Stacey Abrams: Lift Every Voice

by Sarah Warren, Monica Mikai (Illustrator)

Overview

How do we move our country forward? Stacey Abrams has an answer in this bright and stirring biography, perfect for discussions of voting rights and how people working together can make a difference.

Stacey Abrams is the daughter of two civil-rights activists. She loved going into the voting booth with her parents on Election Day, knowing that their voices mattered. She loved school, even when she was the only Black student in her gifted classes. She loved her classmates at Spelman College — a historically Black institution — and worked hard to see they received the fair treatment they deserved.

And today, she brings all those experiences to her role as politician, author, and voting-rights advocate, helping to ensure that every person has a say and every vote gets counted. Stacey Abrams: Lift Every Voice follows Stacey's life from her girlhood to the present, but it also portrays the ordinary people that Stacey fights for — the beautiful and diverse America that shows up to stand with one another. Backmatter includes a timeline of changes in US voting-rights law from the Constitution through the present day, demonstrating both how far the country has come and how far we have to go. With its spirited text and vivid illustrations, Stacey Abrams: Lift Every Voice will inspire readers to take their own steps forward.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643794976
Publisher:	Lee & Low Books
Publication date:	09/06/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	983,271
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 10.75(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	5 - 10 Years

About the Author

Sarah Warren writes picture books about people who inspire her, from Dolores Huerta to Beyoncé. Of Stacey Abrams, she says, "Her work helps me remember something important: Ordinary people have power. Justice, good leadership, public health, equality... everything we hope for is possible if we work together." An early childhood educator, Sarah lives with her family in the Twin Cities. Please visit her website at sarahwbooks.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @sarahelizwarren.

Monica Mikai believes the stories of our lives hold great power and is passionate about bringing those stories to life through her illustrations. She has a BA from Rider University and received her MFA in painting from the New York Studio School. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and two sons. You can find her online at MonicaMikai.com and on Instagram at @monicamikai.

Editorial Reviews

"This is a comprehensive, inspiring biography of a leader whose moral compass guides her work. Mikai's art faithfully represents Abrams at different ages and in various settings and helps communicate to young readers the experiences that distinguish Abrams' life as well as the social situations and power dynamics that inform her priorities." — Kirkus Reviews

"The narrative centers on the elements of her childhood and student experiences that shaped the politician she is today. . . A powerful vehicle in conveying the importance of participating in a democratic society." — School Library Journal

Delaware Diamonds Awards 2023 - Diamond State Reading Association
Social Justice Literature Award Recommended 2023 - International Literacy Association (ILA)

From the Publisher

07/29/2022

PreS-Gr 4—Warren visits touchstones in the life of Stacey Abrams. Rather than focusing narrowly on details, the narrative centers on the elements of her childhood and student experiences that shaped the politician she is today. As a child, she and her five siblings were instilled with strong values by their parents, and Abrams learned to give back to her community, participate politically, and to value education, an arena in which she excelled. Her advocacy efforts as a college student led her to the work she continues, registering young people to vote. Abrams was elected to the House of Representatives for the state of Georgia, and in 2018 she made history by becoming the first Black woman to be nominated for governor by a major political party. A fantastic time line in back matter highlights the history of voting in the United States interspersed with key moments in Abrams's own life. Dynamic and textured illustrations depict Abrams as she ages, and beautifully crafted visages, hair, and fabric bring to life the world she moves through. This book serves as a big-picture commentary on democracy as it is a narrative about the life of a single individual. However, Warren occasionally generalizes in an effort to squeeze a lot of information into the format, and there is a lack of detailed information to back up statements that then blur the line between facts and opinions. VERDICT For a first look at a major political player, the simple text, not bogged down by heavy detail, is a powerful vehicle in conveying the importance of participating in a democratic society, especially through exercising the right to vote. Not recommended for collections where a more in-depth resource is needed.—Lauren Younger

School Library Journal

2022-07-13
This biography of Black Georgian politician Stacey Abrams emphasizes her commitment to public service.

Abrams’ work to ensure that the people have a voice in who their leaders are started many years ago. As a child, she heard her parents’ stories of fighting for Black people’s right to vote during the civil rights movement. From an early age, she learned to ask, “How can I help?”—something readers see her asking herself throughout the book. As a high school valedictorian invited to the governor’s mansion, she was initially turned away by a White guard at the front gate, but her parents pushed for her to be let in. Readers also see her attending Spelman College, participating in student demonstrations after the verdict exonerating the policemen who beat Rodney King, and speaking to the media and the mayor of Atlanta about the protests and the needs of young Black people. Generous text details Abrams’ achievements, including her work as a lawyer, her election to the Georgia House of Representatives, her unsuccessful campaign for governor in an unfair election (a lack of polling places and functioning voting machines resulted in long waits for Black voters), and her extensive efforts getting voters registered and challenging unjust election laws. This is a comprehensive, inspiring biography of a leader whose moral compass guides her work. Mikai’s art faithfully represents Abrams at different ages and in various settings and helps communicate to young readers the experiences that distinguish Abrams’ life as well as the social situations and power dynamics that inform her priorities. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An important, uplifting biography with historical and contemporary significance. (timeline, bibliography, sources) (Picture-book biography. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews