Biddy Mason Speaks Up

Building on the brilliance of Fred Korematsu Speaks Up, the newest installment in the Fighting for Justice series introduces young readers to another real-life champion for civil rights: Bridget "Biddy" Mason, an African American philanthropist, healer, and midwife who was born into slavery. When Biddy arrived in California, where slavery was technically illegal, she was kept captive by her owners and forced to work without pay. But when Biddy learned that she was going to be taken to a slave state, she launched a plan to win her freedom. She refused to be defined by her enslavement, and coauthors Arisa White and Laura Atkins devote much of their narrative to Biddy Mason's later life as a business and civic leader in the fledgling city of Los Angeles. Biddy Mason Speaks Up is an age-appropriate yet unflinching examination of slavery, racism, and community healing in the United States. Each chapter begins with lyrical verse and full-color illustrations that draw readers into the narrative, and is followed by visually engaging sections filled with keyword definitions, historical context, timelines, and primary sources. Throughout the book, the authors pose questions to the reader, such as "How do you see power at work in your community?", making Biddy Mason's story all the more relatable to the present day.

Author: Arisa White, Laura Atkins
Publisher: Heyday Books
Published: 02/01/2019
Pages: 112
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 9.10h x 7.30w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781597144032
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 7.1
Point Value: 2
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 505919 / Biddy Mason Speaks Up


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 11/15/2018 pg. 197
School Library Journal 12/01/2018 pg. 92
Booklist 03/15/2019 pg. 58
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2019 - Recommended, Satisfactory

About the Author
White, Arisa: - Arisa White is a Cave Canem graduate poet and her work has been nominated for the NAACP Image Awards, California Book Awards, and Wheatley Book Awards. Her recent poetry collection You're the Most Beautiful Thing That Happened was a nominee for the 29th Lambda Literary Awards. As the creator of the Beautiful Things Project, Arisa curates cultural events and artistic collaborations that center narratives of queer and trans people of color. She serves on the board of directors for Nomadic Press and is an assistant professor at Colby College.Atkins, Laura: - Laura Atkins is an author, teacher, and independent children's book editor with over twenty years of editorial experience. She worked at Children's Book Press, Orchard Books, and Lee and Low Books, helping to produce winners of the Coretta Scott King Award and American Library Association Notable Book selections, among others. She taught creative writing at the National Centre for Research in Children's Literature (NCRCL) in London, where she also received her M.A. in children's literature, and she completed her M.F.A. in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2016. In addition to cowriting Fred Korematsu Speaks Up, Laura is the author of the lighthearted picture book Sled Dog Dachshund (Minted Prose Press). Passionate about diversity and equity in children's books, Laura is based in Berkeley, California, where she lives with her daughter.Freeman, Laura: - Laura Freeman is an illustrator of children's books, editorial content, and licensed art. She's also a mom, a gardener, and a Photoshop junkie. She's a displaced New Yorker, currently living in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and two children.