Another wonderful picture book showcasing the power of using your voice and not ignoring the light inside you, no matter who you are. I loved how the story focused on the little girl’s feelings and how the stories of inspirational black women, who also had similar feelings, helped her to understand what she was feeling and how she could use it. A great story to inspiring girls to not let the light inside of them be put out and to use it to speak out and be who you want to be.

Maya has a happiness that makes her glow. But sometimes things happen that dim her glow. Maya has heavy thoughts and isn't sure what to do. But, someone helps her recognize her glow and her voice by studying those who came before her. The Light She Feels Inside is a book about empowerment. It includes themes of social justice, as well. The powerful message it gives to its readers will carry with them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read The Light She Feels Inside.

Wow, this book was amazing! The illustrations were vibrant, beautiful and inviting for young children, and the message was amazing. My four year old and I definitely enjoyed reading this one together, and I love the conversation this books brings between us.

I received a complimentary copy and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is a wonderful children's books about the different light Maya feels inside w. We follow Maya and her glow when certain things happen. I loved also how her feeling was also associated with a black woman in history. It's a story that teaches about emotions ,empathy and confidence.

The Light She Feels Inside by Gwendolyn Wallace is an empowering book about Maya who is having a hard time --people are being treated unfairly and things changing. Through Black & Women's History Maya learns she can overcome and make a difference--a good lesson to learn. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.

"The Light She Feels Inside" is a beautiful and thought-provoking children's book that offers an important message of resilience and empowerment through the lens of a young girl, Maya. This book touches on various aspects of Maya's life, from the warm, joyful moments to the challenging and disheartening experiences she faces.

The story effectively highlights the significance of honoring one's feelings, even when they may seem overwhelming. Maya's experiences resonate with many readers, illustrating that life can be a mix of positive and negative emotions, particularly when it comes to issues of racial and social justice. By drawing a connection between Maya's feelings and the experiences of strong Black women in history, like Ida B. Wells, Nina Simone, June Jordan, and her own ancestors, the book instills a sense of pride and heritage.

Maya's journey of learning to carry her glowing light and use it to make a difference in the world is both inspiring and relatable for young readers. It encourages them to embrace their own unique qualities and harness their inner strength to effect positive change.

"The Light She Feels Inside" is a four-star book that serves as an empowering and enlightening resource for children. It not only encourages them to appreciate their own feelings but also to recognize the strength and inspiration that can be drawn from those who have paved the way for social change. This book is a valuable addition to any child's library, sparking essential conversations about history, diversity, and the potential for creating a brighter future.

Maya has a warm glow inside her that is filled with her emotions. As she describes it to her librarian she learns about all the African American women who came before her with the same glow. Maya's story is filled with hope for the future while also being clear about the suffering going on in the world right now. I enjoyed this book and it resonated with me as a Muslim American. I will be purchasing this book for our school library.

*I received a digital copy from NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

Maya has a glow about her, but this glow differs when she’s in positive and negative situations. From the negative situations that anger her, she learns about justice, freedom, community, and other important issues. Past activists and Maya’s ancestors acknowledged these glowing feelings by improving the world. This book has a wonderful cast of characters who lead Maya into her journey of emotional, historical, and societal discovery. The amazing illustrations flowed beautifully with the words and ideas of this picture book.

I received an electronic ARC through the SLJ Day of Dialogue through NetGalley
Wallace shows readers how emotions can fuel actions. She uses shades of light surrounding Maya to show how we change with our moods. Maya learns to do something about changing her emotions from learning about her ancestors. She then works together with her friends to empower others. The artwork captures the characters' emotions and the environment around them. Don't miss the short bios of the women mentioned.

This book is a beautiful message about embracing all of your feelings not just the sweet, comfortable ones. Understanding your history and your own power is so important and calling it your glow is a perfect and accurate imagery. Using your glow to make the world a better place is an incredible message to young girls.

Maya is a young, black girl who feels a joyful, happy glow inside from the people and things around her, but she doesn’t know what to do about the angry, sad glow she feels when bad things happen. Just when this negative glow feels too much to bear, a librarian gives Maya books about notable, black women who used that same light to do good in the world.

“When Maya reads that they were inspired by ‘a healthy love for ourselves, our sisters, and our community,’ she knows what that love is. She recognizes her GLOW.”

This helps Maya process her feelings and inspires her to make things better within her community.

