A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez, written by Maria Dolores Aguila. Roaring Brook Press, Macmillan. Raincoast, 2025. $24.99 ages 9 and up

 

"DAVID'S LITTLE BROTHERS'
small sobs, 
the way they try to 
swallow their 
sadness quietly, 
twist my insides. 

When I walk through the 
rickety stick fence
and meet Mama's sad eyes, 
I almost shatter into a million pieces. 

She knew it would happen, 
but maybe, just maybe, 
it would not. 

Because who could imagine
they would turn us away
for the color of our skin
and the language we speak?"

This verse novel eloquently recounts the story of Roberto Alvarez and the 1931 Lemon Grove Incident. I had never heard of it, and I am guessing that I am not the only one. These are the stories that are rarely shared in history classes. It is very unsettling; then, ultimately hopeful even though it didn't stop such incidents in years that followed. 

While students are on Christmas break, Roberto meets his friend Socorro's cousins. They have just moved to San Diego after being driven out of their Oklahoma home in the face of deportation raids on Mexican families. As break ends and the students eagerly return to their studies, the Mexican American students are told they can no longer attend Lemon Grove Grammar School. Now, they will have to attend the Olive Street School. 

Their classes will be held in a renovated barn. It is not right, and residents of the barrio know that to be true. Roberto also knows it. As el Comite de Vecinos de Lemon Grove is organized to fight the transfer of their children, Roberto is made the young spokesperson for their legal action. The court case occasions change; it is the first successful desegregation case in the US. It does not go smoothly. Families are threatened; the community remains strong. Charges against the children for not attending their new school, deportation of some families, and a need for money to fight their case result. 

When all is said and done, the people win their case. In spite of their many losses, they stand together to do what is best for their children. The text is beautifully written. Roberto, a 12-year-old boy is a compelling and courageous voice for all the tensions and fears between the two sides. There is reason to fear what will happen; there is also determination and perseverance to stand in solidarity. 

An author's note provides readers with the history that led to the Lemon Grove Incident.

"THERE IS SO MUCH
I do not know about the world, 
but I hope that people 
learn about what happened
in the sea of lemon trees.

I make a wish that 
children of every color
can go to school together
and never feel 
like they do not 
belong."

Black Star, written by Kwame Alexander. Little, Brown and Company, Hachette. 2024. $24.99 ages 10 and up

"But I don’t really enjoy
the flute
as much as she does,
so after I finish
dusting and mopping
and Willie Green shows up
hollering all loud
through our screen door,

holding
the old broomstick
we use for a bat,|
even though he sometimes
gets on my nerves,
I ask her if I can go outside
because the only thing
I love doing
more than listening
to Nana Kofi’s stories
is playing ball." 
 

This is the second book in The Door of No Return trilogy. In the first book we met Nana Kofi from the Asante Kingdom. The year was 1860, and Kwame Alexader tells the poignant story of Nana and his cousin being taken by slave traders from Africa to America, and their survival after the slave ship crashes and hurls them into the ocean. 

In this book, readers meet Charlene (Charley) Cuffey, Nana's granddaughter. She is 12 years old, and wants to know everything about her Nana's life before leaving his homeland. It is not a story Nana shares easily. The family is now living in Virginia in the early years of the 1920s. Charley is an aspiring pitcher. Although she is talented and wants to eventually play in the Negro League, the prevailing times offer little hope for her future as a ball player. She is, after all, a Black girl facing segregation in her own small hometown. 

Listening to her Nana Kofi's stories, and learning his native language engages her attention and her longing to return with Nana to his homeland when the time comes that he can go home again. The Black Star Line has promised a return for anyone wanting to make the voyage. In the meantime, she hones her skills playing ball with her two best friends, Cool Willie Green and Socks. It is evident through her first-person narration that Charley has some difficulty understanding her place in history. Nana does his best to help her come to grips with what she can and cannot do. 

