Middle Grade Monday: Becoming RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's journey to justice by Debbie Levy

Image: Simon & Schuster

Becoming RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's journey to justice by Debbie Levy. Illustrated by Whitney Gardner. 209 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, November, 2019. 9781534424555. (Review of book borrowed from public library.)

Middle Grade Monday features Becoming RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's journey to justice by Debbie Levy and illustrated by Whitney Gardner to mourn the passing and to celebrate the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Students in grades 7 & 8 and beyond are familiar with Ms. Levy's picture book about Justice Ginsburg, I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg makes her mark. We read this picture book biography quite closely in our library unit studying picture book biographies. 

This graphic novel biography expands readers' knowledge of the legal giant as they follow Ruth, also known as "Kiki," pronounced, "Kick-ee," because she kicked so much as a baby, from her roots in Brooklyn, New York to Cornell and beyond. Art is minimalist and mostly done in blues and white, with occasional red to draw the eye. As usual, Ms. Levy's research is evident in the copious back matter where fans and researchers can find more to read.

I've seen plenty of memes floating around this past weekend honoring Justice Ginsburg. One which particularly resonates simply lists the rights that women enjoy thanks to her tireless work toward equity and equality.

#tbt: Yummy: the last days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri

Yummy: the last days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri. Illustrated by Randy DuBurke. 96 p. Lee & Low Books Inc., September, 2010. 9781584302674. (Own)

#tbt features Yummy: the last days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri. This compelling graphic novel "biography" is told from the POV of a fictional classmate, but tells the very true story of Robert "Yummy" Sandifer. It was inspired by a TIME Magazine article the author read in 1994. Eleven-year-old Yummy inadvertently killed a bystander while he was threatening a rival gang member. He went on the run from the police but his gang was also on the hunt for him. The pace is fast and suspenseful. The black and white panels also effectively build suspense. 

Back matter includes a number of articles as well as an author's note. Lee & Low's page for the book contains extra information as well and worth a look.

Waiting on Wednesday: When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Muhammed

Image: Penguin Random House

Waiting on Wednesday features When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohammed. 264 p. Dial Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Young Readers, April 14, 2020. 9780525553915.

Publisher synopsis: Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day.

Heartbreak, hope, and gentle humor exist together in this graphic novel about a childhood spent waiting, and a young man who is able to create a sense of family and home in the most difficult of settings. It’s an intimate, important, unforgettable look at the day-to-day life of a refugee, as told to New York Times Bestselling author/artist Victoria Jamieson by Omar Mohamed, the Somali man who lived the story.

Fact Friday: Wildheart: the daring adventures of John Muir by Julie Bertagna

Wildheart: the daring adventures of John Muir by Julie Bertagna. 128 p. Yosemite Conservancy, March, 2019. 9781930238930. (Review of purchased finished copy.)

Fact Friday features Wildheart: the daring adventures of John Muir by Julie Bertagna. Are you familiar with the name John Muir? Have you ever visited Muir woods in California? Have you ever visited a National Park? If so, you have John Muir as one of the individuals to thank for the preservation of the wild in the U.S. This is a graphic novel "biography" told in the first person by John Muir. He always loved the outdoors and often escaped chores to wander the Scottish countryside with his younger brother, Davie. When the family moved to the U.S., his wanderlust increased at the expense of his schoolwork and chores. Eventually, he became a student of nature and wrote, invented and wandered the country. Seriously, after recovering from a serious illness, he walked 1000 miles from Kentucky to Florida! Eventually, he headed west and fell in love with Yosemite and the Sierras. He founded the Sierra Club, befriended President Teddy Roosevelt and was instrumental in introducing a bill to congress which would preserve the lands. 

While the first-person narration doesn't always work (can it really be called a biography?), and the art leans more toward sketches that don't do justice to some of the nature scenes, this graphic novel biography is a fine introduction to the "Father of the National Parks."

Teen Tuesday: Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide

Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide by Isabel Quintero. Illustrated by Zeke Peña. 96 p. Getty Publications, March, 2018. 9781947440005. (Review of finished copy borrowed from the public library.)

I am not sure I ever read a biography written in the first person. This short but lyrical and intimate portrait of Mexican photographer/ artist Graciela Iturbide is strangely compelling. The photographer only shot in black and white and the illustrations are in black, white and grey. They also incorporate some of the photographer's portraits. 

Iterbide left a life of privilege and wealth to pursue her art. She also objects to various interpretations of what she is trying to say. Her photos are haunting and her life is compelling. This short graphic novel biography is entrancing and should intrigue teen readers.