Kid Trailblazers

June 1, 2022
Stevenson expands her 2019 roster of Kid Activists with profiles of 20 more advocates for political, social, and environmental causes. Except for Benazir Bhutto, John Lewis, and Audre Lorde, all of the role models here are alive, and some, like environmental activist Greta Thunberg (born in 2003), #1000BlackGirlBooks founder Marley Dias (born in 2005) and Little Miss Flint Mari Copeny (born in 2007), are still relatively young. With some notable, if humanizing, exceptions--Al Gore's memories of tossing water balloons off a hotel rooftop, for instance, or Shonda Rhimes' petrifying first driving lesson--the 16 longer entries and four single-page spotlights are weighted toward childhood experiences that informed or directly led to later concerns and achievements, from Kamala Harris shouting "Fweedom!" from her stroller at a civil rights demonstration to Ai Weiwei watching his father's library burn on the orders of the Red Guard. All but four subjects are people of color, most are North American, and several, including trans actor Elliot Page, are queer. Steinfeld's neatly drawn illustrations include many scenes of smiling figures in forthright stances as well as some moments of difficulty and distress; Stevenson mentions instances of violence and bullying often enough to counter any false impressions that activism doesn't have its risks. Inspiring examples for younger would-be world-changers. (further reading, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)

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Starred review from July 1, 2022

Gr 3-7-The future desperately needs younger generations to step up to the plate, bring about substantial change, and cause some "good trouble" as the venerable John Lewis once said. Stevenson, author of Kid Activists and Kid Innovators, is back with Kid Trailblazers highlighting a diverse array of many lesser-known leaders around the world who have paved the way for innovation and change, including Mari Copeny, Tsai Ing-Wen, David Suzuki, and Vanessa Nakate. These biographies-and without coverage in Kid Trailblazers, many of them may not have had their stories shared-are short and motivating, prompting readers to get inspired and continue the work themselves. The book is divided into four sections: Advocates for Democracy, Black Lives Matter, Saving the Planet, and Art. Stevenson's informative text, along with Steinfeld's illustrations, is designed perfectly for reading aloud, social studies units, or social-emotional learning connections. VERDICT An important nonfiction collection of stories about influencers and leaders when they were children. Perfect for group sharing and current events connections.-Laura Dooley-Taylor

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