Ellison Onizuka

April 1, 2018

K-Gr 2-Emergent readers can learn about the accomplishments of several Asian American leaders from a variety of fields. The full-page photos and the short sentences in large print are perfect for the intended audience. In addition to the biographical content, students will also be introduced to important nonfiction text features, such as chapter headings, time lines, and more. However, throughout the series, the photos are not consistently captioned. Cham discusses difficult topics directly but with little detail. (In Tammy Duckworth: "She lost both her legs. Her right arm was hurt." And in Ellison Onizuka: "He got on the Challenger. It took off. Then it broke apart. Everyone inside died.") One example of discrimination is cited when Patsy Mink went to college and "had to live in separate housing." VERDICT Fans of the Children's Press's "Rookie Readers" series will appreciate this fresh if slight option.

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