Member Reviews

I did not finish - I have tried reading this book on multiple occasions and just could not get into it.

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A well done and important read. I am so glad titles like this exist and are written for younger audiences.

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This book is required reading for all humans. After receiving this netgalley copy, I immediately went out and purchased a physical copy as well to have in my classroom. I read this book in chunks and have revisited it many times. It is definitely not meant to be read once and set aside.

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Is a fantastic book to share with young teens. It's filled with information that everyone should know. I think it should be required in the English curriculum at high schools. If we're being honest, with more Queer and Black books that have information for teens, the better.

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This book should be required reading. This book is so much more than an explanation on racism, it is a guide, a deep historical explanation, an intersectionally feminist guide to the society that has been built around us, and contains instructions on how those of us with privilege must use it to lift up others.

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This book is absolutely wonderful and a great resource for the classroom. EVERYONE especially teachers need to read this book. It Is a fantastic guide as to how to approach teaching Anti-Racism in the classroom/life. I think it is important as an educator to have to proper tools to give to your class. I have been using some of the activities in this book in the classroom (changing them slightly since my age group is a bit younger) and they have really begun to think deeply and more critically about their actions. I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! I cannot say enough how fantastic this book is and how everyone really needs to read it.

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This book is a must have for all households. I think it’s great to start conversations as young as 6-7 about racism and what being anti racism means. This book is definitely appropriate for middle school to adults.

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the concept was honestly truly interesting and intriguing i was hooked and wanted to know more about it. it was honestly very hard to rate this book for me because at times i personally related to it and made it hard to continue but i am definitely glad that i finished this. it was definitely unexpected how much i truly enjoyed myself while reading this. in my opinion i do believe that the topics were handled good and with sensitivity. i will definitely be looking out for more works by the author: thank you netgalley for the opportunity.

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Targeted to young adults, this book is simple and effective. I love the cover, it is colorful and attractive. Everyone should read this book.

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A bold book that gives children and adults the tools to have intergenerational conversations about race, identity and systemic racism. It helps to dismantle the mindsets of adults and empowers children to engage in and stand-up to adults in their lives. It shows the history of systemic racism and drills down to individual identity, allowing children to be more observant to the nuances and power structures of the world we live in. It also shows that these systems are not set in stone and can be changed.
This book is unique in the terms and language it gives and repeats throughout the book, so helping the reader feel ready to engage in the conversation of anti-racism. A lot of conflict resides in the language we use when discussing race, so this makes the book one that the reader will return to several times as reference.
As a non-fiction book it is engaging because of the layout and the joyful, empowering colours and illustrations of Aurelia Durand. The activities at the end of each section help to make the reading of this book unique to the reader – and bring about spontaneous workshops as family members complete and compare their own work.
The overall tone of the book is one that quite young children can understand which makes it accessible to anyone new to the conversation. It is a book that will sit on a family book shelf and be returned to again and again as a reader’s mindset shifts and bends with experience.
I look forward to seeing more content from this author and illustrator that delves deeper or looks sideways at themes referenced in the book. Perhaps a journal that teens and young adults can use as they move into different environments in education and work.

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I feel this book is amazing for teachers and paretns to talk about race to their children. There are writing prompts in every chapter for teachers to use with their students. I need this for my library at school because this is an amazing resource from my teachers. Very colorful to the eyes. I feel it is an easy read to from the reluctant reader.

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A great read that’s targeted at children/ young adults but great for everyone. Great messages throughout. A valuable book to read and adhere too. Very eye-catching and thought provoking.

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This book has been an incredibly useful tool in my own life and in my role as an educator. The format of the book is excellent, starting out making us think about ourselves, then within the context of how others try to percieve us which then feeds in to how we see others and how our actions towards others can be incredibly damaging - or can be incredibly powerful.
There are loads of though-provoking discussions, ideas and start points which are perfect for using with my students, but also so, so relevant to all aspects of my life. I've been able to work various elements into conversations with colleagues and friends which has been great for all of us.
Ended up buying the book for myself to keep in physical format after seeing it here.

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5★
“Someone described racism to me as the smog we breathe. It is all around us; racism is everywhere.”

This is a smart, eye-catching book for anyone, really. It’s aimed at teens and young people, but it’s just as useful and informative for adults who want to know how to make a difference, whether it’s in their own lives as the targets of racism or as the unwitting perpetrators of it.

I was recently helping someone with a psychology paper that included a discussion of the damage caused by “subtle racism”, known as “microagressions”. (Incidentally, the word “folx” is used instead of the customary “folks” in order to be all-inclusive for marginalised people, much as other words now have an X on the end, like Latinx, to make them gender-neutral and inclusive.)

