Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 08/01/2018 This picture-book biography of Senator Elizabeth Warren concentrates on Elizabeth’s lower-middle-class upbringing and how her family’s financial struggles created her lifelong empathy for ordinary Americans. Despite challenges while growing up, Elizabeth persisted, becoming a scholarship award–­winning debater, the first college graduate in her family, a lawyer who stood up for the rights of the disadvantaged, a law professor, and a member of Congress. The text emphasizes Elizabeth’s dependence on using her words as fighting tools, culminating in her 2017 temporary expulsion from the Senate floor after she refused to be silenced. The title refers to the moderator’s now-famous defense (“She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted”) that has become a rallying cry for populations who feel silenced or marginalized. The story-like text flows, keeping readers engaged, and the illustrations are rendered in muted colors, adding period details and nuance. A bibliography contains mostly adult-level resources. This is a good choice for both reports and inspirational reading aloud. - Copyright 2018 Booklist.