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Happy Multicultural Children’s Book Day: The Dreamcatcher Codes by Barbara Newman

It’s Multicultural Children’s Book Day, and the books just get better every year! This year, I received a copy of The Dreamcatcher Codes by Barbara Newman, and what a book this is! A YA story about our connection to the earth, with incredible female characters and a story that comes at a critical moment in time.

The Dreamcatcher Codes, by Barbara Newman,
(Aug. 2021, Green Writers Press), $15.95, ISBN: 9781733653473
Ages 10+

Earth is dying. Our bee colonies collapse; our oceans are choked with plastic; the animals we share our lands with are dying as we encroach on their land and their natural resources. The only hope is for the sacred Codes of Nature, but they’ve been stolen by a giant raven. Now, four girls must come together to seek out the missing piece of the Codes and restore order to the land. Powered by the four points of the compass and the four elements – Fire, Air, Water, and Earth – the girls must work together as they embark on an adventure that elevates climate change and the role of young women in our world. It’s fantasy grounded in reality; an empowering, unputdownable adventure that fantasy readers,  environmental advocates and activists, and adventure/survival readers will love.

Author Barbara Newman’s webpage invites readers to become “Allies for the Earth” and posts links to environmental organizations like Zero Hour and Tree Sisters. A portion of the proceeds for The Dreamcatcher Codes goes to organizations for climate justice and environmental activism, so while reading your world, make your purchase count.

The Dreamcatcher Codes is an International Impact Award Winner for Multicultural Fiction and a Best Book Awards finalist in two categories: Multicultural Fiction and Fantasy/Fiction.

 

 

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2022 (1/28/22) is in its 9th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those books into the hands of young readers and educators.

MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves. Read about our Mission & History HERE.

MCBD 2022 is honored to be Supported by these Medallion Sponsors!

SUPER PLATINUM: Make A Way Media

PLATINUM: Language Lizard

GOLD: Barefoot Books, KidLitTV, Candlewick, Capstone, Abrams Books

SILVER: Pack-n-Go Girls, Charlotte Riggle, Kimberly Gordon Biddle

BRONZE: Carole P. Roman, Patrice McLaurin, Dyesha and Triesha McCants/McCants Squared, Redfin.com, Redfin Canada, Redfin Mortgage, Redfin/Title Forward, Create & Educate, Star Bright Books, Vivian Kirkfield, Dr. Eleanor Wint, Kind World Publishing, Snowflake Stories, Lisa Wee, SONGJU MA, Melissa Stoller, J.C. Kato and J.C.², Crystel Patterson, Audrey Press, Pragmaticmom, TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales

MCBD 2022 is honored to be Supported by these Author Sponsors!

Charlene Mosley (official MCBD2022 Poster Creator)
Illustrator Isabelle Roxas (Class Kit Poster Creator)

Alva Sachs, Brianna Carter, Ebony Zay Zay, Rita Bhandari, Gwen Jackson, Lois Petren/The 5 Enchanted Mermaids, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, Josh Funk, Afsaneh Moradian, Eugenia Chu, Maritza Martínez Mejía, Diana Huang, Kathleen Burkinshaw, CultureGroove, Sandra Elaine Scott, Dorena Williamson, Veronica Appleton, Alejandra Domenzain, Lauren Muskovitz and Sandfish Publishing, Tonya Duncan Ellis, Kimberly Lee, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher, Nancy Tupper Ling, Winsome Hudson-Bingham, Amanda Hsiung-Blodgett, Sivan Hong, Michael Genhart, Debbie Dadey, Elizabeth Cureton, Stephanie Wildman, Maryann Jacob, Sherri Maret, Rochelle Melander, Dia Mixon, Kiyanda and Benjamin Young, Shereen Rahming, Linda Thornburg and Katherine Archer,  Rebecca Flansburg and BA Norrgard , Maxine Schur  Natalie McDonald-Perkins

MCBD 2022 is Honored to be Supported by our CoHosts and Global CoHosts!

MCBD 2022 is Honored to be Supported by these Media Partners!

Check out MCBD’s Multicultural Books for Kids Pinterest Board!

FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day

Diversity Book Lists & Activities for Teachers and Parents

Homeschool Diverse Kidlit Booklist & Activity Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Activism and Activists Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Empathy Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Kindness Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Poverty Kit

FREE Homeschool Diverse Kidlit Booklist & Activity Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Raising Awareness on Systemic Racism in America Classroom Kit

Gallery of Our Free Posters

FREE Diversity Book for Classrooms Program

Join us on Friday, Jan 29, 2021, at 9 pm EST for the 8th annual Multicultural Children’s Book Day Twitter Party! Be sure and follow MCBD and Make A Way Media on Twitter!

