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ENTRY TYPE: new
WORK TITLE: PURA’S CUENTOS
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.annettebaypimentel.com/
CITY: Moscow
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COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
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RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: six.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer.
AWARDS:Carter G. Woodson Award, National Council of Social Studies, 2017, for Mountain Chef; Schneider Family Book Award honor, for All the Way to the Top.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Annette Bay Pimentel is a writer of picture book biographies and other works for children that often focus on those on the margins of mainstream society. She moved around a lot as a child, growing up across the United States in Utah, California, Washington, and Illinois. As an adult, she moved between different countries also in Europe and Africa. Pimentel told Melissa Stoller on her personal website: “I love the challenge of telling nonfiction stories, where I don’t get to make up details. It reminds me of patchwork quilting. I may know what I wish I could use, but I’m limited to true details.”
In the picture book biography Mountain Chef: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook Up the National Park Service, Pimentel chronicles the life of Chinese migrant Tie Sing. With his love of cooking and nature, he opened a restaurant in rural California and garnered the reputation for being the best trail cook in the state. The millionaire Stephen Mather hired him to accompany a lobbying mission into the wilderness to help convince Congress to set up the National Park Service. Despite several disasters, he was able to modify the menu and keep everyone happy. The book also covers the rampant anti-Chinese discrimination in the United States in the early twentieth century.
Booklist contributor Anita Lock suggested that the book would be “ideal for the classroom, particularly this year, when the NPS celebrates its centennial.” A contributor to Kirkus Reviews found the “lyrically told account” to be “to the point.” The same reviewer concluded by labeling Mountain Chef “a frontier adventure that spotlights one of the many significant roles ethnic Chinese played in American history.” Patricia D. Lothrop wrote in a School Library Journal review that the book would be appropriate “for any library wishing to enhance its diversity and inclusion collection.”
The picture book biography Girl Running: Bobbi Gibb and the Boston Marathon tells the story of Bobbi Gibb, the first woman to compete in the Boston Marathon. Although she had to trick the organizing committee to be allowed to run, Gibb thoroughly enjoyed running, as is illustrated in the book. The account heralds her achievement while personalizing her journey to get to that point.
Writing in Horn Book, Martha V. Parravano observed that “Pimentel’s straightforward text builds drama and suspense, becoming appropriately staccato and urgent when describing the race.” Parravano additionally found Archer’s illustrations to be “a nice touch.” A contributor to Kirkus Reviews remarked that it is “a bright salutation of a story, with one determined woman at its center.”
The picture book biography All the Way to the Top: How One Girl’s Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything details the struggle of activist Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins to secure the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the 1990s. At the age of eight, she was drawn to the efforts of other disabled individuals to fight for their rights in the face of Congress’s scoffing at the initial bill. Since her wheelchair was unable to climb the stairs of the Capitol Building, she climbed up to the top of the stairs to plead her case.
Pimentel shared how writing this book was different from the other nonfiction picture books she has published in an interview in Uplifting Voices. Pimentel admitted: “I didn’t feel like Jennifer’s story was mine to tell. So I reached out to her and asked if she’d like to work with me to make it into a book. It was a pleasure to work so closely with the subject of my book.”
Booklist contributor Carolyn Phelan said that “Pimentel’s compelling, present-tense narrative gives the story great immediacy, helping children connect with” Keelan-Chaffins and her struggle. Writing in School Library Journal, Danielle Jones agreed that “Pimental’s present tense writing and portrayal of the power of a young person fighting to create change will engage young audiences.” A contributor to Kirkus Reviews pointed out that “Pimentel realistically acknowledges that the ADA hasn’t fixed everything.” The same critic concluded by calling All the Way to the Top “a necessary testament to the power of children’s voices.”
The picture book biography Pura’s Cuentos: How Pura Belpre Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories covers the life of children’s librarian Pura Belpre. When she started working as a librarian in Harlem, she enjoyed reading stories to the children. However, she felt like oral traditions that were not represented in books would offer the children a richer storytelling experience. She began telling them the stories her own grandmother told her as a girl growing up in Puerto Rico. As a result, she opened up the library as a place where people of color were better represented.
In an interview in Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, Pimentel talked with Deborah Kalb on the importance of storytelling. She commented that “the act of publication gives stories weight and gravitas. Sometimes that can make people feel marginalized—they don’t see themselves in those fancy bound books. I hope kids who don’t see their lives reflected on the shelves of the library will see it as a failure of publishing instead of as a personal failure. And I hope they’ll write down their stories for the rest of us! Storytelling is the way we develop empathy and learn to consider things from somebody else’s point of view.”
Booklist contributor Vivian Alvarez lauded that “this is a treasure of a picturebook biography.” Writing in School Library Journal, Kathia Ibacache commented that the book’s “dreamlike illustrations will enhance young readers’ imagination.” Ibacache claimed that the “illustrations will connect with readers while expressing the written narrative and installing a sense of joy.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, July 1, 2016, Anita Lock, review of Mountain Chef: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook Up the National Park Service, p. 50; February 1, 2020, Carolyn Phelan, review of All the Way to the Top: How One Girl’s Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything, p. 35; September 15, 2021, Vivian Alvarez, review of Pura’s Cuentos: How Pura Belpre Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories, p. 47.
Horn Book, March 1, 2018, Martha V. Parravano, review of Girl Running: Bobbi Gibb and the Boston Marathon, p. 111.
Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2016,review of Mountain Chef; November 15, 2017, review of Girl Running; January 1, 2020, review of All the Way to the Top; August 1, 2021, review of Pura’s Cuentos.
School Library Journal, July 1, 2016, Patricia D. Lothrop, review of Mountain Chef, p. 95; February 1, 2020, Danielle Jones, review of All the Way to the Top, p. 86; September 1, 2021, Kathia Ibacache, review of Pura’s Cuentos, p. 114.
ONLINE
Annette Bay Pimentel website, http://www.annettebaypimentel.com (April 18, 2022).
Book People of Moscow, https://www.bookpeopleofmoscow.com/ (April 18, 2022), author profile.
Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, http://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/ (December 13, 2021), Deborah Kalb, author interview.
From the Mixed-Up Files, https://fromthemixedupfiles.com/ (April 18, 2022), author interview.
Melissa Stoller website, https://www.melissastoller.com/ (April 18, 2022), Melissa Stoller, author interview.
Solutionary Stories, https://www.solutionarystories.com/ (April 18, 2022), author interview.
