Hi Reader, It's time to share my favorite picture books that were published this year. This book list (and my favorite chapter books of 2025 list that I'll share next week) is the only one I work on all year-round. My favorite diverse and anti-bias picture books of 2025 Head to the blog post to discover these stories (and many more!) 🌙 An affirming read that celebrates the beautiful and difficult aspects of a girl growing up, perfect for reading snuggled up together at bedtime. 🌍 A story...
18 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, The temptation to despair has been overwhelming this year. And I'm not going to lie; sometimes I've given into it. My city has been invaded by 1,500 federal agents and an additional 300 state troopers who are ripping families apart. Our governor has said this effort, inappropriately named the Memphis Safe Task Force, "will last forever." In November, federal officials played with the lives of poor children, cutting off food assistance and then announcing that once it was restored,...
23 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, We're almost to the end of the year (how did that happen?), and I want to thank you for being an email subscriber. Whether you've been here for a few weeks or several years, your support means so much to me! To show just a bit of how much I appreciate you, all my anti-bias and anti-racism resources are 20% off right now, as well as my Knits for Gaza items that benefit Ameera Skaik's family. Year end sale details 20% off everything until Thursday, December 4th at midnight Discounts...
29 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, For years, one of my most popular blog posts has been Children's Books that Defy Gender Stereotypes. It's full of recommended reads for ages 3 to 14, with plenty of picture books, graphic novels, and chapter books. I've just updated this post - since it clearly fills a need for folks - with 11 more books that can expand kids' ideas about what it means to be masculine or feminine. Head to the updated booklist to find these reads (and more!) 🚀 A true story about a Black girl who got...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, I'm thrilled to let you know that my Anti-Bias Children's Book Calendar is back for 2026! I missed out on creating a book calendar for 2025 because it's honestly a huge project. I recommend a different social justice or anti-bias book for every day of the year, often matching them up with events that took place on that day in history. Making sure I match historical events, holidays, and heritage celebrations with the right books, while also including titles for a variety of ages...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, If you're in the U.S., you'll likely heard that starting November 1, families will no longer receive SNAP benefits (also known as food stamps) because of the government shutdown. Roughly 1 in 8 Americans rely on SNAP to help feed their families, and the budget bill Congress passed this summer already included major changes to the program that kicked some families out of the program and that will reduce benefits to others. One of the fundamental tests of our morality as a society is...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, The first person to tell me that the ceasefire agreement in Gaza was actually going to be signed was Ameera. (If you're new to my email list, our community has been supporting Ameera, her husband, and her three children for the past year as conditions in Gaza became increasingly horrific.) Just a week before, Ameera and her husband were trying to decide if it was too late to flee Gaza City. Every time I messaged her I was worried there might only be silence on the other end. I'm...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Indigenous Peoples Day is this Monday. November is Native American Heritage Month. We're about the enter the short time of year when non-Native children are most likely to hear things about Indigenous peoples, especially at school. I'm hopeful this time of year that educators, families, and community groups will take advantage of the growing body of resources for respectfully and accurately learning about Indigenous nations in the present day, as well as their histories. But I'm...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Banned Books Week starts on October 5th and sadly it is more relevant than ever. The huge spike in book challenges and bans that started in 2021 has only continued to rise, with the federal government now joining in this censorship on a massive scale. But that does not mean we are helpless! Even in my conservative home state of Tennessee, the Rutherford County Library Board unanimously voted to put previously banned books back on the shelves in June after public and legal pressure....
3 months ago • 2 min read