Notorious RBG Young Readers' Edition

A tribute to the indefatigable Supreme Court justice--the only member of that esteemed bench ever to become a meme.Admiringly observing that "you don't want to mess with her," the authors open with Ginsburg's devastating dissent following the court's 2013 "gutting" of the Voting Rights Act, then look back over her childhood, education, and stellar legal career. This last is done with particular reference to the obstacles she had to overcome as a woman in the profession and to her work promoting women's rights. The authors cast bright sidelights on her close relationships with her husband and with her great frenemy, Antonin Scalia, as well as on her legendary work habits and exercise routines. They also point to significant influences (notably African-American civil rights attorney Pauli Murray) as they describe how she became not just an inspirational figure, but a pop-culture icon. Collages of fans in RBG Halloween costume, of editorial cartoons, and even of needlepoint projects are interspersed with more-conventional photos of Ginsburg at various ages, images of documents and doodles, and inset featurettes with titles such as "The Jabot," and "How to Be Like RBG." This shaved-down version of the adult title shows signs of hasty preparation, from uncaptioned and misplaced photos to a partial list of "Things Women Couldn't Do in the 1930s and 1940s" that includes "Become an astronaut." It also ends abruptly with a generic 2017 quote (presumably) in response to the appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the court. Still, the prose is as trim and lively as its subject, and it makes a solid case for regarding the titular moniker, initially a joke, as truly just.A bit patchy productionwise, but vivacious and well-argued. (timeline, glossary, source list, index) (Biography. 10-14)

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February 1, 2018

Gr 5-8-A tribute to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg that does more than catalog her achievements; it conveys her spirit, one that will leave readers in awe. Widely viewed as a champion for women's rights, Ginsburg is quick to correct that she battles for "women's and men's liberation," as best illustrated in the case of Stephen Wiesenfeld, who was prevented from collecting his dead wife's social security due to his gender. Ginsburg accepted the case to argue that equality under the law benefits both sexes, and shrewdly, to set a precedent. Not only are her professional triumphs lauded, and our justice system explained, the authors do an excellent job of rounding out her rich life: wife in an egalitarian marriage, mother, and close friends with her polar opposite on the bench, Justice Scalia. The one misstep is the clumsy handling of the justice's cancer, introduced as "her struggle." Young readers may need more clarification. However, the book's strengths far overshadow this stumble. This version shares the same knockout formatting as the adult edition: a plethora of photographs and images leaving nary a page unadorned, and slim informational inserts, such as "How to be like RBG" and "RBG's workout," that lend this serious subject a lighthearted tone. VERDICT Just as Ginsburg's (sometimes) frilly jabot belies the quiet revolutionary, this lively biography of this esteemed justice whose influence straddles two centuries is to be taken seriously. Highly recommended.-Laura Falli, McNeil High School, Austin, TX

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