cover image Turning Pages: My Life Story

Turning Pages: My Life Story

Sonia Sotomayor, illus. by Lulu Delacre. Philomel, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-525-51408-4

Writing in eloquent first-person prose, Sotomayor relays her upbringing and path to the Supreme Court, emphasizing how reading books, “written both in Spanish and in English,” has remained at the center of her personal development. She begins her story as a child in the Bronx. After being diagnosed with diabetes, Sotomayor found strength in comic books; following her father’s death, her local library became a refuge. Sotomayor offers variations on this theme, describing books as “lenses,” “teachers,” a “life preserver,” and “mirrors of my own universe.” Finally, Sotomayor finds her way to law books, and to one of the most meaningful texts of her lifetime—the Constitution. Delacre’s work shows earnest admiration for the subject, and compositions make intriguing use of angle, shadow, and collage detail. A Spanish-language version will also be available. Ages 4–8. [em](Sept.) [/em]