Hispanic Star: Sonia Sotomayor by Claudia Romo Edelman

 The Hispanic Star biography series for middle grade celebrates Hispanic and Latinx heroes who have made a difference.

Sonia Sotomayor grew up in the projects in the Bronx. She is a great inspiration, showing children that no matter where you come from you can still achieve great things.

The story gives a brief history of Puerto Rico Island and how it becomes the US territory. How her parents arrive in NYC, and how with other members of the family, they continue with traditions of their island – spending weekends together, preparing their food and listening to their music.

Her mother who is a nurse works hard to be able to send her children to Catholic school. Her mother values education and instills it in her children.

Sonia’s story brings her hardship and aspirations, and what steps she takes to achieve her goals. At the end of her hard work, she receives a full scholarship to attend the Princeton University.

Her hardship isn’t just financial. She loses her father at young age and it takes her mother some time to get over the loss, which has an effect on Sonia and her brother. Sonia is also told that she doesn’t deserve to go to Princeton.

The book explains well the point of affirmative action. Sonia coming from low-income family is at disadvantage with students who came from well-off families and are well-travelled and have access to things Sonia has no idea about.

Outside school, when she hears of some injustice happening to Puerto Ricans, she quickly becomes their advocate. She stands up to discrimination. She refuses to be disrespected and to remain silent out of fear of losing a potential job.

Her career takes her from a prosecutor, to a law that improves people’s lives instead of enforcing laws. Then, she becomes a federal judge in NY. It leads her to become the judge for the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and finally the judge for the Supreme Court.

This is a well-written story that clearly shows what Sonia Sotomayor had to go through to get where she is now. She didn’t feel sorry for her circumstances. She was close to her family and that’s what mattered the most. It didn’t hold her back to reach for the stars, and in order to reach for those stars she had to take many steps and she worked hard at those steps.

The black and white illustrations are simple, some are like sketches. Most of the series have black and white illustrations for this age group, which seem appropriate.

This is an inspiring story of a phenomenal woman, and it’s part of a wonderful series.

Published in 2023 by Roaring Brook Press

Source: Roaring Brook Press

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Positive mind set. Self -discipline. Persistence. 

Traits:

·         She worked hard, one goal at a time, taking her closer to her dream goal

·         Even with financial disadvantage, she found the way to attend the school she was interested in

·         When hearing of injustice, she took action and stood up to discrimination

·         She refused to be disrespected even if that meant losing a potential job

"If you are undisciplined, you are a slave to your moods." - Eliud Kipchoge