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Becoming RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Journey to Justice
From the New York Times bestselling author of I Dissent comes a biographical graphic novel about celebrated Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a modern feminist icon—a leader in the fight for equal treatment of girls and women in society and the workplace. She blazed trails to the peaks of the male-centric worlds of education and law, where women had rarely risen before.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg has often said that true and lasting change in society and law is accomplished slowly, one step at a time. This is how she has evolved, too. Step by step, the shy little girl became a child who questioned unfairness, who became a student who persisted despite obstacles, who became an advocate who resisted injustice, who became a judge who revered the rule of law, who became…RBG.
Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a modern feminist icon—a leader in the fight for equal treatment of girls and women in society and the workplace. She blazed trails to the peaks of the male-centric worlds of education and law, where women had rarely risen before.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg has often said that true and lasting change in society and law is accomplished slowly, one step at a time. This is how she has evolved, too. Step by step, the shy little girl became a child who questioned unfairness, who became a student who persisted despite obstacles, who became an advocate who resisted injustice, who became a judge who revered the rule of law, who became…RBG.
208 pages
First published November 5, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 358 reviews
January 24, 2020
I knew virtually nothing about RBG and this was such a delightful and amazingly comprehensive look at her life and work that was also a very quick read.
It also just blows my mind about how the world was for women so recently.
It also just blows my mind about how the world was for women so recently.
November 8, 2019
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Okay, confession: I probably would have never read a regular biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Not because I doubt that she's a fascinating person, but just because biographies don't really interest me. And, with so many great fiction books on my TBR, I just don't get around to reading much non-fiction. But put a biography of an interesting person in graphic novel form, and I'm suddenly all excited! And I am so glad that this showed up in my mailbox because it was a fascinating read!
I knew a little bit about RBG (in the current political climate, I've paid a bit more attention to the supreme court than I had in the past), but I didn't realize just how involved she was in key cases that brought more gender equality to our country. The book also gives us insight into RBG's early life and her mother's battle with cancer. I found RBG's life truly inspiring, and it gives me hope for the future of our world---it's good to see how far we've come and to focus on someone who is fighting for justice and equality in our world. I also thought it was wonderful that the book highlights a friendship with a judge whose views do not match RBG's---in today's political climate, it's become harder and harder to show respect and empathy toward people with opposing views. I loved just about everything about this book!
I should also mention that the artwork is wonderful, with a clean style that works especially well for middle grade.
***Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher for review purposes. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
Okay, confession: I probably would have never read a regular biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Not because I doubt that she's a fascinating person, but just because biographies don't really interest me. And, with so many great fiction books on my TBR, I just don't get around to reading much non-fiction. But put a biography of an interesting person in graphic novel form, and I'm suddenly all excited! And I am so glad that this showed up in my mailbox because it was a fascinating read!
I knew a little bit about RBG (in the current political climate, I've paid a bit more attention to the supreme court than I had in the past), but I didn't realize just how involved she was in key cases that brought more gender equality to our country. The book also gives us insight into RBG's early life and her mother's battle with cancer. I found RBG's life truly inspiring, and it gives me hope for the future of our world---it's good to see how far we've come and to focus on someone who is fighting for justice and equality in our world. I also thought it was wonderful that the book highlights a friendship with a judge whose views do not match RBG's---in today's political climate, it's become harder and harder to show respect and empathy toward people with opposing views. I loved just about everything about this book!
I should also mention that the artwork is wonderful, with a clean style that works especially well for middle grade.
***Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher for review purposes. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
March 11, 2020
Graphic biographies and memoirs are such fun ways to learn! RBG’s remarkable life is told thoughtfully with cool art, and minimal, but impactful coloring. This is marketed to young readers, but is totally appropriate for adult fans, too.
July 4, 2021
Becoming RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Journey to Justice
by Debbie Levy
A terrific graphic novel for middle grade up. From birth to nomination to the Supreme Court, this follows this amazing woman through major events in her life. I have read a few books on her but I still learned a couple of new things. #1, she's left handed! Yeah for us lefties!
The art is great, text easy to read, and content informative and interesting! The world is missing a wonderful woman! Bye Ruth, we miss you! 😍
by Debbie Levy
A terrific graphic novel for middle grade up. From birth to nomination to the Supreme Court, this follows this amazing woman through major events in her life. I have read a few books on her but I still learned a couple of new things. #1, she's left handed! Yeah for us lefties!
The art is great, text easy to read, and content informative and interesting! The world is missing a wonderful woman! Bye Ruth, we miss you! 😍
September 23, 2020
This autobiographic graphic novel about RBG was way more in depth than I thought it was going to be. I learned so much about her life, viewpoints, and her achievements. Loved it! I cried.
