By Rita Lorraine Hubbard, Illustrated by Oge Mora
Publication Date: 2020
Joy for Books Review Score: 87%
Description from Bookshop.org: In 1848, Mary Walker was born into slavery. At age 15, she was freed, and by age 20, she was married and had her first child. By age 68, she had worked numerous jobs, including cooking, cleaning, babysitting, and selling sandwiches to raise money for her church. At 114, she was the last remaining member of her family. And at 116, she learned to read. From Rita Lorraine Hubbard and rising star Oge More comes the inspirational story of Mary Walker, a woman whose long life spanned from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement, and who--with perseverance and dedication--proved that you're never too old to learn.
Joy for Books reviewer comments:
"This is such an inspiring story. The author writes authentically about this character. You learn about the difficult things in her life, but you never feel sorry for her. She always keeps moving forward and never forgets her dream... The illustrations give you a glimpse into the character's every day world by depicting words as squiggles. When she learns how to read, the words burst forth on the signs like a celebration!... It gives parents and teachers the opportunity to look more closely at the history of our country and to talk honestly about slavery and racism."
"I loved the concept of this book and the idea of sharing this story with young people, but it's rough. There is a great deal of time spent with our main character through her struggles, and there are only struggles. I feel like it needed more scaffolding. The main character was sad in almost every illustration. I enjoyed the illustrations more than the rest of the book, as they were so beautifully creative."
By Rita Lorraine Hubbard, Illustrated by Oge Mora
Publication Date: 2020
Joy for Books Review Score: 87%
Description from Bookshop.org: In 1848, Mary Walker was born into slavery. At age 15, she was freed, and by age 20, she was married and had her first child. By age 68, she had worked numerous jobs, including cooking, cleaning, babysitting, and selling sandwiches to raise money for her church. At 114, she was the last remaining member of her family. And at 116, she learned to read. From Rita Lorraine Hubbard and rising star Oge More comes the inspirational story of Mary Walker, a woman whose long life spanned from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement, and who--with perseverance and dedication--proved that you're never too old to learn.
Joy for Books reviewer comments:
"This is such an inspiring story. The author writes authentically about this character. You learn about the difficult things in her life, but you never feel sorry for her. She always keeps moving forward and never forgets her dream... The illustrations give you a glimpse into the character's every day world by depicting words as squiggles. When she learns how to read, the words burst forth on the signs like a celebration!... It gives parents and teachers the opportunity to look more closely at the history of our country and to talk honestly about slavery and racism."
"I loved the concept of this book and the idea of sharing this story with young people, but it's rough. There is a great deal of time spent with our main character through her struggles, and there are only struggles. I feel like it needed more scaffolding. The main character was sad in almost every illustration. I enjoyed the illustrations more than the rest of the book, as they were so beautifully creative."