Uplifting Voices, https://www.upliftingvoices.org/ (April 18, 2022), author interview.
We Are All Made of Stories…with Ellie Royce, https://www.weareallmadeofstories.com/ (February 25, 2020), Ellie Royce, author interview.
FIVE THINGS ABOUT ME 2016 Extra head shot with glasses
1. My mother had a rule that I and my six siblings had to read one nonfiction book for every fiction book. As long as I could find a book in the Childhood of Famous Americans series, I obeyed her rule (that is, if you count those books as nonfiction–they’d be considered historical fiction today!). Otherwise, I blithely ignored the rule and devoured novel after novel. I thought I didn’t like nonfiction.
Hah!
2. I love libraries. Many libraries have digitized historical documents, so I can do a surprising amount of research on my computer at home. But I also love spending time in special collections or archives. I spent nearly a week at the Bancroft Library researching Mountain Chef.
3. The best nonfiction picture books are true stories, well-told. I like to get people to tell me their own stories. I talked to Jennifer Keelan several times on the phone to get all the details I needed to tell the story in All the Way to the Top. I also got to talk to Bobbi Gibb before I published Girl Running.
4. The longest I have ever lived anywhere is 5 years. I recently spent several years living in Europe and Africa, so I can grocery shop in many languages.
5. I am the fifth child of a fifth child of a fifth child. I married a fifth child. I have 5 + 1 children.
And that’s a true story.
Kathleen Rushall at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represents me.
annettepimentel(at)gmail.com
Annette Bay Pimentel
FIVE THINGS ABOUT ME
1. In a valiant attempt to educate me and my six siblings, my mother’s rule was that we had to read one nonfiction book for every fiction book. As long as I could find a book in the Childhood of Famous Americans series, I obeyed her rule (that is, if you count those books as nonfiction–they’d be considered historical fiction today!). Otherwise, I blithely ignored the rule and devoured novel after novel. I thought I didn’t like nonfiction.
Hah!
2. I love libraries. Many historical documents have been digitized, so I can do a surprising amount of research on my computer at home. But I love the times when my search takes me to libraries. I often spend time in special collections or newspaper archives.I spent almost a week at the Bancroft Library in Berkeley, California paging through photo albums and reading old magazines and newspapers when I was researching my upcoming book from Charlesbridge. The nonfiction picture books I love are deeply-informed by primary source materials.
3. I love getting people to tell me their stories. I often shove recording devices in front of people’s faces so I can capture their voices and their stories. I know an interview session is going well when someone starts using the present tense to tell me about something that happened a long time ago. The best nonfiction picture books are people’s stories, well-told.
4. The longest I have ever lived anywhere is 5 years. I recently spent several years living in Europe and Africa, so I can grocery shop in many languages. I don’t speak any language except English well enough to tell stories, though.
5. I am the fifth child of a fifth child of a fifth child. I married a fifth child. I have 5 + 1 children. And that’s a true story.
Annette Bay Pimentel is the author of several nonfiction picture books, including All the Way to the Top, which received a Schneider Family Book Award honor; and Girl Running, which was a Junior Library Guild pick and received a starred review; and our own forthcoming Pura’s Cuentos. She lives in Moscow, Idaho. Madison Safer (she/her) is a queer illustrator whose work is inspired by Russian folk art, Jewish paper cuttings, quilt patterns, and the quiet woods of New England. She received her bachelor of fine arts in illustration studies from Montserrat College of Art. Before Music is her debut picture book.
Annette Bay Pimentel grew up in Utah, California, Washington, and Illinois. As an adult she has lived all over the US as well as in Europe and Africa. She now lives in Idaho and writes nonfiction picture books about people from the margins of history who helped shape our world. Mountain Chef: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans and Helped Cook Up the National Park Service won the 2017 Carter G. Woodson Award from the National Council of Social Studies.
Monday, December 13, 2021
Q&A with Annette Bay Pimentel
Annette Bay Pimentel is the author of the new children's picture book biography Pura's Cuentos: How Pura Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories. Her other books include All the Way to the Top. She lives in Moscow, Idaho.
Q: Why did you decide to write a picture book biography of Pura Belpré, and what do you see as her legacy today?
A: My family lived outside of the United States for several years, and one of my daughters attended a Bosnian-language kindergarten when we lived in Sarajevo. She spoke very little Bosnian, and at the beginning it was not a happy experience for her.
But a very perceptive librarian noticed how sad she was and suggested I start coming in once a week to do an English language storytime with all the kids. It was only a few minutes on a single day of the week, but it made a huge difference for our daughter. She got to hear the stories she knew and loved, and her classmates shared those stories with her.
Pura Belpré was a pioneer of the bilingual storytime and an advocate for expanding the books on the shelves of libraries to include many cultures. Our family owes her a great debt for the movement she started among librarians, like our Bosnian librarian.
Her work helped explode the canon as she invited kids to celebrate their own stories and to listen in their mother tongues. It’s exactly what librarians today see as their mission, and it started with her clear-eyed vision.
Q: What do you think Magaly Morales's illustrations add to the book?
A: Magaly’s art is so dynamic! Every page has a feeling of movement and energy.
She also was a great problem-solver. Despite my best attempts at research, I could not determine exactly how Belpré advertised her earliest bilingual storytimes. My editor and I danced around the problem, trying clunky work-around after clunky work-around to keep the text absolutely true to the facts.
But it was the art director and Magaly who solved the problem. Magaly made a really funny illustration showing Pura Belpré shouting at kids in a playground—obviously not literally true, but conveying the message economically and elegantly.
Q: What do you think the book says about the importance of storytelling, whether or not the story is in a book?
A: The act of publication gives stories weight and gravitas. Sometimes that can make people feel marginalized—they don’t see themselves in those fancy bound books.
I hope kids who don’t see their lives reflected on the shelves of the library will see it as a failure of publishing instead of as a personal failure.
And I hope they’ll write down their stories for the rest of us!
Storytelling is the way we develop empathy and learn to consider things from somebody else’s point of view.
Q: How did you research Pura Belpré's life, and did you learn anything that especially surprised you?
A: Pura Belpré left many thoughtful essays about writing and librarianship. I relied on them, reprinted in academic books as well as in manuscript form in her archive at Hunter College in New York City. I also got to actually hold the beautiful marionettes she helped a Boys’ Club build in the New York public libraries in the 1940s.
