Groundbreaking Guys

Starred review from May 1, 2019
Single-page profiles of men who were guided by their better angels. "History books are full of men who have made their mark," Peters writes. "But these great men were not always good men." So this atypical gallery focuses on men who served communities, demonstrated real respect for others, or otherwise acted on worthy principles. With one exception, men presented were born in or at least lived into the 20th century. That exception, John Stuart Mill, leads off for his then-radical notions about human (including women's) rights and the "tyranny of the majority." The ensuing multiracial, multinational roster mixes the predictable likes of Cesar Chavez, Thích Nhất Hạnh, and Roberto Clemente with Chinese diplomat Feng-Shan Ho (who helped "hundreds, and possibly thousands" of Jews escape Nazi-occupied Vienna), Indian child-labor activist Kailash Satyarthi, Malala Yousafzai's dad and champion, Ziauddin, transgender activist Kylar W. Broadus, and socially conscious creative artists including Lin-Manuel Miranda and Kendrick Lamar. Though intent on highlighting good works, the author doesn't shy away from personal details--she identifies six entrants as gay and one, Freddie Mercury, as bisexual--or darker ones, such as Harvey Milk's assassination and Anthony Bourdain's suicide. Washington works with a severely limited menu of facial expressions, but each subject in his full-page accompanying portraits radiates confidence and dignity. Pure gold for readers in search of role models who buck conventional masculine expectations. (source notes) (Collective biography. 11-14)

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May 27, 2019
Peters celebrates 40 men from across the globe who have strived to make the world a better place. Presented in chronological order, the subjects include figures of substantial fame and with significant presence on the public stage—President Barack Obama, Lin-Manuel Miranda—alongside individuals whose influence is of a more reserved nature (Bob Ross, host of The Joy of Painting). Others work to fight oppression, including Chinese diplomat Feng-Shan Ho, who helped Jewish people escape to Shanghai during WWII. Longtime pals Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, the late Anthony Bourdain, and Kendrick Lamar are among the famed figures of the media and entertainment worlds. Success isn’t measured by status or dollar signs, Peters notes. Instead, being “groundbreaking” is about the choices one makes to better the world. Ages 8–12.

June 1, 2019
Grades 4-7 This inspirational collective biography introduces men who have had a positive impact while still being good people. Each of the 40 receives a single page of direct yet enjoyable prose telling his story. Headed by inspirational quotes (cited in source notes), the entries are placed opposite a full-page, stylized, and colorful portrait set against a background representing the subject's achievements. Entries are arranged chronologically by birth, from John Stuart Mill in 1806 to Kendrick Lamar in 1987. It's an interesting and diverse array that includes Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, transgender activist Kylar W. Broadus, artist and teacher N. Scott Momaday, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, author Walter Dean Myers, philanthropist Carlos Slim Hel�, master storyteller Hayao Miyazaki, sexual assault survivor Terry Crews, Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, and childhood icon Fred Rogers. Peters acknowledges up front that it has been easier for some men to have power, noting that those included here changed the rules about what a man could be. In their company, readers will meet many heroes here for the first time.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)