Turning Pages: My Life Story

I wanted to buy this book even if it wasn’t an awesome children’s book, because I wanted to read Sonia Sotomayor’s story to my daughter. I’m generally skeptical about famous people writing children’s books. This book exceeded my expectations.Sonia Sotomayor’s story is told in an accessible and interesting way. So much of her story is about her love of reading, and reading balanced with a lot of real life challenges of her childhood like poverty, language acquisition, and diabetes. Alongside those challenges, her story is also rich in culture, in love, and a spirit of adventure.My 10-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter have now read the book several times. I’m so happy about that, because I can’t think of a better role model in a kids’ biography than Sonia Sotomayor. Here are some other things I love about their reading experience:1- They got curious and interested in the Supreme Court and wanted to learn more about the judicial branch of the United States government.2- They both love reading, but had thought of it as a hobby. It’s really inspiring how Justice Sotomayor tells her story through her reading and achievements. My kids got to thinking a bit more expansively about reading.3- My kids had a lot of questions about some of the challenges Justice Sotomayor faced as a child, and I was thrilled to talk more about inequities in the American education system with them in a way they could “get.”

I was able to use this book in my classroom to share with my scholars as an example of a personal narrative. I was also lucky enough to get it signed by Justice Sonia Sotomayor when she visited the school district that I teach!!

I read Justice Sonia Sotomayor's autobiography "My Beloved World" when it came out several years ago and thought many of her experiences would resonate with and inpsire so many school children especially from Hispanic cultures. So I had wished that Justice Sotomayor would write her story in a book for children. I was THIRLLED when I learned she had written one and it had just been released in both English and Spanish. It is terrific as it tells how reading has been her gateway to learning about the world and helped her deal with her diabetes condition and injections and learning English as she spoke Spanish at home and was reared in the projects in Brooklin, NY. I bought both the English and Spanish version and donated to the elementary school where I volunteer as a math tutor which is 85% Hispanic with most speaking Spanish at home and are eligible for the free breakfast and lunch programs at school. Beautiful book with a terrific message! I wasn't disappointed. This book is for elementary schools but she has one for middle school as well.

I don’t think there was a plot. An appreciation for reading, sure, but most children’s books have something resembling a story structure. The Justice has a strong voice in her Supreme Court decisions, but this book is just not worth a read. Please, do not give this book as a gift to anyone. Autobiography can be an important window into the life of an admirable person, but this book misses the mark. I would be willing to say my family isn’t the target audience, but then again she is one of my Supreme Court justices, I want to like her book, I want my kid to like her book, I was hoping this would be a book that would cultivate my kid’s patriotism! This book will not live up to your expectations.

This is an inspirational book. However it was offered as part of the Prime Book Box for a first grade boy. It was far above my grandson’s reading level and too long for him to want it to be read to him. It wasn’t broken into convenient chapters either. I was surprised that the book was included in a first grade Prime Book Box and makes me question the Prime Book Box selections. If you are looking to purchase this book for a strong reader who could appreciate a great role model this book is a good choice.