Ayah Bdeir

November 1, 2019

K-Gr 2-Written in first-person, these narratives provide very basic information about their respective subjects. Each tells where and when they were born, where they went to school, and their accomplishments. Madeleine Albright was an ambassador, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is an author, and Tammy Duckworth is a veteran and senator. Adequate photographs complement the text. While the volumes are geared toward young children, the subjects are not. It is doubtful most children would have even heard of Adichie, Ayah Bdeir, Gwen Frostic, or Reshma Saujani. These, and the other topics, may be a little too mature for youngsters. The information is extremely scant; there is no mention of Adichie's titles or Stevie Wonder's songs. Despite the cartoonish drawings on the covers, these titles are unlikely to attract browsers. Older students will find more information elsewhere when composing reports. VERDICT Little information and lack of relevance in young readers' lives make these titles of little value.

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