Kwame Alexander fills the book's page with family, church picnics, and baseball. His skill at poetic storytelling is always compelling, while also exploring the injustice faced by his ancestors. As happened in the first book, this one also ends dramatically, with an impulsive decision that leads to discrimination, fear, great pain, and flight. 

 

 "Too much badness wrapped up in all the goodness that could be."

Readers will hope to hear more of Charley's story in the promised third book. An author's note is compelling and worthy of attention. 

My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story, written by George Takei and illustrated by Michelle Lee. Crown Books for Young Readers, Penguin Random House. 2024. $26.99 ages 8 and up

 

"One afternoon Henry and I saw a shaggy black dog 
behind a pile of vegetable crates. He looked so hungry
we convinced our cook Mr. Kikutani to give him a 
piece of wiener teriyaki. 
The dog gobbled it up so quickly we knew he was 
still hungry. We took him to our unit and begged 
Mama for cookies."

I am constantly amazed at what I learn from books designed for children! There seems no end to the topics, the points of view, or the importance of what has been written to spark interest and to augment learning. Children learn about key issues in books that help them understand their world. They become more empathetic. When parents, teachers, and caregivers create a sense of community by choosing and reading meaningful stories, they inspire their listeners to think beyond themselves and to put themselves in someone else's shoes. 

In the foreword to his book, George Takei describes how being different resulted in great pain and a devastating loss for his family when they were taken, although American, from their home following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Being of Japanese descent was all that was needed to declare his family enemies of the American people, and to allow them to be 'imprisoned behind barbed wire fences'.  

Geroge was 4 in 1941 when the bombs dropped on Pearl Harbor. In February 1942 all Japanese Americans were forced into prison camps. With courage and determination, his parents were able to keep their three children safe. They were first assigned to a germ-infested horse barn. Their next move was to Arkansas; conditions were not a lot better there. Working tirelessly and with help from neighbors, they made a home for themselves.  

Mr. Takei's forthright portrayal of life in the camps, from a child's point-of-view, informs his readers of what it was like to live under guard of armed soldiers. He also wants them to know that they were moments to be enjoyed. They had movie nights and baseball games, a snowball fight and Santa Claus, singalongs and dances. 

Their parents did their best at all times to make the conditions as good as they could be. They worked hard creating community for all, and comfort for their children. After their parents refused to sign papers that would have them drafted to fight for America in the war, they were called disloyal and sent to Tule Lake in northern California. 

"Tule Lake was the largest of the ten prison camps and held 
the most inmates - more than 18,000 people. Half were 
children like Henry, Reiko, and me." 

Once more, they made a home there, and found a dog they named Blackie. Life was better with him near. When the atomic bombs fell in Japan and the war was finally over, the inmates were released with $25 each to make a new life. It took time; George's father finally found work in Los Angeles and the family rushed to join him there.  

Mixed-media artwork captures attention, and gives life to the many Japanese Americans who inhabited the camps. Fine details add to the visual appeal of the illustrations and provide context for the events described. An author’s note speaks to the fact that the time following their release did not end their struggles; only perseverance and hard work helped them find their way back to a good life and much success. Archival photographs are included. 

Leeva At Last, written by Sara Pennypacker and illustrated by Matthew Cordell. Balzer + Bray, Harper. 2023. $24.99 ages 8 and up

 

"Compared to the many pets she read about 
in her library books, Bob was a dud. He slept 
most of the day, and when he wasn't sleeping, 
he mainly waddled around and dug holes. 
His disposition was uniformly crabby. He 
showed almost no interest in Leeva at all, 
and when he did, he always seemed to raise
a skeptical eyebrow, as if he wouldn't be 
caught dead doing such a ridiculous thing."

 Middle grade readers will find it hard to imagine the life that Leeva has been living with her mother and father. Her parents have no interest in their child, except as a person to do their bidding. The two are consumed by the need for fame (her mother, the mayor of Nutsmore) and money (her father, the city treasurer) whose actions are focused on both and the acquisition by whatever means possible. Leeva's set task is to make them richer and more famous at all costs. 