The most wonderful part of my research, though, and the one that most helped me feel like I had met her, was interviewing the people who worked with her. Everyone talked about her expressiveness as she told stories—Magaly captured that perfectly!
I also got to talk to one of the children—now a retired grandpa!—who attended her storytimes. He told me that her fanciful stories about cockroaches and mice had transformed his world, changing his squalid walk-up apartment into a place where he could believe enchantment was possible.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: In April I have a new book coming out, Before Music: Where Instruments Come From. It’s a departure for me. My other books have all been biographies but this is expository nonfiction, exploring geographical and scientific ideas about how people create music.
Madison Safer is the illustrator, and I find myself wanting to print out all her art for this 88-page, oversize picture book so I can hang it on my wall.
I’m also working on finding a home for a picture book biography about another visionary woman.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: As a child I was convinced I didn’t like nonfiction, so it still surprises me that I’m now a nonfiction writer! But today’s nonfiction is very different from the dry, encyclopedic nonfiction of my childhood.
I believe we are in a golden age of children’s nonfiction, and I’m grateful to teachers and librarians who point kids to not only great works of fiction but also to outstanding nonfiction books.
The way I see kids engage with real world issues in both fiction and nonfiction gives me a lot of hope for the future.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
Posted by Deborah Kalb at 9:32 AM
Annette Bay Pimentel Interview
An author’s excellent effort to introduce kids to the importance and impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act
Award-winning author Annette’s book “All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything” narrates the impactful real-life story of eight-year-old Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins who was born with cerebral palsy and captured the nation’s attention through her demonstration supporting the Americans With Disabilities Act. This amazing picture book helps kids to learn about the importance of this act and has received many awards including the 2021 Schneider Family Book Award, the Junior Library Guild Selection and CCBC Choices title. Annette’s other books include Mountain Chef and Girl Running.
The interview with Annette Bay Pimentel was conducted by Uplifting Voices in July 2021. More Info
Can you tell us about the idea behind your book “All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything”?
A: I write about people who nudge the world in new directions. In 2018, I was looking for a new book topic and thought about how much the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) had changed the world around me. When I was a girl, sidewalks didn't have curb cuts, TV shows didn't offer close captioning, and kids with disabilities weren't allowed to attend school with me. Thanks to the ADA, my children had grown up in an entirely different world. I wanted to write about how the ADA came to be law. As I researched, I discovered the story of Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins. I was dazzled to find a story about a child activist and knew her story would make a compelling book.
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How has writing this book been a different experience than your other prominent work?
A: I didn't feel like Jennifer's story was mine to tell. So I reached out to her and asked if she'd like to work with me to make it into a book. It was a pleasure to work so closely with the subject of my book. Whenever I had a question or wondered about something, I could call her and ask! She wrote the foreword to the book and speaks to children and other groups about the book and about her life.
Who can benefit from reading this book?
A: Kids who are interested in using their voices to make the world a better place will find a kindred spirit in Jennifer! We hope the story gives them courage to speak up for what they know is right.
What is your most memorable writing project and why?
A: I love telling true stories and doing all sorts of research. On this book, as well as my other books, I've been surprised at how helpful historical photographs are in doing my research. They really help me get the details right.
It was a total thrill when All the Way to the Top was awarded a Schneider Honor from the American Library Association for its depiction of the disability experience. Jennifer and I were both invited to speak at the ALA conference. I still am pinching myself that it happened!
What is your suggestion for families of children with disabilities to empower their children?
A: Jennifer's mom took her to demonstrations and planning meetings and encouraged her to speak up when she saw injustices. Children's voices matter!
Melissa Stoller
Feb 20, 2018
2 min read
3 Question Interview - ANNETTE BAY PIMENTEL
I'm delighted to interview Annette Bay Pimentel and I look forward to reading her new book, Girl Running. I'm inspired by her thoughts about stories . . . creativity . . . and connection.
STORIES – Discuss what inspires your ideas and stories, and share the process about your latest projects.
I write picture book biographies and am especially drawn to the stories of people from the edges of history—ones you’ve probably never heard of—who gave the world a nudge that helped spin it in a new direction.
In 1966 Bobbi Gibb tried to register to run the Boston Marathon. She received a rejection letter which told her that women weren’t “physiologically able” to run that far and shouldn’t try to run farther than 1 ½ miles. She knew this was nonsense and decided to sneak into the race to show what women can do.
I love Gibb’s passion and verve! And I thought kids, who have grown up with co-ed soccer teams, ought to know about one of the people who courageously helped create the world they live in today. So I wrote about her experience in a picture book biography .
CREATIVITY -- How do you showcase your creative side through writing/illustrating and other pursuits?
I love the challenge of telling nonfiction stories, where I don’t get to make up details. It reminds me of patchwork quilting. I may know what I wish I could use, but I’m limited to true details, like a stack of fabric swatches, with very specific colors and patterns and textures. The challenge is to sift through them all and find the ones that work together as a harmonious whole.
CONNECTION -- How do you connect to your young readers through your writing/illustrating, and how do you stay connected to the KidLit community?
School and bookstore visits feel like air under my wings. I love hearing what resonates with my young readers and getting to puzzle over some of their trickier questions. If I can’t go in person, I’m happy to do Skype visits. But my very favorite way to connect with young readers is to do writing workshops with them, where I share my writing and get to read theirs, too.
I love the community I have found through in-person critique groups. Writing for publication can be dispiriting and isolating. I have been buoyed and taught both craft and business know-how by the wonderful critique groups I’ve been part of. I still connect electronically with my Florida critique group, though I moved away five years ago, and when I moved here to Moscow, Idaho, I was lucky enough to find a vibrant kid lit community that welcomed my suggestion of starting a critique group. Every other Tuesday we meet in our local bookstore and share books, our writing, and our lives. What would I do without all of you?
BIO:
Annette Bay Pimentel writes nonfiction picture books in Moscow, Idaho. Her book, Mountain Chef: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook Up the National Park Service (Charlesbridge: 2016) was awarded the 2017 Carter G. Woodson Award by the National Council of Social Studies. Girl Running (Nancy Paulsen: 2018) hits bookstores this month.
CONNECT WITH ANNETTE:
Twitter @AnnettePimentel
Website annettebaypimentel.com
#AnnetteBayPimentel #GirlRunning #MountainChef #BobbiGibb #BostonMarathon
Nonfiction Books with Diverse Characters–An Interview with Author Annette Bay Pimentel & Giveaway!
