Even our seven- and eight-year-old subscribers are likely to have some awareness of the divisions over Brexit and the recent US presidential election. The ability of US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to disagree strongly but respectfully, and in the spirit of friendship, makes this book particularly timely.
“RBG,” the first Jewish woman to serve on the US Supreme Court, is a tireless fighter for racial equality and women’s rights and a role model throughout the Jewish world. Her commitment to tikkun olam (repairing the world) is apparent in her support for those less able to fight for their own rights. Her close friendship with a fellow Justice whose opinions were very different from her own is an example of machloket l’shem shamayim (constructive conflict).
Although this is a serious book, it’s fun too. It has eye-catching illustrations and interesting facts about Bader Ginsburg’s life. It also provides background to the era in which she grew up, a time when children were not allowed to write with their left hand! With visual interest, rich thematic and historical content – and synonyms for ‘dissent’ sprinkled throughout the book – there is much here for young readers to talk about with the adults in their lives.
We weren’t the only ones enthralled by this title. The Jewish Book Council in the United Sates named I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark as the winner of the 2016 Jewish Book Award for Children’s Literature.
January 19, 2017