Turning Pages Book Review

In her new book, Turning Pages, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor tells her own story for young readers for the very first time! As the first Latina Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor has inspired young people around the world to reach for their dreams. But what inspired her? For young Sonia, the answer was books!

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book from the publisher to facilitate this review.  As always, all opinions are my own.

Maps, Mirrors, Friends, and Teachers

Books were Sonia’s mirrors, her maps, her friends, and her teachers. They helped her to connect with her family in New York and in Puerto Rico. Additionally, books helped her deal with her diabetes diagnosis, to cope with her father’s death, to uncover the secrets of the world, and to dream of a future for herself in which anything was possible.

Meeting the Justice

We had a chance to meet Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor this year at the National Book Festival in Washington D.C. There were over 3,000 people turned away after hours of waiting in line, but my daughter and I were two of the lucky ones.

When we got to the front of the line, she immediately complimented my daughter on her curly hair. She recognized from her own experience that brown and black girls need to hear their hair is beautiful as early and often as humanly possible.  So much of a girl’s identity is in their skin and hair, and part of knowing anything is possible is first believing you are worthy. That identity starts on the inside.

After she signed our copies of Turning Pages, my daughter thanked her “for fighting for the future of young girls and making the laws better so girls can be equal”. Ms. Sotomayor told her to come close and then gave her a long hug and said, “I do it for you. Thank you for believing.” A tearful and too short interaction with one of the most incredible women I have had the honor of meeting in my life.

Turning Pages

In real life and in Turning Pages, Justice Sotomayor inspires children to read, to puzzle, and most importantly to dream for themselves. This story of the Justice’s life shows readers that the world is full of promise and possibility–all they need to do is turn the page.

Purchase TURNING PAGES in English or Spanish on Amazon | Shop your local indie bookstore.

Book released September 4th, 2018. Recommended for ages 5-9.

About the Author

Sonia Sotomayor was born in the Bronx, New York. She earned a BA from Princeton University and a JD from Yale Law School.

She served as Assistant District Attorney in New York County, and then as a litigator at Pavia & Harcourt.

In 1991, when President George H.W. Bush nominated her to the US District Court, Southern District of New York. In 1997, President William Jefferson Clinton nominated her to the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

President Barack Obama nominated her as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on May 26, 2009. She assumed this role August 8, 2009, becoming the first Latina to ever hold such a high position.

She is the author of adult biography My Beloved World and middle grade book The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor.

About the Illustrator

Lulu Delacre has been writing and illustrating children’s books since 1980. Born and raised in Puerto Rico to Argentinean parents, Delacre is a three-time Pura Belpré Award honoree.

Lulu Delacre’s thirty-eight titles include Arroz con Leche: Popular Songs and Rhymes from Latin America; Us, in Progress: Short Stories About Young Latinos; and ¡Olinguito, de la A a la Z! Descubriendo el bosque nublado/Olinguito, from A to Z! Unveiling the Cloud Forest.

Delacre has lectured internationally, served as a juror for the National Book Awards, and exhibited her work at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, among other venues.

For more book recommendations written by women and that have female protagonists, check out:

Multicultural Book Advent: Books for Strong Girls

Top Female Authors Tell Us Why They Write About Diverse Females

Top 5 Feminist Dads and Daughters in Picture Books