I Dissent

June 13, 2016
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.

June 1, 2016
Speak purposefully and carry a big legal pad.Ruth Bader Ginsburg's 1940s Brooklyn neighborhood was filled with the traditional sights and aromas of many different immigrant cultures alongside her Jewish background, but in one respect her life was different. Her mother believed women should pursue opportunities outside the traditional ones. Ruth read voraciously in her neighborhood library, but it was on car trips with her family that she was exposed to racial and religious prejudices, effectively communicated with signage in the illustrations. Rebelling against writing with her right hand, the left-handed Ruth went on to earn a law degree--rare for women at that time--and teach law. She made it her mission to fight in the courts for equal rights for women and people of color. In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed her to the Supreme Court, the first Jewish woman to sit. In her many opinions, she "sings out for equality." Levy's breezy text highlights Ginsburg's childhood, schooling, family (with a husband as the cook), and career. Baddeley's mixed-media art is colorful, lively, and retro in feel. The judicious use of large and varied display types throughout the pages emphasizes Ginsburg's thoughts and actions, often evoking picket signs of protest. Read this and be inspired to work for justice through the legal system. (author's note, photographs, notes on Supreme Court cases, bibliography, quotation sources) (Picture book/biography. 7-10)

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Starred review from July 1, 2016

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

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2016
Grades 1-3 *Starred Review* As a child in Brooklyn, Ruth learned the importance of a powerful dissent. Her mother objected to the notion that girls shouldn't get an education. Ruth objected to the discrimination facing her Jewish family. In school, she objected to having to take sewing and cooking classes (but still had to), and in college, she objected to the notion that, as a woman, she couldn't pursue a law career. Dissent is the through line woven into this picture-book biography of Justice Ginsburg, and it's a tidy way to demonstrate how her fearless objections to the unfair status quo not only led the way to her career as a Supreme Court justice but also contributed to dismantling many of those discriminatory laws that prevented equal treatment. Baddeley's dynamic illustrations in a rich palette highlight each moment of dissension, with an artful I dissent written in arcing calligraphy and Ginsburg's determined expression facing down each looming opposition. Baddeley and Levy don't just emphasize the importance of mere disagreement, however; using her friendship with Antonin Scalia as an example (coupled with a charming illustration of them parasailing together), they demonstrate how disagreement can lead to meaningful discussion and doesn't have to be personal. This lively, inviting, and informative biography of a historic woman will empower young ones to bravely voice their opinions.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)