A likable, meaningful addition to the She Persisted collection.
In the latest installment in the She Persisted chapter-biography series, Knudsen and Flint bring to life a woman with whom many have some familiarity.
However, young readers—as well as not-so-young—will delight in discovering the many tiny details of Nellie Bly’s life. For example, her nickname was Pink because she loved the color so much. But her real name wasn’t Nellie; it was Elizabeth Jane Cochran. When her father died without a will, his estate was divided among Bly’s birth family and her 10 older half siblings, leaving Bly’s mother in straitened circumstances that led to her marriage to a violent second husband. Bly persevered possibly because of the hardships of her young life. Seeing her mother struggle fueled her determination to be self-sufficient. The book shines the most when it outlines how Elizabeth Jane transformed into Nellie Bly—women journalists were not allowed to use their proper names in print—and defied the norms of fashion journalism and society writing usually set aside for women. Bly became an internationally celebrated journalist based on her courageous, daring investigative journalism. This is a fast read, sure to engage transitioning independent readers or older reluctant readers. However, the information included will certainly hold the attention of more sophisticated readers. Flint’s delicate illustrations depict her White protagonist with confident, eager expressions. Per series formula, tips on how readers can persist close the title.
A likable, meaningful addition to the She Persisted collection. (bibliography) (Biography. 6-9)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-11574-9
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A pivotal moment in a child’s life, at once stirring and authentically personal.
Before growing up to become a major figure in the civil rights movement, a boy finds a role model.
Buffing up a childhood tale told by her renowned father, Young Shelton describes how young Andrew saw scary men marching in his New Orleans neighborhood (“It sounded like they were yelling ‘Hi, Hitler!’ ”). In response to his questions, his father took him to see a newsreel of Jesse Owens (“a runner who looked like me”) triumphing in the 1936 Olympics. “Racism is a sickness,” his father tells him. “We’ve got to help folks like that.” How? “Well, you can start by just being the best person you can be,” his father replies. “It’s what you do that counts.” In James’ hazy chalk pastels, Andrew joins racially diverse playmates (including a White child with an Irish accent proudly displaying the nickel he got from his aunt as a bribe to stop playing with “those Colored boys”) in tag and other games, playing catch with his dad, sitting in the midst of a cheering crowd in the local theater’s segregated balcony, and finally visualizing himself pelting down a track alongside his new hero—“head up, back straight, eyes focused,” as a thematically repeated line has it, on the finish line. An afterword by Young Shelton explains that she retold this story, told to her many times growing up, drawing from conversations with Young and from her own research; family photos are also included. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A pivotal moment in a child’s life, at once stirring and authentically personal. (illustrator’s note) (Autobiographical picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-545-55465-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
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