The Highest Tribute: Thurgood Marshall's Life, Leadership, and Legacy
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
A brilliant picture book biography about Thurgood Marshall, who fought for equality during the Civil Rights Movement and served as the first Black justice on the Supreme Court, from Coretta Scott King Honor winners Kekla Magoon and Laura Freeman.
Growing up in Baltimore, Thurgood Marshall could see that things weren’t fair. The laws said that Black and white people couldn’t use the same schools, parks, or water fountains.
When Thurgood had to read the Constitution as punishment for a prank at school, his eyes were opened. It was clear to him that Jim Crow laws were wrong, and he was willing to do whatever it took to change them.
His determination to make sure all Americans were treated equally led him to law school and then the NAACP, where he argued cases like Brown v. Board of Education in front of the Supreme Court. But to become a Justice on the highest court in the land, Thurgood had to make space for himself every step of the way.
Readers will be inspired by Kekla Magoon’s concise text and Laura Freeman’s luminous illustrations, which bring Thurgood Marshall’s incredible legacy and achievements to life.
* An SLJ Best Book of the Year * A Bank Street Best Book of the Year * A Jane Addams Children's Book Award Finalist * A Texas Topaz Nonfiction Selection * Wisconsin State Reading Association’s 2022 Picture This Recommendation List * Indiana Authors Award Shortlist *
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Magoon and Freeman team up to present this overview of the life of Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall, covering his early-20th-century childhood in segregated Baltimore, his persistent fight against segregation, his initiation as the first Black member of the Supreme Court in 1967, and his death in 1993. Magoon employs a measured tone throughout, emphasizing Marshall's concern with fairness alongside plenty of biographical details, including his two marriages, the second of which defied anti-miscegenation laws. Freeman's layered digital illustrations enrich the narrative. One memorable spread shows a subtly hued time-lapse of Marshall presenting "seven important cases before the Supreme Court," which centers Marshall by depicting the court from behind a row of unidentifiable seated white men. Compelling paragraphs make this an appealing read about a Black figure who had a large and lasting impact on U.S. law. Back matter contains a timeline, major court cases, further reading, and a bibliography. Ages 4 8.