January 2, 2020
I'm here for a graphic novel about RBG just like the YA and middle grade biographies that have been published (I desperately need to see the movie). This one hits all the right notes and unsurprisingly, only gets to her appointment on the Supreme Court in the very last pages, filling them up with more words that images to boot.
Levy focuses on Ginsburg's developments over time, her fight against sex discrimination and equal rights, her arduous task of taking down the patriarchy one brick at a time, needing and having the support of a man who believed in her and children who did the same. She worked hard. And she got what she wanted. She's a force to be reckoned with and this biography absolutely addresses all of it with neatly woven chronological storytelling.
Levy focuses on Ginsburg's developments over time, her fight against sex discrimination and equal rights, her arduous task of taking down the patriarchy one brick at a time, needing and having the support of a man who believed in her and children who did the same. She worked hard. And she got what she wanted. She's a force to be reckoned with and this biography absolutely addresses all of it with neatly woven chronological storytelling.
April 4, 2022
CRY!!! this graphic novel was beautifully done and highlighted the incredible things that rbg did during her time as a student, lawyer and eventually supreme court justice. she did so many incredible things to further equality and i just love and miss her <3
March 30, 2021
I LOVED this graphic novel packed with information about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It's a biography of her life and career, a really accessible way to get an overview of her tremendous life and impact. It doesn't skim the surface of her accomplishments, you truly get a sense of her journey from childhood to the bench of the Supreme Court. It's both entertaining and informational, even my teenage son found it to be really great reading!
April 18, 2020
ALL HAIL RBG! honestly what more is there to say? the format of this being a graphic novel is so good too as it makes her story accessible to adults and younger readers. really simply but beautiful illustrations and colour pallet, just great.
October 15, 2023
What a wonderfully executed graphic novel. I didn't expect to cry while reading this biography, but her story is so inspiring to read. The art style is simple yet dynamic with emotion and has restricted yet effective use of color. Will be glad to use in my future classroom as a resource!
January 11, 2020
I love Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I love learning more about her, especially since she's been such a long standing Supreme Court Justice.
September 19, 2020
I loved this graphic biography of RBG! Perfect for adding to the non fiction section of my fifth grade classroom library!
October 24, 2020
My first graphic book. I liked it a lot. It is a great introduction to the amazing and fascinating person that was RBG. Buy this book for every young person you know.
January 21, 2021
Much of this reminds me of the film about RBG: _On the Basis of Sex_.
July 30, 2020
I love that graphic novels can teach us things in such a fun way. They are so accessible and readable for teens (my fifteen-year-old got through this particular graphic novel before me — typical!). I think adults should read graphic novels, too, because they are just such a great way to learn something!
This book is a biography about Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and she’s pretty much my new hero. I loved learning about her.
I also really liked how this book was designed — it’s got a lot of text and information in some panels, and uses a neutral palette with pops of red to show emotion and emphasis.
Definitely check this book out if you or your teen (or even pre-teen) is interested in learning about the Supreme Court or feminism.
This book is a biography about Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and she’s pretty much my new hero. I loved learning about her.
I also really liked how this book was designed — it’s got a lot of text and information in some panels, and uses a neutral palette with pops of red to show emotion and emphasis.
Definitely check this book out if you or your teen (or even pre-teen) is interested in learning about the Supreme Court or feminism.
November 26, 2019
This is a charming and inspiring graphic biography. I think it's perfect for tween readers--careful to define terms like "federal government" and great at explaining RBG's earlier court cases for gender equality in a way that doesn't condescend but makes the stakes very clear. The art is cute and engaging.
February 27, 2020
A really inspiring read detailing the history of sex discrimination and how RBG has fought to make several lasting changes I get to enjoy today.
November 18, 2020
This is a cradle to 2019 biography of the amazing, incredible Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. While I learned a few things the movies left out, (yes I do need to read her own book) and appreciated the source quotations, I found this book incccreeddddiblly boring. It took me two days to even start it because I kept falling asleep. I enjoyed the picture book I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by the same author much more. This graphic biography has too much information included. I get that there's a lot of backstory that shaped who she was and what she stood for, some of it is way too much.
The legal terms and government terms are footnoted with easy definitions. I would have just explained in simple terms what was going on. Teaching government is one thing and presenting a biography is another. All that jargon made me close my eyes again. It's just too much, especially for the tween age group.
