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32 pp.
| Owlkids
| August, 2019
|
TradeISBN 978-1-77147-350-7$16.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Eugenie Fernandes.
Readers meet Louise Bennett Coverley (1919–2006), a Jamaican poet, musician, storyteller, and broadcaster known as "Miss Lou." Her "dialect poems sounded like the speech of everyday Jamaicans"; as a schoolchild, however, she was discouraged from writing anything but "proper English." Fernandes's vibrant textured illustrations reflect young Coverley's creativity and enthusiasm. Hohn's author's note includes her inspiration plus more about Coverley and Jamaican patois. Glos.
48 pp.
| Enslow
| October, 2011
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-7660-3871-4$23.93
(4)
4-6
Hot Celebrity Biographies series.
These adulatory biographies cover the rise to fame of some of today's most popular young stars in the music, television, and film industries. The high-interest texts, while superficial, are easy to read; sidebars provide trivia tidbits for fans. Ample publicity photographs and discographies or filmographies are included. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Hot Celebrity Biographies titles: Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Robert Pattinson, Selena Gomez, Taylor Lautner, and Taylor Swift.
40 pp.
| Lee
| May, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-1-60060-367-9$18.95
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Sonia Lynn Sadler.
This biography of Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan scientist and environmentalist and the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, is informative but overwritten: "Like a sturdy tree against a mighty wind, her faith kept her strong." The oil and scratchboard illustrations call to mind stained glass, with panes of color separated by white lines. Bib.
40 pp.
| Simon/Wiseman
| January, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4169-3505-6$16.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Kadir Nelson.
This picture book celebrates Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize–winner Wangari Maathai who, by encouraging women to plant trees, also gave them a way to improve their lives. Napoli's text is spare but powerful (e.g., "Kenya was strong once more, strong and peaceful"), and Nelson's collage illustrations have the pleasing beauty of a well-made quilt. Back matter supplies information about Maathai's Green Belt Movement. Websites. Glos.
(3)
YA
With Susan McClelland. Political instability in Sierra Leone forces twelve-year-old Mariatu to face unimaginable horrors, including rebels who chop off both of her hands. Yet her resilience enables her to recover from many losses, make friends, and continue her education as a refugee in Canada. Limited detail sometimes distances readers--for which they might be grateful while following this chilling autobiographical account.
167 pp.
| Simon/Wiseman
| January, 2005
|
TradeISBN 0-689-86773-5$15.95
(3)
4-6
While spending the summer with relatives in Trinidad, Grace discovers an old photograph of a stranger with a birthmark just like her own. Grace is determined to discover his identity--and her own. Although Grace seems unfazed by her life-changing discoveries, readers will be intrigued by her quest. An evocative setting and a focused narrative make for a promising first novel.
(4)
YA
Women Changing the World series.
Ramphele is a South African doctor who organized against apartheid; Bhatt is an Indian lawyer who created a union and bank for poor women. Adulatory biographies profile these inspiring women's lives and summarize (and sometimes oversimplify) the conditions against which they work. Illustrated with standard black-and-white photos, each book contains a time line. Bib., glos., ind.