Children’s books with diverse characters are in high demand these days. They should be. Every child who reads likes to identify with the character in the book, which means that they need to represent every race, creed, color, and ethnic background. Authors are responding to this need by writing about some AMAZING people who have made great contributions to our world.
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I’m happy to have one of those author with me here today. Annette Pimentel writes picture book- biographies for young middle grade readers. She loves to discover people in the corners of history and then find their stories. She writes nonfiction picture books in Moscow, Idaho.
Her book is Mountain Chef: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans and Helped Cook up the National Park Service by Charlesbridge Publishing
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The true story of a Chinese American mountain man who fed thirty people for ten days in the wilderness–and helped inspire the creation of the National Park Service.
When millionaire Stephen Mather began his quest to create a national park service in 1915, he invited a group of influential men—writers, tycoons, members of Congress, and even a movie star—to go camping in the Sierras. Tie Sing was hired to cook. Throughout the trip, Tie Sing fed not just the campers’ bodies, but also their minds, reminding them to remember and protect the mountains.
Reviews:
Overall, this pencil and watercolor illustrated and eloquently written account of a Chinese American will satisfy every taste. For any library wishing to enhance its diversity and inclusion collection.
– School Library Journal
A frontier adventure that spotlights one of the many significant roles ethnic Chinese played in American history.
– Kirkus Reviews
Paragraphs of straightforward text are more advanced than typical picture books, but the soft, expressive watercolor illustrations, some of which are based on historical photos, are a pleasing accompaniment. Ideal for the classroom, particularly this year, when the NPS celebrates its centennial.
– Booklist
Annette, thanks for joining me today on the blog. I have a few questions for our readers about your writing process and books.
Why narrative nonfiction biographies?
Fictional novels describe how people could be. Nonfiction biographies describe how people really are. I love the shiver of excitement I feel when I read what remarkable real people really did.
How do you choose your subjects for your books?
When I discover something new and immediately want to tell someone about it, I know that I have a promising topic. I’m especially interested in stories that surprise me and suggest that the way I’ve been thinking about the world is askew.
What led you to Tie Sing’s story?
I stumbled on photos of the Mather Mountain Party of 1915 while I was researching something else. I was startled to see in the photos an Asian man posing next to famous government officials and tycoons. I had always assumed that national parks, like other American institutions, were created by powerful white men. The photos suggested I only knew part of the story.
You do not have a Chinese heritage, so how did you make sure to include Tie Sing’s true voice and experiences?
I wish Tie Sing had kept a diary, but he didn’t. To be sure the secondhand descriptions of him were in historical context, I researched race relations in 1915. I also relied on experts like the book’s artist, Rich Lo, who, like Tie Sing, grew up bilingual in Chinese and English. The book’s expert reviewer was Park Ranger Yenyen Chan, who brought to the project deep professional knowledge as well as broad personal knowledge of Chinese American culture.
Can you talk about how important it is to ensure that diverse characters are given a true representation?
It’s important that every character in a piece of nonfiction is represented truly! But it’s extra tricky to accurately represent characters, like Tie Sing, who didn’t leave much documentary trace and who come from a culture different from that of the people who wrote about them. Despite the difficulties—maybe because of the difficulties–those people deserve to have their stories told! Without their stories we are left with an inaccurate picture of our shared history.
You have another book in development which features a Puerto Rican character’s life. Why do you think diverse books like these are important?
Children are in many ways marginalized in our society. I think that every child feels, at times, like an outsider. Stories about unexpected people doing remarkable things reassure and encourage kids that their own lives matter. And, of course, books about women and ethnic and cultural minorities give all of us a more nuanced and true picture of our history.
Tell us a little about how you do your research. How much time do you spend? What type of sources do you look for?
I spend hours and weeks and months on research. I interview my subjects or people who knew them when I can, but usually I rely on archival research—letters, papers, photos, etc. Sometimes I’m lucky enough to find an autobiography. I love the US Census for the quirky information it gives me about my subject. And of course I use academic articles to provide historical context and to answer specific questions that arise as I research.
Why is back matter useful for readers?
Back matter extends my conversation with the reader and allows my book to speak to multiple audiences. Some readers only want the story in the main text. That’s find. But others want more, and back matter provides it. Back matter feels to me like a cozy dialogue, where I as a writer, get to share the fascinating details that didn’t belong in the story.
Anything that you are working on that you would care to share? Other books that we can look for from you soon?
In 2018 Nancy Paulsen Books will publish Girl Running, the story of an amazing female marathoner and in 2019 they will publish Ann Brooks Goes West (with her piano) the story of a feisty pioneer. I also have another book in the works that I’m very excited about, but I have to wait to talk about it.
Can you think of a few other diverse nonfiction books that would be good for young middle grade readers?
I loved Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford for its lyrical language and its sensitive handling of the theme of slavery
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Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by Susan Hood for its story of creativity beating back against poverty
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and Game Changer: John McLendon and the Secret Game by John Coy for the most inspiring basketball story I’d never heard.
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For more great nonfiction picture books for young middle grade readers, including diverse titles, check out Annette’s blog at annettebaypimentel.com
Annette has graciously offered a giveaway of her new book. To win a signed copy, please leave your name in the comments below.
******Jennifer Swanson is the author of over 25 nonfiction books for kids. Mostly about Science, Technology, and Engineering, because… well, STEM ROCKS! www.JenniferSwansonBooks.com
#20Questions with Author Annette Bay Pimentel
Author Annette Bay Pimentel shares about interviewing her inspiring living subject and the power of 8-year-olds in this #20questions post!
Throughout 2020, we conducted #20questions interviews with the authors and illustrators of #DiverseKidlitNF books. We thought it would be fun and fascinating to hear the diverse answers from our diverse creators, about our books’ diverse topics, using the same #20questions for each author and illustrator.
By the end of 2020, our blog will host a fabulous resource for educators, librarians, and conference organizers about creating high-quality, diverse nonfiction picture books, and what makes our #DiverseKidlitNF books and creators special.
Now, enjoy learning more about ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP and Annette Bay Pimentel!
1. Annette, what inspired you to write this book?
I read When the Beat was Born by Laban Carrick Hill, and my entire idea of appropriate topics for nonfiction picture books exploded: he was writing about a time period that I had lived, where I had vivid memories. What, I wondered, would I say had been the most important historical moments in my young adulthood?