The Employee Manual that guides Leeva's days has many unreasonable rules. Most startling is the fact that Leeva cannot leave the yard. All she knows of the world she learns form watching a soap opera on television, and reading the Nutsmore Weekly newspaper. When she can't take it anymore, Leeva finds a secret way to leave the yard. By doing so, she meets a young man named Harry who is operating the library next door for his librarian aunt, following a skateboard accident. Now, she reads 10 books each day, and hungers for more. 

The three become fast friends, and Leeva learns 'what people are for' through their support and friendship. Leeva also is introduced to the problems that face Nutsmore residents, all of which can be attributed to her parents' greed. Afraid to let anyone know her identity, Leeva helps Harry and his aunt by making daily trips to procure ingredients for the next day's batch of cookies. Those errands lead her to meeting new friends, Osmund and Fern, who help Leeva understand the importance of connection to others.  

There are many poignant and humorous scenes that help readers appreciate Leeva's instincts for survival despite her parents, and her ability to bring justice to the town for the many injustices perpetrated by them. Readers will cheer for her kindness, her tenacity, and her brilliant mind. And, for her love of learning through the many books she reads so intently. 

 "Everything that happens is better when someone else shares it with you."

Remembering Rosalind Franklin, written by Tanya Lee Stone and illustrated by Gretchen Ellen Powers. Little, Brown and Company, Hachette. 2024. $24.99 ages 10 and up

"Within a few years, Rosalind was ready to 
get on with becoming a scientist. Even though 
there were very few women in science, this 
didn't stop her. She set her sights on the 
University of Cambridge and scored higher
than anyone else who took the chemistry test." 

I love the dedication for this book from its author Tanya Lee Stone: 'For anyone who did something awesome and didn't feel the love. She follows up with a letter to those who will read her book, telling them there is no happy ending here. 

"But nobody achieves such great things alone. There are usually other people whose hard work made change possible. Stories about those people are just as important. And it's up to us to remember them. 

This story is about remembering Rosalind."

Rosalind Franklin lived from 1920-1958, not a great time for women to be accepted and acknowledged for their work in scientific fields. She grew up in a large family in London, England. She had an abiding interest in the darkroom and loved making images come to life there. She was lucky enough to have parents who believed she could anything she chose, and encouraged her to follow her interests. By 15, she was particularly keen on chemistry and physics. 

Following her time at university she found work helping with the war effort. No matter what Rosalind did, she gave her all to it: hosting dinner guests, riding her bike, climbing a mountain. She continued her scientific research in Paris where she was lauded by other scientists, quite different from the way she was treated at home. While happy there, she missed her family and returned to London where she got a job studying DNA. There was little known about it at the time. 

As others, including Francis Crick and James Watson, worked to create a model for DNA, Rosalind pointed out problems with their thinking. They ignored her concerns; she kept working on her own. 

"In May 1952, she set up her camera. 

The image she captured was superb. And it contained an 
enormous amount of information that would become the key
to understanding the structure of DNA.

She labeled it simply ... 

PHOTO 51."

Bothered by the environment in which she was working Rosalind moved on to other projects, leaving a full report of the work she had done. Within weeks and with Rosalind's report in hand, Watson and Crick were able to create the double helix. Rosalind was given no recognition for the important work she had done to point them in the right direction. In fact, Watson demeaned her character when writing to a colleague. No happy ending is right.

The text of this beautifully written picture book biography, while quite scientific in nature, makes Rosalind's work meaningful. It also shows readers a spirited young woman who loved nature, was highly intelligen,t and uncommonly independent for the time. 

Delicate watercolor scenes show Rosalind at many stages in her life, and provide an historical backdrop for her life and work. An author's note explains the Matilda Effect, describing those women whose work has been credited to men. Other back matter contains quotes attributed to Rosalind, and a list of sources for the author's work. 

Let us not forget Rosalind! 