The illustrations are pretty bad. The illustrator chose to do the pictures in blue and white. Why? I'm not sure. They're not eye-catching at all. Ruth is very well drawn but everyone else doesn't look right, ESPECIALLY the presidents. I couldn't tell who they were supposed to be without the presented text, especially Clinton.
I don't see my nieces reading this. It's too long and boring for their attention spans. I can see an older kid picking this up for a school report but not so much out of idle curiosity. I recommend this more to adults who don't want to/have time for slogging through a full-length biography.
The legal terms and government terms are footnoted with easy definitions. I would have just explained in simple terms what was going on. Teaching government is one thing and presenting a biography is another. All that jargon made me close my eyes again. It's just too much, especially for the tween age group.
The illustrations are pretty bad. The illustrator chose to do the pictures in blue and white. Why? I'm not sure. They're not eye-catching at all. Ruth is very well drawn but everyone else doesn't look right, ESPECIALLY the presidents. I couldn't tell who they were supposed to be without the presented text, especially Clinton.
I don't see my nieces reading this. It's too long and boring for their attention spans. I can see an older kid picking this up for a school report but not so much out of idle curiosity. I recommend this more to adults who don't want to/have time for slogging through a full-length biography.
January 12, 2021
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has changed the world for the better in her fight against social inequality and prejudice.
She is a remarkable person, and this fantastic graphic novel takes us on her life journey. One of her maxims is that lasting change happens one step at a time, and everyone can see it applied in her story. RBG is a bright advocate for gender equality and women’s rights, and her significant work on this subject is just incredible. I didn’t know much about her life and achievements before reading this book, so I was very excited to see it in the bookstore. RGB’s story is very inspiring, and it is an excellent message to everyone.
RBG:
She is a remarkable person, and this fantastic graphic novel takes us on her life journey. One of her maxims is that lasting change happens one step at a time, and everyone can see it applied in her story. RBG is a bright advocate for gender equality and women’s rights, and her significant work on this subject is just incredible. I didn’t know much about her life and achievements before reading this book, so I was very excited to see it in the bookstore. RGB’s story is very inspiring, and it is an excellent message to everyone.
RBG:
“Sex, like race, is a visible, immutable characteristic bearing no necessary relationship to ability. Sex, like race, has been made on the basis for unjustified or at least unproved assumptions concerning an individual’s potential to perform or to contribute to society.”
Read
March 6, 2021This is an outstanding and surprisingly comprehensive overview of Ginsburg’s life, and definitely not just for kids. I checked this out thinking it was a standard picture book, and what I got was an extremely well done graphic biography packed with tons of information about not just RBG but about the way the world was (and often still is) for women before she came on the scene and was instrumental in challenging/changing so much. It’s the perfect combination of informative and accessible, and the illustrations serve it well. Put this on your TBR lists, for sure.
(I heard somewhere that Ken Jennings studied for “Jeopardy” by reading children’s biographies, but were any of them as good as this? I’d love to get my hands on his list.)
(I heard somewhere that Ken Jennings studied for “Jeopardy” by reading children’s biographies, but were any of them as good as this? I’d love to get my hands on his list.)
May 2, 2021
RBG is queen 👑
I know only so much about her and this graphic novel was perfect to explain to a younger (and in my case old) audience the amazing work that she did during her lifetime fighting for women and equality everywhere.
I know only so much about her and this graphic novel was perfect to explain to a younger (and in my case old) audience the amazing work that she did during her lifetime fighting for women and equality everywhere.
July 8, 2022
This is a really well done (simplified) version of RBG's life and journey for justice. I learned a lot and we miss RBG as the work so many women fought for gets reversed by the current SCOTUS.... I dissent.
May 16, 2021
This book was a quick read and gave a comprehensible understanding of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's life!
October 26, 2020
I really enjoyed this graphic novel-style biography of one of my personal heroes! The format makes this thorough and well-researched overview of RBG’s life and work accessible for even older middle grade students but also insightful and educational for adults.
June 4, 2021
Graphic bio of RBG, a perfect intro to her life in a beautifully illustrated book. Middle grades
Read
January 7, 2024Another book for Battle of the Books! I really enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and overall it was really interesting. I also enjoyed the pictures, obviously. I would definitely recommend this to someone who wants a fun biography!
April 18, 2021
Made me love RBG so much more. So glad I picked up this informative graphic novel. What a woman!
February 7, 2023
I'd rate this book 4-and-a-half stars. I learned so much about RBG (Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for those of you who don't know) through this book!
November 26, 2020
Good middle-grade graphic novel detailing the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg up to her Supreme Court appointment - I personally learned a lot about her that I never heard of in school or elsewhere.
October 18, 2021
Spencer rated it 5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 358 reviews