I surprised myself by instantly knowing the answer: the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I remember being in college at Berkeley, trying to go with a classmate in a wheelchair to another event, and being stunned at the obstacles she encountered simply trying to cross campus.
A few years later I followed news coverage of the debates over the ADA, and once it passed, I watched the world around me transform—imperfectly but dramatically—to make room for people with disabilities. I wanted to celebrate with kids the idea of inclusion, and I couldn’t think of a better vehicle to do that than to show how a child helped make sure the ADA passed.
2. How did you approach the research for this book?
I read newspapers and magazine articles of the time, and I also read through the academic literature for disability studies. But I knew that I could only do the book I imagined if Jennifer Keelan was willing to do it with me. I searched for clues as to Jennifer’s whereabouts and eventually made contact with her. She was still deep in the throes of her university studies when I first reached out to her, but she was generous with her time and open to my inquiries. Both she and her mother have answered question after question over a period of years now, as we’ve worked on the book. I am thrilled that Jennifer’s writing is in the book, too, in the foreword.
3. What’s something that surprised you while researching this book?
On the positive side, I was surprised to see how the example of our country’s ADA has prompted changes worldwide. While I was working on this book, our family traveled in Costa Rica. At one national park we visited, areas were roped off. I asked a worker why and he explained that they were putting in new paths so people in wheelchairs could access the park. “Because the park is for everyone,” he said.
On the negative side, I have been surprised and alarmed at how the protections the ADA offers have been and continue to be nibbled away in our own country.
4. What was your favorite part about writing this book?
I loved interviewing Jennifer! I relish interviews where I can take people back to important moments in their lives and relive those moments with them. And while I started my first interview knowing lots of things about Jennifer that I had found through research, I learned much more about her and her family from the stories she told me. They’re wonderful people!
5. What was the hardest part about writing this book?
I struggled to write the scene where Jennifer climbs up the steps of the Capitol. From the beginning of the project I knew that would be the heart of the book, so I gathered lots of details. Jennifer patiently answered all of my weird questions (“What was under your feet?” “Were the steps gritty?”). I watched videos of Jennifer’s climb and read contemporary accounts. But I kept putting off actually writing the scene. I was intimidated because I knew how important that scene was to this story.
Finally, one day I set a timer and made myself start writing. It was hard to gather my courage to plunge in, but once I got that passage written, it stayed consistent while I revised like mad all around it.
6. Who is this book’s ideal reader, in your eyes?
An eight-year-old is this book’s ideal reader. Eight-year-olds can change the world and this is a book about one who did.
7. What do you want kids to know about this book?
I want kids to know that this is a true story and that it is absolutely true that kids have power to bring about change.
8. What do you want educators and librarians to know about this book?
I want educators and librarians to know that books about people with disabilities are not books about a niche topic. Around one in five people has a disability and most of us will, at some point in our lives, live with a disability, either temporary or permanent.
But I think I’m preaching to the choir here; educators and librarians have been very enthusiastic about this book.
9. Who is the publisher for this book?
Sourcebooks.
10. When is the official release date for this book?
March 10, 2020.
11. What do you like most about writing children’s nonfiction books?
I love learning about everyday people who nudge the world in new directions.
12. What’s the biggest challenge in writing children’s nonfiction books?
The biggest challenge in writing nonfiction is ferreting out the accurate details that will make the story come alive. That requires finding really good sources. Often much of the research is digging up those sources. I do lots of reading around the topics I write about, trying to zero in on my very best sources.
13. How did you get into writing children’s nonfiction books?
I ended up in children’s nonfiction by happy accident. I had moved to a new town and wanted a critique group. The only one I could find was a nonfiction group. So I joined and started reading children’s nonfiction. As I read, I was startled to realize that many of the picture books I had loved reading to my children—stories like Snowflake Bentley and The Glorious Flight—were picture book biographies. I had just never realized that was a category. So I started writing what I liked to read.
14. Which other children’s nonfiction books inspire you?
From the beginning of this journey I loved books by Barbara Kerley, Jen Bryant, Candace Fleming, and Sue Macy. Recently it has been a great delight to see books by my writing friends come into the world: I love nonfiction books by Sophia M. Gholz, Lisa Kahn Schnell, Jennifer Swanson, Laurel Neme, Carole Lindstrom, and the other amazing members of #20TruePBs.
15. Do you have other jobs besides writing children’s books? (If so, what?)
I’m a trustee of our local library, which means that I help set library policy and make sure tax money is wisely spent. It’s an elected position but nobody ran against me, so I didn’t have to campaign! I also take care of my two children who are still home (the other four have flown the coop).
16. What’s something that surprised you about being a children’s book author?
I have been surprised at how long it takes to incubate ideas—years!—and at how many people work help create a book. My name and the illustrator’s name are on the cover, but the book wouldn’t be here without the editor, the copy editor, the art director, the book designer, and a slew of other people at the publishing house!
17. What’s something about you that would surprise kids to know?
When I was a kid my mother had a rule that we had to read one nonfiction book for every fiction book. I was usually meticulous about keeping rules, but not that one! I thought I didn’t like nonfiction. Of course that might have been because I did all I could to avoid reading it!
18. What do you think makes a great nonfiction writer?
Great nonfiction writers embrace the limitations that come with writing nonfiction—you can’t invent characters or dialogue or scenes—but nonetheless manage to tell stories with vivid, memorable voices.
19. Do you have any advice for kids who want to write children’s books?
Read, read, read! Reading has taught me more about writing than anything else.
20. Where can people find you online?
I have a website with information about my books and how to have me visit your school or library at www.annettebaypimentel.com and I tweet from time to time at @AnnettePimentel
Ellie Royce
Feb 25, 2020
2 min read
What's Your Story? Annette Bay Pimentel
Annette Bay Pimentel has published two picture book biographies, Mountain Chef, which won the Carter G. Woodson Award, and Girl, Running, which was a Junior Library Guild pick and received a starred review. She lives in Moscow, Idaho. Visit her at annettebaypimental.com
Every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. But within that bigger story are lots of little ones, chapters, scenes and volumes…
Annette Bay Pimentel, what’s your story?
The Beginning -
I love the true stories of people you’ve never heard of who did things that nudged the world in new directions. I especially love seeing those stories in picture book form, married to beautiful art.
The beginning of All the Way to the Top was long ago when I was a university student. A classmate of mine was in a wheelchair. One day she and I were headed the same direction, so I proposed we go across campus together. I was astounded to see how very difficult it was for her to navigate the pathways and buildings that I took for granted. I thought a lot about her a few years later as I followed the contentious debate over the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and since then I have watched with wonder the ways that landmark legislation and similar legislation in other countries has transformed our world.
