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STAND UP! by Brittney Cooper

STAND UP!

10 Mighty Women Who Made a Change

by Brittney Cooper ; illustrated by Cathy Ann Johnson

Pub Date: Aug. 2nd, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-76385-0
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic

The joys and challenges of standing up for oneself and others are celebrated.

Writer and activist Cooper highlights the concept of “standing up” by introducing examples of African American women who made a difference by refusing to back down from the positions they took. Some of the stories are well known; others may be less familiar to readers but are just as worthy of notice. She begins with Mum Bett, who was born into slavery before the American Revolution. Once the United States became independent, she took the words of liberty in the country’s new constitution to heart and sued for her freedom. Other entries cover journalist Ida B. Wells, who risked her life to bring attention to the violence that African Americans faced after the Civil War; Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin, who fought against segregation; Prathia Hall, a preacher and powerful advocate for Black voting rights whose words resonated with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; and Mari Copeny, a girl from Flint, Michigan, who wrote a letter asking President Barack Obama to do something about the unsafe water in her city. Cooper’s text is a clarion call that educates children about the work of Black women over the years and invites young people to become active in the causes they believe in. The engaging text is enhanced by Johnson’s bright, fluid illustrations. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A work of advocacy and encouragement for the youngest readers.

(Picture book. 4-8)