I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark

Ruth Bader Ginsburg had ample experience dissenting and objecting long before she reached the U.S. Supreme Court, according to Levy's (Dozer's Run) spirited picture book biography of the second woman to sit on the high court. Bucking all trends, Ginsburg pursued a different path than most women in the mid-20th century when "Boys were expected to grow up... and do big things. Girls? Girls were expected to find husbands." Baddeley's (A Woman in the House ) playful, full-color illustrations show a resolute Ginsburg realizing a life that includes college, law school, motherhood and a successful legal career. The typeface also emphasizes Ginsburg's true-to-herself determination, as phrases written in large display type are splayed across spreads. "Ruth objected" when she had to take cooking instead of woodshop in school; "She resisted. And persisted" when stereotypes made it hard for her, a Jewish mother and lawyer, to find work. A concluding spread offers more details about and context for Ginsburg's accomplishments, especially in civil rights, alongside four photographs of the justice throughout her life. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary. (Sept.)

Gr 3-5--Ruth Bader Ginsburg grew up in a time different from today; girls were taught to aspire to be wives and mothers--not study at college and become lawyers. This picture book biography of Justice Ginsburg traces her achievements in the field of law back to her girlhood years, emphasizing for readers the importance of dissent in the face of an unequal society. Students will delight as they watch a young Ginsburg "protest" being forced to write with her right hand (she was left-handed) and "object" to being made to take home economics instead of shop class. The text goes on to briefly cover her high school, college, and law school years, as well as her marriage to Martin Ginsburg and the birth of her two children. The majority of the narrative focuses on Ginsburg's law career, her entry into the U.S. Supreme Court, and her work as an associate justice. The writing is appropriately succinct for its intended audience and is nicely complemented by Baddeley's richly illustrated cartoonish drawings. The use of colorful and bold typography to highlight words such as protest, object, dissent, disagree, and agree injects life into the work. Back matter includes photos of Ginsburg, more information on her life and the Supreme Court cases alluded to in the text, and a bibliography with quotation sources. VERDICT This dynamic offering is an essential purchase that will be useful for completing assignments as well as for pleasure reading.--Rebecca Gueorguiev, New York Public Library