The Middle-
A few years ago when I was looking for a new project, I realized that not nearly enough has been written about the Americans with Disabilities Act. I started looking for a kid-friendly way into the story. As I was researching, I found the moving story of an eight-year old girl, Jennifer Keelan, who climbed out of her wheelchair and crawled up the steps of the US Capitol to vividly demonstrate what inaccessibility is. Her story thrilled me and also left me with a sense of urgency to make sure her story be told. So I reached out to Jennifer, who is an adult now, and she and her mother graciously agreed to answer my never-ending questions about how she, even as a child, had come to be such an important crusader for disability rights.
Jennifer’s participation has been absolutely crucial to this book, so I am delighted that she wrote the foreword and is working on book promotion with me. I continue to learn from her, and we feel like the two of us make a great team.
The End, (which is always actually a new beginning!)
What’s next for you in your story?
Jennifer and I will be teaching together this spring as we share All the Way to the Top with children in elementary schools and grown-ups at Arizona State University and Emory University.
And in the meantime I’m working on two more as-yet-unannounced books with editors. It’s a continual dance between creation and sharing.
Thanks so much for sharing your inspirational story Annette!
It's always interesting to find out where the ideas for these great books come from.
All the Way to the Top: How One Girl’s Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything, Illustrated by Nabigal-Nayagam Haider Ali, Foreword by Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, published by Sourcebooks releases on March 10, but you can pre-order today!
That's it from me for now, but I'll talk to you soon...
Pimentel, Annette Bay PURA'S CUENTOS Abrams (Children's None) $18.99 9, 7 ISBN: 978-1-4197-4941-4
A biography of the first Puerto Rican to be hired by the New York Public Library and, possibly, the first Afro-Latinx librarian in the United States.
Belpré grew up in Puerto Rico listening to stories, mainly from her abuela. She needed stories “like a mango tree needs sunshine.” After moving to New York City, where she lived in Harlem, Belpré was hired to work at the 135th Street branch library (now the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture). There, she was put in charge of storytime, but she could tell only stories printed in books. “But Pura knows that not all the stories worth telling are in books.” Abuela’s stories, stories from Puerto Rico, were not in books, and those were the ones she wanted to tell. She soon convinced her bosses to allow her to tell those stories; eventually she went on to tell her stories—and plenty of others—in libraries and auditoriums, in English and in Spanish, always reaching out to as many children as possible. In due course, those stories did become books—“because Pura Belpré always knew that many stories worth telling aren’t in books,” and she could change that. The accompanying illustrations are vibrant, with rich, saturated colors. Dynamic double-page illustrations often consist of vignettes that blend into one another, adding depth to the narration. Belpré is depicted with brown skin and dark hair. The children, though mostly having similar faces, represent a range of skin tones. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A vibrant portrayal of an important figure. (author's note, source notes, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 5-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Pimentel, Annette Bay: PURA'S CUENTOS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2021, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A669986523/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d9c1370a. Accessed 12 Mar. 2022.
PIMENTEL, Annette Bay. Pura's Cuentos: How Pura Belpre Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories. illus. by Magaly Morales. 40p. Abrams. Sept. 2021. Tr $18.99. ISBN 97814.19749414.
PreS-Gr 1--Pura Belpre grew listening to stories in Puerto Rico, especially those told by her grandmother. Later, when she moved to Harlem in New York and started working at a branch library, she felt drawn to follow the path of the librarians, who were reading stories from books to the kids. Pura took charge of story times, but she realized something was missing: Tire stories that were not told by books, and thus, she broke the rules and began to tell her grandma's stories. This loosely biographical picture book depicts a brave and determined woman whose bilingual English and Spanish story times broke the status quo to spread the power of storytelling. Her advocacy brought many people of color to the library, people who felt newly welcome there. Pimentel offers a storyline for young audiences that radiates hope and accomplishment. The English language narrative, set to a medium size black-and-white font, is lyrical and whimsical, employing occasional Spanish language terms. Morales's illustrations, visualized with a touch of cubism and curb lines, express the plot through magnificent detail and layers of green, blue, brown, and purple. The full-spread and digitally made illustrations will connect with readers while expressing the written narrative and installing a sense of joy. The back matter, set in pink background and black font, contains a selected bibliography of books written by Belpre and those she translated into Spanish. The author's notes also offer some biographical information. VERDICT A brief book whose dreamlike illustrations will enhance young readers' imagination. --Kathia Ibacache, Univ. of Colorado Boulder
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Ibacache, Kathia. "PIMENTEL, Annette Bay. Pura's Cuentos: How Pura Belpre Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories." School Library Journal, vol. 67, no. 9, Sept. 2021, p. 114. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A673471365/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=bbb8c82b. Accessed 12 Mar. 2022.
Pura's Cuentos: How Pura Belpre Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories. By Annette Bay Pimentel. Illus. by Magaly Morales. Sept. 2021.40p. Abrams, $18.99 (9781419749414). K-Gr. 2.813.
Enter the inspiring world of legendary children's librarian Pura Belpre and find out how vibrant stories in her childhood influenced libraries. Belpre grows up in Puerto Rico, nurturing her imagination as she "drinks up Abuela's cuentos" and explores the charm in each character described in Spanish. She internalizes the value in cultural representation, humor, performance, and the art of oral storytelling. When she later moves to New York and becomes a librarian, she is joyously now in charge of storytime. However, the rule is to only read books stricdy in print to children. "Pura knows that not all stories worth telling are in books," Pimentel notes, especially when kings and queens aren't culturally relevant. She performs what she knows about storytelling for her bosses, and they are so enthralled that they make an exception for her: she is allowed to tell her own stories! With her dynamic talent and bilingual skills, Belpre draws in Spanish-speaking families, expanding the library's reach and shaping children's literature forever. Morales' vivid artwork in warm, saturated colors wittily captures the movement, rhythm, and energy of Belpre's legacy, which is echoed in the lyrical text. Emphasizing the importance of books as mirrors, as well as well as of inclusion, diversity, proactiveness, talent, and social impact, this is a treasure of a picturebook biography.--Vivian Alvarez
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
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Alvarez, Vivian. "Pura's Cuentos: How Pura Belpre Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories." Booklist, vol. 118, no. 2, 15 Sept. 2021, p. 47. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A678822122/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=b9a48e7a. Accessed 12 Mar. 2022.