The Artivist, written and illustrated by Nikkolas Smith. Kokila, Penguin Random House. 2023. $25.99 ages 8 and up

 

"All I can think to do is paint the problems
and the solutions people can work on together.

I think it's time to combine both parts of who I am:
                     to take ACTION with my ART.
                   It's time to become an ARTIVIST." 

Nikkolas Smith is as remarkable an artist as he is an activist, wanting more for the world than is currently happening. Combining the two, he speaks to children and adults around the world, hoping to inspire change at a grassroots level. He wants those who hear him speak and see his art to know that they can be agents of change in whatever small way they choose. 

The young boy who narrates this wonderful book is an artist. He is also an activist, sewing seeds of goodness in his community. What he sees too often are scenes that make him want to scream. And help. And be an agent for change. He wants to hold up a mirror to show the world what isn't right: racism, war, waste, pollution, global warming, inequality, injustice, hate, us vs. them, greed, death, walls. 

He knows that his art can help him take action that needs to be taken; it can have an impact. He can show what is broken and what leads to healing. He's ready to get started. The first thing he does is change an eviction notice that says MOVE TODAY to LOVE TODAY - a simple message that goes viral and sparks action. 

A mural painted on a building's wall inspires people to look beyond their own lives and begin to make a difference in the lives of others, showing empathy and kindness in donations and by joining protests that demand change. Posters beg the government to bring change: 

MY LIFE IS WORTH MORE THAN ALL THE GUNS. 

PROTECT KIDS, NOT GUNS! 

NO MORE SILENCE/END GUN VIOLENCE

The artivist acts on behalf of others, speaking, acting as ally, protecting the planet and its children. There is much to be done, and many ways to do it. Readers are drawn to the story told as a reaction to the concern shown at every turn of the page. The art is remarkable in its use of color, scope, and powerful images. Compassion is at the heart of it, and assures opportunities for open and meaningful discussion. 

“The Artivist is you.
What change will you create?”                                                                               

Lion on the Inside: How One Girl Changed Basketball. Written by Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir with Judith Henderson, and illustrated by Katherine Ahmed. Kids Can Press, 2023. $21.99 ages 5 and up

 

"I nab the ball. 
Pivot past him. Drive to the basket. 
Lay up the shot, give him the eyeball
and leave."

I am often in awe of those who stand up for themselves in spite of the roadblocks put in their path. Women making an inroad into male-dominated sports has improved, but still needs work. I was intrigued to hear Ms. Abdul-Qaadir's story. I had not been aware of it prior to reading this inspiring book that is part of the Citizen Kid series from Kids Can Press. 

A Black athlete and a Muslim, Qiisi was the first woman to be allowed to play basketball on a NCAA Division I team while wearing a hijab. From a very young age, she loved to play basketball and took no time to show just how much talent she had for playing the game. By the time she was 12 and wearing her mother's hijab, she was having great success playing against boys' teams. She had begun dealing with remarks about her 'ugly scarf'. 

Both brave women, her grandmother cheered loudly at every opportunity;  her mother suggested quiet confidence when dealing with unwelcome comments and opposition to her playing the game she loved.  In high school, now wearing her own hijab, she felt its power for helping her do what was right. At 17, a referee told her not to wear it while playing. She refused to remove it! Her team and many fans in the crowd made enough of a fuss that the referee reversed the decision. 

Her career in basketball moved on from there. She even played hoops with President Barack Obama at the White House! As an international professional player, she was told once again that wearing her hijab was against international rules of play. Making the choice between her love for the game and her faith is not easy. 

"So I choose. 
I choose not to play. 
That day changes my life forever. 
And my heart 
       is 
       broken."

It takes hard work and three years to change the rule. By then, it is too late for Qisi; not for other girls like her. Back matter adds further facts about this amazing young woman, alongside two photographs. There is also a section to encourage talk, and another with a list of resources for learning even more. 

