Tammy Duckworth

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.

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2018
Grades K-2 From the Great Asian Americans series (5 titles) comes this attractive, if brief, biography of Duckworth, currently a U.S. senator from Illinois. The daughter of a Thai and Chinese mother and an American father, Tammy and her family lived in Asia when she was a child. In college, Duckworth joined the ROTC, which led to an army career. As a helicopter pilot, she lost both legs in an attack, but she went on to serve veterans and, later, her constituents. The book captures the audience's attention with full-color photographs that face each page of short text, especially pictures of Duckworth with artificial legs, rehabbing or standing to take the oath of office. What's lacking is much information about the senator's personal life, or how she felt about her accident or the aftermath. A basic introduction to a unique personality.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)