2022 Malka Penn Award Winner
Defiant
By Wade Hudson
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers
Growing up in the small, segregated town of Mansfield, Louisiana, Wade Hudson was influenced by two powerful forces: his nurturing black family and community, and the wider world of systemic racism. In this moving and inspiring memoir for middle grade readers and beyond, Hudson relates how both of those forces shaped him into becoming the civil rights activist, writer, and publisher he is today.
The historic events that made headlines during his childhood, including the murder of Emmett Till in Mississippi, and the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, played a role in his budding social consciousness, but events closer to home had an even deeper impact. He describes the fear he felt when he found himself alone and confronted by three White teenagers, the humiliation of buying new clothes downtown without being allowed to try them on, and the pain of watching his father having to defer to White people in front of his children.
In spite of these demeaning experiences, the joys and adventures of being part of a close-knit family and community shine throughout the book. Indeed, they carry him through his childhood and adolescence, and eventually help him discover his own voice and how to use it to bring about change. - Michele Palmer
2022 Honor Books
UnspeakableBy Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Floyd Cooper
Published by Lerner Publications
During the Memorial Day weekend of 1921, white inhabitants of Tulsa, Oklahoma, seeking vengeance, murdered scores of Black citizens and destroyed their community. Until recently, this event has rarely been mentioned in history books or discussed in schools. However, Carole Boston Weatherford and Floyd Cooper have rectified this grievous omission with their picture book, Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre.
Through poetic word imagery and stunning, sepia-tinged illustrations, the author and illustrator describe how residents of the thriving Greenwood section of Tulsa—dubbed "Black Wall Street"—create a community that many might find unremarkable except in its defiance of the racism of its day. Here, Black citizens lived lives that, despite the challenges of segregation, were prosperous and full. As Weatherford lists the businesses, services, schools, and professions that the citizens have built for themselves, we envision the rich, vibrant, multidimensional community that provided “undeniable proof that African Americans could achieve just as much, if not more, than whites.” However, the idyllic scene evaporates when a Black man is accused of assaulting a white woman. With a sense of tragic inevitability, the narrative shifts to the tragic two days that followed, when mobs of white people kill, burn, and loot with the approval of city officials.
Unspeakable confronts this traumatic, brutally racist event with both directness and sensitivity, making its story accessible to young readers, inspiring deep reflection and conversation, and calling us to “to reject hatred and violence and to instead choose hope.” - Douglas K. Kaufman, Ph.D.
The Art of ProtestBy De Nichols and illustrated by Diana Dagadita, Molly Mendoza, Olivia Twist, Daddo, and Diego Becas
Published by Candlewick Press
The Art of Protest, a history/how-to on building human rights campaigns, inspires and teaches readers (8-up) to use all kinds of art to stand up for any injustice. Composed by international and acclaimed “#own voices” (author De Nichols, and illustrators Diana Dagadita, Molly Mendoza, Olivia Twist, Saddo, and Diego Becas), it shows how young activists (ex. Parkland students, BLM founders, Zero Hour’s Nadia Nazar) used digital art, logos, slogans, videos, etc. to create successful campaigns. Snappy sections on typography, color symbolism, technology, etc., each have “Try This” prompts that can make an “artivist” out of anyone who can’t draw a straight line or spell “activism”. De Nichols ends with a poster poem in different fonts: “START MAKING./ Start CREATING/ THE CHANGE/ that’s needed/ for a/ BETTER WORLD.” This book works across the curriculum; it works across all worlds. - Pegi Deitz Shea
Rosie Loves JackRosie Loves Jack, the debut novel from author Mel Darbon, is a book about meeting and defying expectations. Rosie, a teenager with Down syndrome, will stop at nothing to find her boyfriend, Jack — even when it means leaving her home and family in London and striking out on her own to Brighton, where Jack is completing an anger management program. Along the way, she navigates transportation systems that are completely foreign to her — and societal reactions that are all too familiar. Some people are helpful, some people make fun or take advantage of Rosie, and others don't get involved. Even her family, it turns out, has set beliefs about Rosie's capabilities and potential. Read how Rosie surprises them all — and maybe even herself! - Joy Haenlein
Areli is a DreamerAreli is a Dreamer is delightful and moving autobiographical picture book that tells the story of Areli Morales who was born in Puebla, Mexico and grew up in New York City. Morales narrates a poignant memoir of childhood, belonging and family separation that culminates in triumph when she receives DACA status and her family’s dream for a better life in the US is fulfilled. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an immigration policy that has provided relief to thousands of undocumented children, referred to as “Dreamers,” who came to the United States as children and call this country home. The author draws on her own lived experience as a DACA recipient to highlight the impact that immigration policy has on the lives of children and families. The vibrant illustrations by Colombian artist, Luisa Uribe reveal the different textures of Areli’s life in the mountains of Mexico and her new life in New York. Areli’s poignant memories reveal the difficulty of adjusting to her new life and in coming to terms with her status as an undocumented minor and what that meant for her life.
Morales’ narrative brings us into the vibrant worlds of Puebla, New York and also Areli’s inner world, for example when one evening Areli asks her mother what the kids at school mean when they say that she was illegal. “Illegal means against the law,” her mother began. “I’m not against the law! Areli said. “Of course you’re not,” said her mother, “But you were born in Mexico. So even though you are growing up here in America, you are not a citizen of this country.” Finding herself in the position of being deemed “illegal,” Areli’s telling of her story celebrates how the bonds of family life and community sustain the fulfillment of the immigrant dream for a better life in the United States. It is a wonderful book for younger readers to explore deeply philosophical questions that are also about human rights, such as: What does it mean to be illegal? What does it mean to belong to a place? Is it ok to break the law in order to secure a better life for your family? What is a “better life?” What is a “good life?” Areli is a Dreamer invites even the youngest readers to think critically and with empathy about the enactment of human rights in issues that are close to home and close to the heart. - Sian Charles-Harris
Born Behind BarsFew authors have the sensibility and writing eloquence to craft a middle grade novel that highlights injustices but also offer hope. Padma Venkatraman is one of those insightful authors who recognizes that readers need complex and layered stories. Set in Chennai, India, Born Behind Bars is a story about Kadir, a young boy born in prison because his mother was unjustly accused of stealing from her employer. After a glimpse of Kadir’s life in prison, readers follow Kadir as he develops his instincts to navigate the complexity of the caste system, prejudices, friendship, kindness, and independence. On the way he shows bravery, loyalty, and kindness that eventually leads him to his ultimate goal-finding his grandparents who help him to release his mother. This middle grade novel, that was inspired by a true story the author read in the news, is an exceptional example of how stories help readers to grow their understanding of human rights and the dignity. - Susannah Richards