Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 05/01/2023 Books in the Bright Minds series (4 titles) feature people of color who made noteworthy contributions to society. The writing is concise and straightforward. Visual elements include captioned, black-and-white photos, which can be rather small, as well as colorful digital designs and cartoon drawings with speech balloons, giving the pages a casual, somewhat-crowded look. Lewis Latimer tells of a man born in 1848 to former slaves. A draftsman and later an inventor, he worked with both Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison during the early years of electrical power. With accessible, relatively short texts and lively design elements, these biographies will find an audience among kids who are building their reading skills while learning about famous people from the past. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.

Booklist - 07/23/2023 Books in the Bright Minds series (4 titles) feature people of color who made noteworthy contributions to society. The writing is concise and straightforward. Visual elements include captioned, black-and-white photos, which can be rather small, as well as colorful digital designs and cartoon drawings with speech balloons, giving the pages a casual, somewhat-crowded look. Lewis Latimer tells of a man born in 1848 to former slaves. A draftsman and later an inventor, he worked with both Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison during the early years of electrical power. With accessible, relatively short texts and lively design elements, these biographies will find an audience among kids who are building their reading skills while learning about famous people from the past. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 04/01/2023 Gr 3–4—In these four biographies, readers learn about important 19th- and 20th-century inventors. Charles Drew successfully devised ways to separate and store blood, George Washington Carver created hundreds of products but only applied for three patents, Lewis Latimer was the only Black man to work with "Edison's Pioneers," and Madame C.J. Walker created beauty products for Black women. Statistical data is included, but the emphasis is on the subjects' respective careers and achievements. All four inventors are presented in a positive light with cartoon drawings emphasizing the upbeat narratives. Though their struggles with racism are mentioned, they are not explored in any detail; Latimer was treated badly by other employees in London and Charles Drew was not initially allowed to treat patients at Columbia. Still, the prose and illustrations (including photographs) make for entertaining, informative, and especially inspiring reads. VERDICT Though there are many other biographies on these inventors, especially Carver and Walker, these tend to be more interesting reads and selectors should certainly consider. - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.