The Light She Feels Inside was a good story with a powerful message. I liked the pages illustrating how Maya imagined she would help the women she learns about and that there are brief bios about those famous black women included at the end.

Thanks again Sourcebooks Jabberwocky and NetGalley for the eARC to read in exchange for an honest review!

<i><u>I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. </i></u>

the illustrations, storyline, and learning opportunities were very well done. it was written in a way for a child to understand and didn't shy away from some "difficult to explain" concepts to children. very well done and super cute

Maya has a light that she feels inside – it’s often full of love and peace – but sometimes, it’s a touch hurt and angry. This book is probably the first illustrated children’s history book that I’ve ever read. It’s full of beautifully illustrated full colored images and chock FULL of amazing women of history. Maya has a heart for her heritage and for her community. This beautiful digital advanced reader’s copy was given to me by NetGalley, Sourcebooks and Gwendolyn Wallace. This honest review was freely given.

THE LIGHT SHE FEELS INSIDE is a beautiful book that will inspire so many young readers! I love how Wallace and Duchess beautifully evoke the powerful metaphor of glowing emotions and light emitting from Maya and how her emotions are complicated and cover a wide range of feelings. And the connection between Maya’s glow and the inner glow of both historically-known activists and Maya’s ancestors from her family. The book encourages young readers to learn more about activism, empowers kids to become activists in their communities, and has many other themes as well. I think it will inspire many young readers to connect or reconnect with their own inner light. Back matter includes short biographies about Fannie Lou Hamer, Gwendolyn Brooks, June Jordan and more amazing Black women. This book is an important addition to school and home libraries.

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Young Maya has a bright glow inside her, showcasing all her feelings within her. But those colors change when she sees injustice. So, with the help of the local librarian, Maya learns of past black women who fought against injustice and inequality. It's not exactly my type of picture book, but it was informative. At the back of the book, there's a section of all the women that Maya read about.

Maya feels a glow at various moments of intense emotion. She finds the glow warm and comforting when she's happy or with people she cares about. There are other times, though, the bad times, like when someone is mean to her or profiles her favorite cousin, that the glow starts to become unbearable and too hard for her to deal with alone. Her favorite librarian tells her about women in the past that also had to go through the same feelings and trials that Maya faces. This beautiful book explores the mighty women that helped shape the country and how they worked to overcome the issues they met in a way that is child appropriate. The bright imagery and diverse characters make the book an excellent choice for younger and older children and provides a great introduction to difficult conversations.

There's no other way to say it -- this book deserves a *glowing* review. The Light She Feels Inside is easily one of the best children's books I've read in 2023. What starts out as an exploration of the physical experience of positive and negative feelings transforms into a nuanced, community- and justice-focused story about sharing our light and transforming the world. Duchess's illustrations are a perfect complement to Wallace's text, and there is an incredible array of racial, gender, and ability diversity throughout the book. While this will be an especially excellent choice to share with young girls of color, all readers will appreciate the empowering message and beautiful images in this story. We can't wait to purchase it for our library!

The Light She Feels Inside is an inspirational story about recognizing your feelings and finding a way forward. Maya glows with happy feelings when she spends time with her friends and family but sometimes she feels a different type of feeling that leaves her feeling upset. Maya learns to look outward and find a way to express her feelings.

I especially loved Maya finding comfort and peace at the library. The librarian helps her about other changemakers and Maya is inspired to imitate them. This is a story about community, growth, and accepting your feelings.

This was a very sweet picture book about a young Black girl who, in general, feels a glow inside her. But sometimes, she notices the injustices in the world cause that glow to become fiery red in frustration, anger, and perhaps some sadness. This was a very sweet, uplifting story that gave feelings a physical entity that Maya can take stock of her feelings with. I did really enjoy the book and do think it's very important, but I did also think this book tried to do a lot in regards to social injustice and emotions, in that I realized by the end, I didn't realize what was going on in the plot (it is easy to miss the creation of the new community park, but the final page does a good job in highlighting Maya's efforts and ability to build community).

Maya is dealing with some big feelings; good feelings make her glow bright, while anger makes her glow red. Maya is beginning to see some of the injustices in her neighborhood and it is making her angry. However, with the help of a librarian, Maya learns that famous women before her also dealt with struggles and challenges and were able to overcome them. With their inspiration, Maya begins to help changes the injustices in her neighborhood.

I love the mini-biographies at the back of the book that explains more of the famous women touched upon in the book.

This book would be better suited for upper elementary.