Published by Workman Publishing

Summary:  International children’s advocate Warren Binford was shocked by his 2019 visit to  the Clint Border Patrol Station in Texas where he found over 350 children locked in a warehouse, a loading dock, and overcrowded cells.  After Donald Trump and Mike Pence refused to acknowledge the truth about Clint, Warren and his colleagues went on social media to ask artists, writers, faith leaders, and anyone else to help these children tell their stories.  Project Amplify has resulted in songs, plays, billboards, works of art, and now this book, which is a collection of the children’s stories in their own words.  Illustrated by 17 Latinx artists, the text is in both English and Spanish, and lets the kids tell why they left their countries for the U.S. and the deplorable conditions they experienced once they got here.  Includes a foreword by Michael Garcia Bochenek of Human Rights Watch and several pages about Project Amplify and the book, including thumbnail portraits of each artist and questions to ask children about the text.  96 pages; ages 8 and up.

Pros:  An incredibly powerful book, made more so by the amazing illustrations (some realistic and some more fantastic), and the back matter.  

Cons:  It’s hard to recommend an age group for this book.  While I think there are plenty of elementary kids who would learn a lot from it, it should definitely be read with some adult guidance.