealing and inviting. The text boxes provide useful side notes, facts, and further online resources for more learning. While the books seem most useful for research projects, the writing is engaging and intriguing enough to capture the attention of recreational readers. VERDICT These fantastic books will definitely be one of the best books for a topic on the shelf. Highly recommended.

Harris, Duchess. Protesting Police Violencein Modern America. ISBN 9781532194672.
Harris, Duchess with Tammy Gagne. The History of Racism in America. ISBN 9781532194641.
––––. Justice for George Floyd. ISBN 9781532194658.
––––. Race and the Media in Modern America. ISBN 9781532194696.
Harris, Duchess with R. L. Van. Race and Policing in Modern America. ISBN 9781532194689.
harris, Duchess with Marne Ventura. Politics and Civil Unrest in Modern America. ISBN 9781532194665.
ea vol: 48p. (Core Library Guide to Racism in Modern America). ABDO/Core Library. Dec. 2020. Tr. $32.79.
Gr 3-7 –With a strong focus on the issues leading up to the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, these books highlight specific incidents in history and the current progress toward justice. Stories, statistics, dates, and legislation are all featured in order to create a well-rounded and researchable book. Short chapters with subchapters keep the information from becoming too long and cumbersome. Color photos and graphs provide support to the text, and quotes from primary sources ask readers to think deeper. A time line, glossary, questions for deeper thought, further resources, and an index make these books easy for research and fantastic for teachers’ lessons. ­VERDICT A solid purchase about current racism in the United States. The standout title Race and the Media in Modern America is a highly recommended purchase; it presents timeless information that is not as often found in other series about modern race relations in the United States.

Upper Middle School to High School

Bell, Samantha S. The Rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement. ISBN 9781678200664.
Edwards, Sue Bradford. Being Black in ­America. ISBN 9781678200688.
MacCarald, Clara. Rage and Protests Across the Country. ISBN 9781678200725.
Spalding, Maddie. The History of Civil Rights Movements in America. ISBN 9781678200749.
Wolny, Philip. The Police and Excessive Use of Force. ISBN 9781678200701.
ea vol: 80p. (Understanding the Black Lives Matter Movement). ReferencePoint/Bright Point. Mar. 2021. Tr. $30.95.
Gr 5-9 –The five books in this series strive to help readers understand the history that led to the Black Lives Matter movement and the present actions taken to fight injustice. The publisher has once again delivered a great series of books for research. Filled with facts and statistics, these books are well written and engaging. Stories of police violence are the backdrop to the facts, and the BLM movement’s reach to other disadvantaged groups is mentioned. The text is the main focus of these books for older students, but colorful photos and graphs keep the books lively. They contain a glossary, source notes, further research section, and an index. VERDICT A great series for researching all aspects of the Black Lives Matter movement.