This epically fun and fast-paced hour includes multicultural book discussions, addressing timely issues, diverse book recommendations, & reading ideas.

We will be giving away an 8-Book Bundle every 5 minutes plus Bonus Prizes as well! *** US and Global participants welcome. **

Follow the hashtag #ReadYourWorld to join the conversation, connect with like-minded parts, authors, publishers, educators, organizations, and librarians. See you all very soon on Twitter!

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

And they lived happily ever after…

princess-princessPrincess Princess Ever After, by Katie O’Neill, (Sept. 2016, Oni Press), $12.99, ISBN: 9781620103401

Recommended for ages 9-13

Princess Sadie is so over the princes and their lame rescue attempts that she quietly sabotages her own rescues – that is, until Princess Amira happens along. Mohawked and determined to strike out on her own, in no mood to settle down to standard princess life herself, Amira frees Sadie and gives her self-esteem a much-needed boost. Joining forces, the two princesses face a jealous sorceress who has a very personal grudge with Sadie, and discover that they can create their own happily ever after, no princes necessary.

I adore this story. It has so many empowering messages, I want to hand copies of them out to every kid I see, every classroom I visit. It’s a story of doing it yourself; of self-esteem and loving yourself; of the freedom to love. The cartoon art is bright, happy, and even includes the cutest little dragon to fall in love with, because at heart, this is a princess story. It’s soft and feminine while delivering a strong, gorgeous message. Display and booktalk this with the Princeless and Lumberjanes series of comics and trade paperbacks – and read them yourself! They’re fantastic!

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This book has received a lot of buzz, including a lovely Lambda Literary review and a 2016 Best Elementary/Middle Grade Graphic Novels nomination from the CYBILS. It was also awarded best book/graphic novel and shortlisted for best overall comic in the first annual Autostraddle Comic and Sequential Art Awards. Visit Katie O’Neill’s website to see and read more about her work.

This is an important book to have in your collections, and an adorable fantasy tale on top of it. Why wouldn’t you want a one-two winner like this?

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Art courtesy of StrangelyKatie.com

Posted in Fiction, Graphic Novels, Tween Reads

Delilah Dirk returns in Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling

delilah dirk coverDelilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling, by Tony Cliff (March 2016, First Second), $16.99, ISBN: 9781626721555

Recommended for ages 10+

Delilah Dirk is a swashbuckling, 19th century heroine who travels the world in search of adventure. In her first graphic novel, Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant, we met Delilah and Selim, the Turkish lieutenant whose life she saved. Salim is now bound to travel the world at her side.

Delilah and Selim’s latest adventure puts them in the sights of the English army. When Delilah identifies a traitor to the crown, he turns the tables on them: and now the twosome are on the run after being accused of espionage. Where do they end up? Back in London, naturally. Delilah’s got a reputation to clear, and nothing’s going to keep her from it: even if it means going up against the traitor, sword to sword, all by herself. But while they stay at her mother’s home, Selim has the unenviable task of posing as her footman, and Delilah has to knuckle down and be girly, to keep up appearances. Dresses and tea rather than sword-slinging and trousers? Heavens, no! Selim is about to discover that there are a lot of things he doesn’t know about his friend, too: for instance, who’s Alexandra?

This is the first Delilah Dirk adventure I’ve read, and I enjoyed it. The adventures are self-contained, so you can pick this book up without really knowing much about the series thus far. You’ll catch up quickly and lose yourself in the adventure. Delilah is a fun, strong female protagonist, and Selim is a friend, a compatriot, and a long-suffering partner. There’s no romantic relationship here; it’s a buddy movie, complete with wacky moments and smart comebacks.

The art is colorful and fluid; lots of movement drawn nicely by writer/artist Tony Cliff. Delilah is always in motion, and her billowing dresses and slashing swords move with the character. Middle schoolers and up will enjoy the adventure-packed series, which you can also read for free online: the Delilah Dirk webpage presents part of The King’s Shilling in serialized format, and will be available and updated until March 8th, when the book is available for purchase and the first chapter will conclude. After the first ninety pages, the remaining one-hundred-and-seventy-six will only be available in the book. The first 80 pages of The Turkish Lieutenant, and a free ebook, Seeds of Good Fortune, are available on the site, too.

Take a look at more of Delilah Dirk and The King’s Shilling below, then go check out the website and add this book to your graphic novel wish list!

delilah dirk_1 delilah dirk_2