In honor of the release of the new film On the Basis of Sex, a biopic about the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, I wanted to review one of my favorite RBG books, I Dissent.
This book tells the story of a young Jewish girl growing up in Brooklyn during the 1930’s and ‘40’s. While many other girls her age were often dissuaded from pursuing their dreams, Ruth’s parents encouraged her efforts. Ruth studied, worked hard, and began her own family. All the while, Ruth continued to chase her dreams and advocate for others, all the way to her appointment on the Supreme Court.
Her ethnicity, faith, and gender were all, at various times, seen as marks against her, so Justice Ginsburg well understood the struggles of marginalization. The author highlights many of the challenges Ruth faced on her way to and during her time on the bench. Justice Ginsburg has long been an advocate for the rights of those who are overlooked by the justice system.
Tough legal battles, judicial appointments, and elevated jargon can be hard to tackle in a children’s book, but I Dissent does a perfect job of keeping the text astute as well as approachable for their audience; admittedly, I learned a few things myself.
Debbie Levy and Elizabeth Baddeley created a fantastic book, one that I think belongs on the books of young readers and adults alike.