The Secret Pocket, written by Peggy Janicki and illustrated by Carrielynn Victor. Inhabit Media, Orca. 2023. $21.95 ages 8 and up

"I was always hungry and cold at Lejac. When 
I was small, it was extra hard. I remember the
older girls helping me - Betsy helped me. I cried
because my stomach hurt from not having enough
food. Betsy taught me how to eat toothpaste so the 
pain would go away. She was my hero. Always."

This is a story of the author's mother Mary who, as a young child, lived happily with her grandparents and family near a lake. Mary speaks lovingly of times spent together and the happiness found in learning traditional ways of living. All that changed with the arrival of a black car carrying a priest and a nun. The two talked with her grandparents and convinced them that Mary would be a perfect student at the Lejac residential school; her brother and sister would accompany her. 

Far from home, the children were separated into boys' and girls' sides of the schoo. They were not allowed to see each other. Mary and the other girls were constantly hungry; the teachers were strict and often cruel; the children daydreamed about being allowed to return home for a winter break or for the summer. Always homesick, dread filled them as they awaited the end of summer and a return to the school. Conditions there were terrible and the children were so unhappy. 

Their hunger led Mary and other girls to use the sewing skills they had learned at home to sew secret pockets in their petticoats. That meant they had a place to hide any of the food they were able to sneak out of the kitchen. They were courageous and persistent in assuring that they all had enough to eat. 

"Our hearts burst with pride when we walked past 
the Sisters with our secret pockets filled with food. 

We sewed more pockets. We took more food -
apples. carrots, pieces of bread. We fed the small 
hungry girls and ourselves.

We found our ways and filled our pockets with 
what we needed to carry on. We filled our pockets
with so much more than food. We filled them 
with our future."

Ms. Victor's artwork is emotional and offers realistic glimpses at the differences between the warmth happiness experienced at home, and the stark reality of life in the residential school. A glossary and author's note are included in back matter. 

"We were geniuses. We are geniuses. We will always be geniuses."                                                                                 

Say Her Name, written by Zetta Elliott and illustrated by Loveis Wise. Disney: Jump at the Sun. 2020. $24.99 ages 14 and up

 

"Black girl
you are more
than magic
you are a miracle
because we were never
meant to survive
not as human beings
yet despite their best efforts
to grind us down
still we rise
we strut
dazzle
and defy the odds"

Zetta Elliott is such an admirable writer. She did not consider herself a poet. A writer, for sure. She rarely wrote poetry. When she was asked to help prepare high school students who were tasked with paying tribute to Gwendolyn Brooks, she found they had little knowledge of Ms. Brooks' work, or the work of other Black female poets. She set about sharing her favorite works as mentor texts for her students and herself. The poems written for this book are the result of that work. A poet she is! 

It is a very special tribute, covering numerous topics often unique to black women. It comes straight from the heart and is empowering in every way. The struggles are recognized as both personal and part of the systemic racism faced each and every day. Mentor poems from Lucille Clifton, Audre Lorde, Phyllis Wheatley, and Nikki Giovanni inspire her writing as do many known events. Each is acknowledged in the notes that follow this amazing collection.    

Reading these poems challenges those who share them. They demand attention, thoughtfulness, celebration, and anger. They ask us to remember, to discuss, to never ignore their clear message, and to act. Inspiration for the work is clearly stated in the notes, reminding readers that being silent is not a solution. 

The artwork is a bold accompaniment to the presented poems. It speaks to beauty, to strength, to the overwhelming responsibility given to all who read the words to take action, and to keep the memories alive. They are filled with emotions too numerous to name. The last poem is a gift to all who read this valuable collection:

"BLESSING 

May you have a resilient spirit, 
and a compassionate heart, 
the desire to heal,
and the will to forgive. 
May you never exhaust
your capacity for kindness.
May you always find peace
in your home and in your mind. 

May your eyes be awake
to the beauty all around you.
May your ears be tuned
to the varied songs of life. 
May your arms always be ready
to embrace those needing comfort, 
and may even the simplest blessings

fill your heart with gratitude."