Barbed Wire Between Us reviewed by Betsy Bird on School Library Journal

I am thrilled that Betsy Bird reviewed Red Comet Press’s entire Spring and Fall catalog on School Library Journal.

Here’s her review of Barbed Wire Between Us:

Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen, ill. Violeta Encarnación

ISBN: 9781636551920

Publication Date: March 31, 2026

Isn’t that cover just jaw-dropping? This is a complex idea. We begin in the past when a girl is interned in a Japanese internment camp. Then the book at the middle goes backwards and it’s the present day with a Latino girl now in the same facility. Aside from being VERY topical, the book is a reverso title of sorts (making it the third I’ve seen in 2026 so far). And while it might strike you at first as a picture book, they’re going to market this title to the 8-12 age group because it’s pretty intense. Mia, the author, is Japanese and Chinese-American, while Violeta Encarnación is Cuban-American.

p.s. Related posts:

BARBED WIRE BETWEEN US gets Kirkus Starred Review!

Barbed Wire Between Us included in Sneak Peek list of Poetry for Young People 2026

BARBED WIRED BETWEEN US: Kirkus The Most Anticipated Children’s Books of Spring 2026

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Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.

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My books:

Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación

⭐ Starred review from Kirkus
⭐ Starred review from Publishers Weekly
⭐ Starred review from School Library Journal
Kirkus: The Most Anticipated Children’s Books of Spring 2026

Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Fortune Cookies for Everyone! (Smithsonian): The Surprising Story of the Tasty Treat We Love to Eat

California Eureka Non-Fiction Gold Award
Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)

The Traveling Taco: The Amazing and Surprising Journey of Many of Your Favorite Foods

California Eureka Non-Fiction Silver Award
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
Reading Rockets’ Summer Reading Guide 2025

Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court

ALSC Notable Children’s Book
2025 Carter G. Woodson Book Award Middle Level Honoree
Orbis Pictus Recommended Book for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
2024 Julia Ward Howe Prize for Children’s Literature Winner
California Eureka Non-Fiction Award Honor Book
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year 2025
Recommended Reading for the Social Justice Literature Award 2025 (International Literacy Association)
Pennsylvania Mountain Laurel Book Award Nominee 2026-27
Junior Library Guild Gold Selection