Sonia Sotomayor: A Biography

by Sylvia Mendoza

Overview

Arguably one of the most prominent US Supreme Court Justices at the moment, Sonia Sotomayor has paved her own way to enact profound changes and reforms, despite the obstacles that stood in her way. And she certainly has had her share of adversity: she was diagnosed with diabetes when she was just eight years old, lived in housing projects in the Bronx in her youth, and fought (and still is fighting) against blatant discrimination throughout her career. Now in her early 60s, Justice Sotomayor has already made history in being appointed to the Court as the first Latina justice, the third woman justice, and one of the three youngest justices in this position.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541579941
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/01/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	112
Sales rank:	919,675
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	12 - 13 Years

About the Author

Sylvia Mendoza is a writer, editor, and speaker on the Latino experience and gender issues. She has won several awards and distinctions for her writing and journalism, including first place in the 2014 International Latino Book Awards, first place in Non-fiction for The Book of Latina Women from the National Federation of Press Women, and first place for Non-Daily Reporting & Writing/Multicultural Stories from the Society of Professional Journalists. Mendoza has written for the Los Angeles Times, Writers’ Journal, Hispanic Outlook, and more. She has also been a featured speaker for the National Women's History Project and has appeared on C-SPAN's Book-TV, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Book Expo America, and The Essence of Latinas Tour.

Editorial Reviews

- SYLVIA MENDOZA is a writer, editor, and speaker on the Latino experience and gender issues.
- She has won several awards and distinctions for her writing and journalism, including first place in the 2014 International Latino Book Awards, first place in Non-fiction for The Book of Latina Women from the National Federation of Press Women, and first place for Non-Daily Reporting & Writing/Multicultural Stories from the Society of Professional Journalists.
- Mendoza has written for the Los Angeles Times, Writers’ Journal, Hispanic Outlook, and more. She has also been a featured speaker for the National Women’s History Project and has appeared on C-Span’s Book-TV, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Book Expo America, and The Essence of Latinas Tour.

From the Publisher

04/01/2017
Gr 4–7—Mendoza has written a pocket-size biography highlighting Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor's resilience and tenacity. As a young girl, Sotomayor was inspired by Perry Mason and the "Nancy Drew" series. However, when her diabetes prevented her from pursuing a career in law enforcement, she set her sights on law. Mendoza lightly covers Sotomayor's early life challenges, such as growing up in a Bronx housing project and having diabetes. The slim biography is overall an adequate introduction to Sotomayor and the U.S. Supreme Court. The writing is occasionally a bit spotty. For instance, Mendoza describes a situation where Sotomayor's law school classmates said Sotomayor "argued like a guy." The text states that "at first she was offended by the remark, but when they explained, she understood their perspective," yet Mendoza doesn't provide the explanation or the perspective that Sotomayor is said to have comprehended. Furthermore, the cover is lackluster and unlikely to entice potential readers. VERDICT A useful but additional purchase for biography collections.—Laura Dooley-Taylor, Lake Zurich Middle School North, IL

School Library Journal

2017-02-14
An analytical view of the personal and cultural values that make the Supreme Court's first Hispanic and third woman justice an admirable role model.Emphasizing Sotomayor's affinity to minority readers in particular, Mendoza highlights the influences of Nuyorican community spirit ("the wonderful optimism of being bicultural") and "Island Girl Values" along with the personal discipline required to live with childhood diabetes in forming her subject's character. Sotomayor's youth and career acquire a shine of legend as she goes from early ambitions to be the "Latina Perry Mason" (a phrase the author loves enough to use repeatedly) through law school and up the ladder of responsibility. Her attainment of the stratospheric bench where "she was meant to be all along," leading the "Rock Star Life" of a Supreme Court justice, is presented as destiny. Wowza. The prose, though rough-hewn ("The value of education was always engrained in her brain"), is at least less mannered than the free verse of Carmen T. Bernier-Grand's eponymous profile, illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez (2010), and the biographical details end with a note on a 2015 award. Definitely on a mission, but some sense of the woman beneath the robes comes through. (notes, bibliography) (Biography. 12-14)

Kirkus Reviews