Rebel Book Alliance May Picks

Happy May Day! I hope the month is off to a great start. Many thanks to Tricia Maniaci for the insightful discussion on how she uses banned books and difficult tops to deepen conversations and understanding in her college classroom.

This month we’re going to do something a bit different. Thanks to Rebel Book Alliance member Jen, who suggested offering up a couple of choices, I’ve picked three books for three different reading audiences this month–an illustrated children’s book, a middle-grade and young adult novel, and women’s fiction. You can purchase any or all of these reads, check them out from your local library, or share them on social media with your bookish friends.

The first book is Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh. It’s the story of Sylvia Mendez and her family’s fight for desegregation in California schools. The book is beautifully illustrated and will offer young readers an important history of the 1947 ruling that is often overlooked in civil rights discussions.

The second book is A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle. This book shaped my young reading. I devoured the story of two young adventures on a quest through space and time to find their father. It’s sci-fi, but it’s also so much more and story that deeply resonates in this moment.

Last but not least, our adult fiction pick is Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult. Jodi has always been a favorite author of mine, and more than twenty of her novels are currently being banned. If you’ve already read this book, feel free to find anything in her backlist, as chances are it’s on the banned list.

Happy reading, Book Rebels!