She Persisted: Patsy Mink
80She Persisted: Patsy Mink
80Hardcover
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Overview
When Patsy Mink won her seat the House of Representatives as a Democrat from Hawaii, she became the first woman of color and the first Asian American woman elected to Congress. A co-author of the Title XI amendment of the Higher Education Act, she was a champion of rights for women, children, immigrants, and minorities throughout her twenty-four years in Congress. She helped paved the way for many other women to succeed.
In this chapter book biography by bestselling and Newbery award-winning author Tae Keller, readers learn about the amazing life of Patsy Mink--and how she persisted.
Complete with an introduction from Chelsea Clinton, black-and-white illustrations throughout, and a list of ways that readers can follow in Patsy Mink's footsteps and make a difference! A perfect choice for kids who love learning and teachers who want to bring inspiring women into their curriculum.
And don’t miss out on the rest of the books in the She Persisted series, featuring so many more women who persisted, including Sonia Sotomayor, Margaret Chase Smith, and more!
Praise for She Persisted: Patsy Mink:
"A propulsive narrative moves quickly through Mink’s life . . . The book is decidedly inspirational in tone, yet the text includes brief, accurate, and age-appropriate explanations of the laws, people, and ideas that contributed to structural racism and oppression . . . A concise yet stirring biography." --Kirkus Reviews
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9780593402887 |
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Publisher: | Penguin Young Readers Group |
Publication date: | 05/03/2022 |
Series: | She Persisted Series |
Pages: | 80 |
Product dimensions: | 5.69(w) x 7.94(h) x 0.40(d) |
Age Range: | 6 - 9 Years |
About the Author
Chelsea Clinton is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of She Persisted, She Persisted Around the World, She Persisted in Sports, She Persisted in Science, Don't Let Them Disappear, It's Your World and Start Now!, as well as Grandma's Gardens and The Book of Gutsy Women, which she wrote with Hillary Clinton, and Governing Global Health with Devi Sridhar. Chelsea earned a master’s degree in public health from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, where she is now an adjunct assistant professor, and a PhD in international relations from Oxford University. She is also the Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, where she works on many initiatives, including those that help empower the next generation of leaders. She lives in New York City with her husband, Marc, their three children and their dog, Soren.
Gillian Flint (gillianflint.com) is an illustrator who has a passion for painting in watercolors. She has been drawing and creating characters for as long as she can remember. Her work has been published in the USA, the UK and Australia. In her spare time she enjoys reading and gardening at her home in the UK. You can follow her on Instagram @gillianflint_illustration.
Alexandra Boiger (alexandraboiger.com) has illustrated nearly twenty picture books, including the She Persisted series by by Chelsea Clinton; the popular Tallulah series by Marilyn Singer; and the Max and Marla books, which she also wrote. Originally from Munich, Germany, she now lives outside of San Francisco, California, with her husband, Andrea; daughter, Vanessa; and two cats, Luiso and Winter. You can follow Alexandra on Instagram @alexandra_boiger.
Read an Excerpt
Dear Reader,
As Sally Ride and Marian Wright Edelman both powerfully said, “You can’t be what you can’t see.” When Sally Ride said that, she meant that it was hard to dream of being an astronaut, like she was, or a doctor or an athlete or anything at all if you didn’t see someone like you who already had lived that dream. She especially was talking about seeing women in jobs that historically were held by men.
I wrote the first She Persisted and the books that came after it because I wanted young girls—and children of all genders—to see women who worked hard to live their dreams. And I wanted all of us to see examples of persistence in the face of different challenges to help inspire us in our own lives.
I’m so thrilled now to partner with a sisterhood of writers to bring longer, more in-depth versions of these stories of women’s persistence and achievement to readers. I hope you enjoy these chapter books as much as I do and find them inspiring and empowering.
And remember: If anyone ever tells you no, if anyone ever says your voice isn’t important or your dreams are too big, remember these women. They persisted and so should you.
Warmly,
Chelsea Clinton
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1: A Sunny Childhood
Chapter 2: Trouble
Chapter 3: Forging Her Path
Chapter 4: Fighting for Equality
Chapter 5: Democracy and Determination
Chapter 6: A Lasting Impact
How You Can Persist
References
Chapter 1
A Sunny Childhood
Patsy Matsu Takemoto was born in 1927 on the island of Maui, in Hawaii. Maui was a land of sunshine, white sand beaches, and warm trade winds. But though the island was beautiful, its people were going through a difficult time.
In 1898, the United States annexed Hawaii. This meant that the US government stole control of the islands from the Hawaiian people and declared Hawaii a US “territory.” This was a dark time for many Native Hawaiians, who lost their homeland to incoming mainland Americans.
Additionally, because Hawaii was just a territory and not yet a state, the US offered Hawaii’s citizens very few protections or rights, and the people of Hawaii had little control over governing their own lives or what was happening in their communities.
At the time, the US government saw the islands as a place they could use for their own benefit, without thinking about the people who lived there. The government set up a military base on Oahu called Pearl Harbor and, through taxes, made money off the islands’ businesses—especially the booming business of growing sugar.
Like many people of Japanese descent in Hawaii, Patsy grew up on a sugar plantation. For most plantation workers—mostly Native Hawaiians at first, and later, in Patsy’s time, Asian immigrants—this was a difficult life of endless, grueling work in the fields.
But Patsy’s childhood was different. She was lucky. Many of the other kids her age had parents who’d just arrived in Hawaii from Japan, but Patsy’s parents had grown up in Hawaii. Because of this, Patsy’s dad spoke English natively, so he was hired as a civil engineer for the plantation, instead of a field worker. This led to more money and less back-breaking labor for his family.
Patsy grew up in a comfortable cottage surrounded by palm trees, sugarcane, and dirt roads. Some days, she would play with the pigs, chickens, rabbits, and turkeys. Other days, she would spend time at the nearby beach, searching for seashells.
On the very best days, she would play with her brother, Eugene. Just a year older, he was Patsy’s best friend, and together they would run, explore, and venture into the nearby mountains to pick mushrooms or bamboo.
Although Patsy grew up in a time when girls were often expected to stay home while boys played outside, her family always treated her and her brother as equals. Eugene included her in football and baseball games, and her parents encouraged her to follow her dreams.
And Patsy was certainly a dreamer.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 A Sunny Childhood 1
Chapter 2 Trouble 9
Chapter 3 Forging Her Path 17
Chapter 4 Fighting for Equality 28
Chapter 5 Democracy and Determination 35
Chapter 6 A Lasting Impact 48
How You Can Persist 54
References 57