PIMENTEL, Annette Bay. Mountain Chef: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook Up the National Park Service. illus. by Rich Lo. 40p. bibliog. ebook available, notes, photos. Charlesbridge. Aug. 2016. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781580897112.
Gr 2-5--Yosemite's Sing Peak honors Nevada-born backcountry chef Tie Sing. Chosen to be the chef for the Mather Mountain Party in 1915, Sing had to feed 30 men, some of whom were being wooed to back a plan for a national park service. Pimentel sets the stage by introducing readers to the inequality Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans faced at the hands of white Americans. She fictionalizes, but modestly. This title stresses both Sing's foresight and his resourcefulness--resilience being necessary in this era of legal anti-Chinese discrimination. Final pages provide extra historical information with period black-and-white photos. The illustrations are well suited for a read-aloud: lively, expansive (usually spreads), and with a bright magenta vest identifying the hero. Considering the overtly positive nature of the work, adult readers might stress that while Sing overcame the immediate setback of accidents, he could not be expected to defeat the systemic prejudice that deprived him--and other Chinese Americans and Chinese immigrants--of countless opportunities, no matter how big his dreams. Only two or three mules are depicted (not possibly enough for the job). Overall, this pencil and watercolor illustrated and eloquently written account of a Chinese American will satisfy every taste. VERDICT For any library wishing to enhance its diversity and inclusion collection.--Patricia D. Lothrop, formerly at St. George's School, Newport, RI
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Lothrop, Patricia D. "Pimentel, Annette Bay. Mountain Chef: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook Up the National Park Service." School Library Journal, vol. 62, no. 7, July 2016, p. 95. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A457303253/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9d54b6bf. Accessed 12 Mar. 2022.
PIMENTEL, Annette Bay. All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything. illus. by Nabi H. Ali. 32p. Sourcebooks Explore. Mar. 2020. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781492688976.
Gr 1-4--Pimentel's latest nonfiction book is a biography of disability rights activist Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins and a history of the landmark 1989 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Born in 1981, Keelan-Chaffins, who has cerebral palsy, felt the world was always telling her to "STOP!" when she was "raring to GO!" At the time, sidewalks didn't have curb cutouts and her schools only had stairs. After attending an activist meeting, where adults "with all sorts of disabilities" invited her to participate, Keelan-Chaffins was inspired to make her voice heard. She and her sister were often the only youth activists at these gatherings. Congress was reluctant to pass the ADA, so Keelan-Chaffins and her family joined others to protest in Washington, DC. Adult disability advocates who used wheelchairs crawled up the stairs of the U.S. Capitol in an act of defiance. Keelan-Chaffins was determined to ensure that children with disabilities didn't get ignored. Her youth and tenacity caught the media's attention, in turn, pressuring Congress to pass the ADA. Pimental's present tense writing and portrayal of the power of a young person fighting to create change will engage young audiences. A few illustrations do not visually match the content of the text. A foreword and back matter enhance understanding. The time line that is provided might cause readers to seek extra information to fully understand specific milestones. VERDICT Even with a few quibbles, Pimentel offers a great look at a young activist creating change and a better understanding of the importance of the ADA.--Danielle Jones, Multnomah County Library, OR
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Jones, Danielle. "PIMENTEL, Annette Bay. All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything." School Library Journal, vol. 66, no. 2, Feb. 2020, p. 86. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A613048874/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=3efe36b0. Accessed 12 Mar. 2022.
Pimentel, Annette Bay MOUNTAIN CHEF Charlesbridge (Children's Picture Books) $16.95 8, 2 ISBN: 978-1-58089-711-2
Themes of racial discrimination, saving nature, and food and cooking are braided seamlessly in this picture-book biography.At the turn of the 20th century, Chinese men--whether immigrants or American-born--had little choice when it came to work. Most ended up as cooks in restaurants or laundrymen. But Tie Sing "had dreams as big as the country he loved" and made correspondingly expensive plans. Fueled by a love for the outdoors and a passion for cooking, he soon earned a reputation as the best trail cook in California. In 1915, Tie Sing was hired by millionaire Stephen Mather, who had invited a special group of men to go camping in the hope of convincing Congress to protect the country's natural wonders. For the first few days, Tie Sing kept everyone well-fed with sardine hors d'oeuvres, sizzling steaks, and fresh-baked sourdough rolls. Unfortunately, disaster struck, not once but twice, and Tie Sing lost much of his provisions but tweaked the menu to carry on. Tie Sing's talent and resourcefulness played a huge part in the success of Mather's mission, and within a year, Congress created the National Park Service. Pimentel's lyrically told account is to the point, explaining that "America was a tough place to be Chinese" before zeroing in on Tie Sing's culinary wizardry. Lo's illustrations have an appropriately faded look, neatly evoking both the times and the craggy wilderness. A frontier adventure that spotlights one of the many significant roles ethnic Chinese played in American history. (Picture book/biography. 5-10)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Pimentel, Annette Bay: MOUNTAIN CHEF." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2016. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A454177104/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=eebd4155. Accessed 12 Mar. 2022.
Mountain Chef: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook Up the National Park Service. By Annette Bay Pimentel. Illus. by Rich Lo. Aug. 2016. 40p. Charlesbridge, lib. ed., $16.95 (9781580897112). 641.5092. Gr. 1-4.
This picture-book biography features a little-known Chinese American whose ingenious meal planning was instrumental in the ultimate success of the National Parks Service. During a time when Asians in America had few or no rights, Tie Sing aims high. He takes "a job cooking for mapmakers as they tramped through the mountains, naming peaks," and his reputation for excellent cooking gets the attention of millionaire Stephen Mather, who hires Tie Sing to cook high-class, restaurant-style meals for 30 men on a backcountry tour of what is now Yosemite National Park, in an effort to secure political support for a federal parks program. Tie Sings creative solutions to the problems of cooking on the trail are fascinating, and stories of minor disasters on the Yosemite tour highlight his ingenuity and resourcefulness. Paragraphs of straightforward text are more advanced than typical picture books, but the soft, expressive watercolor illustrations, some of which are based on historical photos, are a pleasing accompaniment. Ideal for the classroom, particularly this year, when the NPS celebrates its centennial.--Anita Lock
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
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Lock, Anita. "Mountain Chef: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook Up the National Park Service." Booklist, vol. 112, no. 21, 1 July 2016, p. 50. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A459889050/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4e2928e2. Accessed 12 Mar. 2022.
