  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 03/01/2015 Gr 1–4—History and humor blend in this new series that covers women whose lives have shaped the United States. The taglines included on the covers provide clues about each individual's contribution. In Dolley Madison, Krull covers the First Lady's popular "Wednesday Nights," formal dinners at the White House ("Parties can be patriotic"), which gave guests the opportunity to socialize and network. Sacajawea details Lewis and Clark's guide's knowledge of languages and the Northwest, which ensured the success of the expedition ("Lewis and Clark would be lost without me"). Sonia Sotomayor stresses the Supreme Court justice's lifelong commitment to making the right choices ("I'll be the judge of that") and working hard to overcome challenges and meet goals. Judy Blume describes the acclaimed author's commitment to writing honestly and realistically ("Are you there, reader? It's me, Judy!"), which has made her the target of censorship. An upbeat tone runs through these books, and Krull's language is accessible, occasionally making use of the vernacular, such as describing Sotomayor as being "jazzed" about a scholarship or referring to the Founding Fathers as "FF." Sacajawea's story has a guide for accurate name pronunciation, and there's an extensive further reading list, but quotes are unsourced. Several picture books and collected biographies about women are available, including some by Krull, but there hasn't been a series of individual books about women for this grade level since Blackbirch's "Library of Famous Women" and "Library of Famous Women Juniors." Interior color illustrations, executed by different illustrators and in different styles, further enhance these titles. VERDICT Visually appealing, with quality information, these books are ideal offerings for most collections.—Sharon M. Lawler, formerly of Randolph Elementary, Randolph AFB, TX - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Bulletin for the Center... - 09/01/2015 Biography maven Krull launches a new middle-grades series, Women Who Broke the Rules, for kids just past picture-book biographies. These two titles pose opposite challenges for Krull’s craft-Sacajawea, because so little is known about her, and that bit arrives filtered through the journals of Lewis and Clark; Sotomayor, because so much is known about her (particularly due to Senate confirmation hearings) and must be pared down to a few dozen pages. Thus, much of Sacajawea’s story is expanded with judicious speculation based on the role of women in Shoshone, Hidatsa, and early nineteenth century Anglo-American cultures, and considering how the unlikely adventurer may have approached caring for her newborn while tending to the needs of her male trekkers. Sotomayor’s story, on the other hand, focuses on childhood experiences and dispositions that influenced her goal for a career in law and justice, and the Herculean effort to succeed among the Ivy League set. Short chapters and chatty text will be a welcome boon to report writers, and children’s works noted among the appended sources and further feading lists are useful. However, neither volume can boast of distinguished illustration (Sotomayor’s childlike cartoonishness misses caricature by a mile, and Sacajawea’s glossy, studied poses feel fustily old-fashioned), and Krull is vague about the exact “rules” each of her subjects can be said to have broken, leaving these fairly workmanlike but unremarkable early biographies. Nonetheless, Krull’s engaging narrative style is again on display, and that alone may carry the day. EB - Copyright 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Loading...
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