CYBILS SENIOR HIGH NONFICTION NOMINEES: Dissenter on the Bench/Glimmer of Hope

DISSENTER ON THE BENCH:

Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Life and Work

By Victoria Ortiz

Clarion Books, 2019

Source: eBook through public library

Ages 14 and up

All opinions expressed are solely my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The life and career of the fiercely principled Supreme Court Justice, now a popular icon, with dramatic accounts of her landmark cases that moved the needle on legal protection of human rights, illustrated with b/w archival photographs.

Dramatically narrated case histories from Justice Ginsburg's stellar career are interwoven with an account of RBG’s life—childhood, family, beliefs, education, marriage, legal and judicial career, children, and achievements—and her many-faceted personality is captured. The cases described, many involving young people, demonstrate her passionate concern for gender equality, fairness, and our constitutional rights. Notes, bibliography, index.

 

REVIEW

Ruth Bader Ginsburg made for an interesting subject.  The incredible amount of hard work she's put into all aspects of her life is inspiring even if you don't agree with her stances or rulings on everything.  The author starts each chapter highlighting a case from her career that was of great importance to her development as an attorney or judge or highlights particularly strong beliefs.  After describing the case and giving some information about how Ginsburg became involved with it, the author then provides information about a time in her life before returning to the case that started the chapter.  This could be a rather confusing way to present information in the hands of a less capable author, but Ortiz makes it work.  I especially appreciated how understandable she made each case.  As with many biographies for young people, the book doesn't cover everything and focuses on the positive things the Ginsburg has said and done.  Not that her challenges are ignored because they aren't but her flaws aren't fully explored.  Clearly the author is a fan of her subject.  An excellent biography that presents a fascinating account of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's life and work, just a tad incomplete.

GLIMMER OF HOPE:

How Tragedy Sparked a Movement

by the founders of March for Our Lives

Razorbill, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-984-83609-0

Source: public library

Ages 14 and up

All opinions expressed are solely my own.

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

 

The official, definitive book from The March for Our Lives founders about the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, the March for Our Lives, and the ongoing fight for sensible gun control legislation in the United States.

GLIMMER OF HOPE: HOW TRAGEDY SPARKED A MOVEMENT chronicles in first person essays the events of February 14th and the creation of the March for our Lives from the founders of the movement, including Emma González, Cameron Kasky, Jaclyn Corin, and more. The book also features oral histories of both the first day back to school following the shooting and the March for Our Lives, one of the largest marches in America’s history.

On February 14th, 2018, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida was the site of one of the worst mass shootings in American history, in which 17 students and teachers were killed and 17 more were injured. Instead of dwelling on the pain and tragedy of that fateful day, a group of inspiring students from MSD channeled their feelings of hurt, rage, and sorrow into action, and went on to create one of the largest youth-led movements in global history.

 

REVIEW

 

This was an interesting book to read for several reasons.  The stories and experiences told come from those who were present during the major events surrounding the shooting and the movement that developed afterwards.  These young people are pretty honest about the grief, anger, and passion they felt in the hours, days, and months following the devastating events of February 14, 2018.    Each chapter highlights the experiences one or more individuals had related to the shooting and the movement that came after.  I had to admire the courage and determination as well as passion these teenagers showed in the aftermath of tragedy.  At the same time, I was concerned at how quickly they threw themselves into the movement without giving themselves a lot of time to heal.  Hopefully their work helped them heal but the same time trauma requires time and effort to deal with and I didn't get the impression these kids took enough time to find that needed healing before throwing themselves into battle.  What they accomplished is certainly remarkable, especially as they had to confront not only political and other critics and opponents but their own occasional naivety.  The writing comes across as a little unpolished which isn't surprising coming from teenagers. In the end, the young people who share their stories come across as powerfully committed to their cause and clearly plan to keep working toward their end goals.  A powerful account of the importance of standing up for what you believe in and working together to accomplish common goals.