Pimentel, Annette Bay GIRL RUNNING Nancy Paulsen Books (Children's Informational) $17.99 2, 6 ISBN: 978-1-101-99668-3
Pimentel tenders the story of Bobbi Gibb, the first woman to (surreptitiously) run the classic Boston Marathon, with illustrations that pay close attention to the route along the way.
Hot on the heels of Kristina Yee and Frances Poletti's The Girl Who Ran, illustrated by Susanna Chapman (2017), is another rendering of Gibb's saga. This time the story pivots less around Gibb's trick to evade the officials than the sheer joy of running--it is as though Gibb is on one long runner's high, and it's good fun to run along with her. Readers learn that Gibb trained in nurse's shoes, making "her feet feel weightless" when she bought proper running shoes (boys' size six, as there are none for "girls"). Once she was in the race and doffed her sweatshirt to avoid heat exhaustion, she was cheered on by all but the most curmudgeonly marathon watchers. Archer provides the landscape through which the blonde white woman trains and then the marathon path itself. Her artwork is an eyeful, a deep-dish mixture of oil paint and collage with tissue paper and hand-stamped patterned papers as materials. In addition, she adds mile markers and elevation notes to convey the runners' toils and why it is called "Heartbreak Hill." The tiny smattering of African-Americans engaged in the race and in the crowds is sad but true.
A bright salutation of a story, with one determined woman at its center. (Picture book. 4-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Pimentel, Annette Bay: GIRL RUNNING." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Nov. 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A514267813/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e7c453db. Accessed 12 Mar. 2022.
Girl Running: Bobbi Gibb and the Boston Marathon
by Annette Bay Pimentel; illus. by Micha Archer
Primary Paulsen/Penguin 32 pp. g
2/18 978-1-101-99668-3 $17.99
"Bobbi Gibb must wear a skirt to school because she is a girl. She is not allowed to run on the school's track team. Because those are the rules--and rules are rules." This picture-book biography of the first woman to run the Boston Marathon--in defiance of the rules, since she was denied an application due to gender--is short on specifics (dates, ages, etc.) but clear on Gibb's determination to overcome discrimination in order to follow her passion. We follow Bobbi as she runs for pure pleasure as a child, sees her first Boston Marathon at some point, and then begins to train in earnest as a young adult. When her marathon application is dismissed, she joins the race anyway, wearing a bulky hoodie as a disguise. She crosses the finish line ahead of two-thirds of the pack, but officials refuse to recognize her achievement. Pimentel's straightforward text builds drama and suspense, becoming appropriately staccato and urgent when describing the race ("Nineteen miles. Twenty miles. Up Heartbreak Hill. Bobbi feels confident"). Archer's vibrant mixed-media and collage art portrays a variety of settings, seasons, and situations; a nice touch is the bottom-of-the-page border marking the miles as we follow Bobbi's progress along the marathon route. Back matter includes an author's note (which finally informs readers that Gibb ran her stealth marathon in 1966) and a brief bibliography.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.hbook.com/magazine/default.asp
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Parravano, Martha V. "Girl Running: Bobbi Gibb and the Boston Marathon." The Horn Book Magazine, vol. 94, no. 2, Mar.-Apr. 2018, p. 111. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A530106851/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5472ad4e. Accessed 12 Mar. 2022.
Pimentel, Annette Bay ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP Sourcebooks Explore (Children's Informational) $17.99 3, 10 ISBN: 978-1-4926-8897-6
A girl with cerebral palsy fights for the 1990 passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Whether she's horseback riding or starting kindergarten, Jennifer Keelan's "ready to GO!" But all around her, places and people demand that she "STOP!" From her wheelchair, a 4-inch curb is a "cliff," and she's not allowed to join her classmates in the cafeteria. Everything changes when Jennifer--knowing that "children with disabilities get ignored too"--joins a diverse group of disability rights activists. When Jennifer is 8, activists propose the ADA to "make room for all people, including those with disabilities." Dismissed by Congress, disabled activists crawl up the steps of the Capitol to be heard. When grown-ups say she's too young to participate, Jennifer drags herself "ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP" on behalf of disabled kids everywhere. Ali's soft-focus illustrations deftly convey Jennifer's determined scowl and excited grin. Pimentel realistically acknowledges that the ADA hasn't fixed everything--"Slowest of all, minds have to change"--but in her foreword, the adult Jennifer--now Keelan-Chaffins--notes that she keeps "using [her] voice to speak up" and encourages readers to do likewise. Backmatter further discusses disabilities, the disability rights movement, and the ADA. Front- and backmatter seem geared toward older readers, who may find the main text a tad too simple; those wanting more information should follow this up with Amy Hayes' Disability Rights Movement (2017). Jennifer and her family present white; classmates' and activists' races vary.
A necessary testament to the power of children's voices. (notes, timeline, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 4-10)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Pimentel, Annette Bay: ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Jan. 2020. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A609999097/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4143cdb1. Accessed 12 Mar. 2022.
All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything. By Annette Bay Pimentel. Illus. by Nabi H. Ali. Mar. 2020.32p. Sourcebooks/eXplore, $17.99 (9781492688976). Gr. 1-3.362.4.
Jennifer Keelan, born with cerebral palsy, was unable to attend her local school because steps created a barrier for her wheelchair. Her family joined the disability rights movement in 1987 in Phoenix, where she first told her story publicly. Over the next few years, the Keelans traveled to other cities for demonstrations. In 1990, when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was languishing in Congress, activists gathered before the U.S. Capitol to demonstrate. Determined to represent kids with disabilities in the protest remembered as the Capitol Crawl, nine-year-old Jennifer joined others who, unable to walk unassisted, slowly hauled, heaved, and dragged themselves up the buildings 100 steps. The ADA soon passed. The books informative back matter includes concise explanations of topics mentioned in the text. Pimentels compelling, present-tense narrative gives the story great immediacy, helping children connect with Jennifer's reactions to physical barriers and social injustice. Making good use of color, light, and contrast, Ali contributes a series of expressive digital illustrations. Still an activist, Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins offers a thought-provoking foreword to this inspiring picture book.--Carolyn Phelan
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
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Phelan, Carolyn. "All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything." Booklist, vol. 116, no. 11, 1 Feb. 2020, pp. 35+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A614529469/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=59d3454e. Accessed 12 Mar. 2022.