‘Tis the season for celebrating! Lee & Low is thrilled to shine a light on our starred reviews and Best of the Year 2024 titles. We hope you’ll add these books to your collections
As a token of our appreciation for all you do to affirm the identities of every reader and connect young people with our beautifully diverse world, here’s a discount code to use at checkout for 25% off our website: THANKYOU25.
Safe Passage
⭐"In this fast-paced story, each decision the characters make is critical. Despite the difficult situation the kids are in, Neri provides small pockets of hope and light. Brame's evocative digital black-and-white illustrations bring the setting to life, emphasizing the emotional intensity and high stakes. Somber with a sprinkling of optimism and a firm grounding in unconditional familial love." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Wat Takes His Shot
⭐"A multilayered picture book that, like the hero at its center, offers so much strength, personality, and invaluable life lessons in a very dense package. . . Readers of all ages, especially those who love basketball, will rejoice over 'Wat's' triumphs." — School Library Journal, starred review
Kicked Out
⭐"Dassu expertly handles difficult topics relating to the adversity and othering that asylum-seekers and refugees face in ways that are relatable for young readers. She broaches the storyline that explores Ali's personal life with sensitivity, showing the internal upheaval following his father's reappearance, including themes of rejection and anger. This novel is an engaging modern tale that serves to build empathy. An important and triumphant read." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
The Home We Make
⭐"Written in verse, her powerful book captures both the terror of displacement and brief but meaningful moments of tenderness. Never shying away from the harsher details of migration, neither does she reduce the story to its trauma, creating a nuanced tale that will both inform those lucky enough to enjoy geographic stability and feel familiar to those who aren't. Popping with vivid colors, Faidhi's illustrations have a sweetness that tempers the story's bleaker moments. A moving and enlightening depiction of the refugee experience." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
A Two-Placed Heart
⭐"This highly readable verse memoir beautifully portrays the internal anguish of growing up and adapting to life in a new country." — School Library Journal, starred review