Wangari Maathai

April 1, 2020

Gr 3-6-Although short in length (only 32 pages each), these text-heavy biographies are full of information with plenty of details for report writers and casual readers alike. The series title aptly brings some interesting people under one umbrella, including contemporary political figures, entertainment moguls, and historical individuals. Difficult or controversial aspects of the subject's life are addressed (as in the bios for Malcolm X and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), ensuring that the text is balanced and not purely complimentary. VERDICT The appealing layouts, insets, sidebars with extra details, and color photographs on nearly every page will keep readers interested and engaged.

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August 1, 2020
Grades 3-5 A respectable amount of information is incorporated into these new biographies in the People You Should Know series (12 new titles), while still maintaining an appropriate reading level and breathable design. Each book's first chapter introduces its subject's claim to fame, before turning to a traditional chronological account of his or her childhood, accomplishments, and causes. Wangari Maathai offers an impressive portrait of Kenya's Mother of Trees, paying special attention to her educational accomplishments, her environmental victories, and her Nobel Peace Prize. Key text features in these books include inset vocabulary, fact, and Did You Know? boxes and plentiful photos to further break up the text; three critical thinking questions round out each volume. The inclusion of unsourced quotes is disappointing in an otherwise solid series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)