“A microaggression is an intentional or unintentional insult, slight, or hostile, negative message to folx who do not fit into the imaginary box of dominant culture. They can occur anytime and anywhere. Sometimes microaggressions are spoken, like someone saying, ‘WHERE WERE YOU BORN?’ to an Asian British person in London.

When you experience microaggressions repeatedly, the effects accumulate and can lead to low self-esteem, depression, poor health, and thinking the stereotypes are true. Believing that you are inferior, acting on the negative messages about folx of the same race as you, and even denying your ethnic and cultural heritage are examples of internalized racism.”

It’s an easy trap to fall into, to ask someone what their ethnic background is because they ‘look’ exotic or interesting or different. And that’s the point. Different from what? The so-called ‘norm’? The more this happens to you, the more out-of-place you may feel, part of some ‘subordinate culture’ and a lesser person.

Well, hello. Wake up and speak up.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration captioned: “You have the right to be seen.”

“I do not use the term “minority” to describe Black, Brown, and Indigenous folx because we are the majority in the world. Using the language of racism can minimize our full selves. It can allow us to forget our deepest roots and ancestors; it allows us to create a history that, while in our own voices, has been shaped by the oppressor.”

My Goodreads review includes an illustration captioned: “My history begins with me.”

There are countless illustrations and activities, references, suggested reading, quotations, and inspiring examples to whet anyone’s appetite for action. There are lists to make, and the author begins with one of her own.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration captioned: “Activity: I am. . .”

So get yourself a notebook and get one you like, because you’re going to keep it handy to keep writing things down and doing the activities. It’s about inclusion considering all of the other categories we put people in: transgender, poor, neuro-diverse, religious, and so on.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration captioned: “Create your identity map.”

It’s a terrific resource that I reckon could be useful in almost any school or community group, and I can see it being an interesting learning tool for kids of all backgrounds to ask themselves these questions.

Thanks to #NetGalley and Quarto Publishing’s Frances Lincoln’s Children for the preview copy from which I've copied a few illustrations.
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TLDR: This is an amazing book and you need to read it now!

This is such an amazing, inspiring, refreshing, clear, honest book about racism, bias, and privilege, I can’t recommend it enough. Parts of the book where new for me (like the use of the spelling folxs), many other things I already knew but it’s good to be reminded of those, and of course, in many cases the author offered new perspectives and ideas on how to manage some situations and how to help in others.

I think this book is particularly useful for young readers, but as an adult, I loved it too. It’s the kind of book that you should read a little bit at a time and then go and think a lot about what you just read.

As a final detail, the illustrations are amazing, which surely will help attract readers!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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There was a lot I loved and disliked about this book. The first 1/2 focused primarily on identities and exploring who we, the readers, are. Being an adoptive mom to a Black and a White son, I was extremely excited for children’s book that would open dialogs about race.

However, this book is NOT ideal for adoptive kids that do not know their genetic history. We had hard conversations and I think it left my boys in a weird place emotionally disconnected because they don’t truly know their heritage. I wouldn’t recommend to any of my other adoptive families unless you’ve done DNA testing and have a background knowledge into your kids’ ancestry.

The second half of the book focused more on social justice and activism which we enjoyed a lot more. This book is marketed to 8-12 year olds & my boys are 10 & 12. I had to do bunch of explaining and elaborating to nail points home because there were a bunch of new terms and philosophies they weren’t familiar with. If your willing to do that work as a parent, then it’s chewable for the kids. However, for independent reading I’d recommend more for 13+.

At the end of each chapter the author provides journaling activities to help hit messages home & we liked doing those as chapter wrap ups. My boys both said they enjoyed the conversations around anti-racism & feel more prepared to work towards social justice.

This book not only focuses on race, but it promotes concepts that fight against ableism, sexism, and other similar types of discrimination as well.

The illustrations were popping with colors and extremely captivating for the reader. A great resource for school libraries and older students or adults.

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This is such a dynamic and useful book! Full of workbook prompts, reflection, and information. This is a perfect addition to any classroom, public, or home library to educate readers on anti-racism. This could easily be used as a text-book and introduction to critical race theory for younger audiences.

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This was a visibly beautiful book. It was very serious and fact filled but has lots of information and is very clear. Topics are explained well and it’s a very informative book.

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I'm really glad to have gotten a copy of this book. This is such an important read, and I'll definitely be recommending it to family, friends, and students!

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A fantastic resource for young people to break down what it means to be anti-racist in our current climate. Jewell tackles how it's not enough to not be racist, instead she contextualises what teens can do to be part of the wider movement while making it clear it's not going to be something you can perform on social media. Jewell examines race, identity and racism amongst looking at privilege and how to use it if you have it.
The activities at the end of each chapter help reinforce the messages in an accessible way. Overall, I will be buying copies to give to my younger relatives who I think will benefit from Jewell's work.

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