The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor
By Maria Peña,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Inspiring memoir teaches kids to dream big.
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What's the Story?
THE BELOVED WORLD OF SONIA SOTOMAYOR is an adaptation of her memoir for adults, My Beloved World (2013). Justice Sotomayor recounts her life story, how from the age of 10 she knew she wanted to be a lawyer and eventually a federal judge in order to help people. She opens up about very personal circumstances that caused hardships, including dealing with juvenile diabetes and growing up in rough housing projects in New York's South Bronx neighborhood. But regardless of her tribulations, Sotomayor was determined to succeed, focusing on her academics -- which paid off, opening doors to an Ivy League education. She eloquently chronicles her academic and professional achievements, and what it took to become the first Latina Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States.
Is It Any Good?
This inspiring memoir is about overcoming adversity, having faith in yourself, and not allowing your circumstances to determine who you should be or where you end up. The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor invites children to dream big! The storytelling feels genuine as Sotomayor draws the reader into her private world, opening up and talking about real-life situations that let us see her as a human being. She identifies with the same struggles we all experience and talks at length about her insecurities, struggles, and core beliefs.
She also continuously emphasizes the importance of her Puerto Rican roots, her strong family bonds, and invaluable close friendships. We learn about the impact of her work, which led to her historic appointment as the first Latina Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court in 2009, a role she has held ever since. Her story shows that regardless of your circumstances, dreams do come true and happy endings are possible.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how health issues and personal hardships shaped Sotomayor, as shown in The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor. How do you think you'd be able to deal with a hardship? What do you think of how Sotomayor handled her situation?
Sonia Sotomayor's dream of becoming a lawyer and judge became clear to her when she was 10 years old. Do you have a dream of what you want to be or do in life? What can you do to work towards your goal?
Culture and family is very important to Sotomayor. What does family mean to you? How is culture and diversity present in your your surroundings?
Book Details
- Author: Sonia Sotomayor
- Illustrators: Bob Bianchini , Larsson McSwain
- Genre: Biography
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , Great Girl Role Models , High School , History , Middle School
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publishers: Delacorte Press , Random House Children's Books , Viking; Penguin Random House LLC
- Publication date: January 28, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 10 - 17
- Number of pages: 352
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: February 6, 2020
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Where to Read
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Books with Latino Characters
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