Written by Duncan Tonatiuh
I have never read this book before.
Ratings: Amazon: 4.8 out of 5 stars. Goodreads: 4.40 out of 5 stars.
This book was awarded the Jane Addams Award, and it is also a Pura Belpre Illustrator Honor Book and a Robert F. Sibert Honor Book.
Summary: “Seven years before Brown v. Board of Education, the Mendez family fought to end segregation in California schools.”
In 2021, a Tennessee “Moms for Liberty” group objected to this book and others because they believed that it violated the newly passed bill, HB 580, which outlawed the teaching of critical race theory in school grades Pre-K to 12th grade. This act goes as far as saying “Section 51, part 6 of the Tennessee law makes lesson plans illegal if students “feel discomfort, guilt, or anguish.” The leader of this group, Robin Steenman, says “the Williamson County curriculum makes students feel bad about their race, meaning the law should invalidate it.” This is what Mrs. Steenman says about this book “They [students] are sitting there listening to this, and all they’re hearing is ‘Mexicans are dirty, inferior in scholastic ability. They have skin problems and lice’ and it just goes on and on and on about it,” Steenman said as she flipped through the pages. “And I submit that’s what they’re going to take from that book, because they’re just not ready.” The article that is being used for this review also states that “This idea that second-graders can’t handle history – that hearing about it could, in fact, make them racist or hate their own race – is central to the Moms For Liberty complaint against the Williamson County public schools.”
This book was also challenged in the Northampton Area School District when it was donated with a much of others from a non-profit called The Conscious Kid. This challenge was covered in another review, of We are Water Protectors. If you are interested in reading more, click here.
My take: Personally, I think that this book is perfect for 2nd graders, just follow me for a second. This book is a happy medium between a picture book and a short novel; meaning that there are still good pictures to capture the eye, and it has more words than a regular picture book. This book should be led in a group or a one-on-one lesson to garner better understanding through discussion about the context of the book. But I admit that I am not an expert on child development, but from what I can find, neither is Robin Steenman. But what I can tell you (from research) is that at the age of 7 and 8, children’s “thinking and problem-solving skills are taking off. Kids tend to talk at a more adult level and start to explore specific activities that interest them.” Racism and discrimination are still rampant in this country, so children will likely experience it themselves. So, discussing this book could help children understand what is going on in their lives. One issue I have with Robin Steenman’s objection is that she does not provide when would be the right age to cover this very important subject matter. That lack of information makes me think that she just didn’t want it discussed at all.
Now, as far as the guilt students may develop while learning about racism and discrimination, there doesn’t seem to be much research reporting about it. What we do know about it is limited. But you know what? That should also be something to add to the curriculum. Not teaching these important subjects in fear of causing guilt and shame is just as silly as a decision as avoiding safe sex education because it may make kids want to have sex more. Instead, abstinence-only education states have higher rates of teenage pregnancies than states that do teach safe sex practices. Hate crimes increased across the United States in 2022, the same year this book was challenged. Do we really want to see whether the lack of education on racism and discrimination would increase without this story in the curriculum?
Here are a few links about this book and the challenges or bans.
Banned Books 2022 – Separate is Never Equal – Marshall Libraries
The Banned Book Reviewer 
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