[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Tilbury House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Kanzi loves the library at her school. The books there reflect a variety of people and stories.
When her class arrives at the library one day, the kids notice that all of the diverse books have been removed. They have been banned by the school district.
Kanzi and her friends decide to fight back by holding a bake sale to raise money to buy diverse books as well as a protest to speak out against the ban.
Review
“Some books are so powerful that they intimidate people.”
This sentence is a punch to the gut in this story – so beautifully expressed! This is a celebration of not only books – especially diverse books – but also of the families and cultures reflected in those stories. While district book bans in America aren’t quickly or easily resolved, Kanzi and her friends are quickly successful at ending their ban, bringing a solid and affirming resolution to the story. I enjoyed the story overall, but the quick wrap up felt a bit too easy for such a widespread issue.
This would make a great classroom read aloud or book group selection for discussion with kids. The author includes a note of her own experience when a ban in 2021 included her book The Arabic Quilt, which was Kanzi’s first story. This book also includes the recipe for a treat used in the bake sale.
Rating: ♥♥♥½*
*♥♥♥½ = Good +