Ruth Objects

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a trailblazer. A fighter. A public servant who has dedicated her life to the pursuit of equality.

When Ruth was a young girl, her mother encouraged her to read, be independent, and stand up for what she thought was right. Ruth graduated first in her class at Cornell University and tied for top of her graduating class at Columbia Law School. But she faced prejudice as both a woman and a Jew, making it difficult to get a job. Ruth eventually found work as a law clerk, and her determination, diligence, and skill led to a distinguished career as a lawyer. In 1993, she became the second woman ever appointed to the United States Supreme Court. As a Supreme Court justice, Ruth has inspired fierce admiration and faced fervent opposition for her judgments in high-profile cases, many of which have involved discrimination. She has been lauded for her sharp wit and boldness, even when her opinions differ from that of the majority.

As a student, teacher, lawyer, and judge, Ruth often experienced unfair treatment. But she persisted, becoming a cultural icon, championing equality in pay and opportunity. Her brilliant mind, compelling arguments, and staunch commitment to truth and justice have convinced many to stand with her, and her fight continues to this day.

This installment of the award-winning Big Words series brings a legendary figure into focus with Doreen Rappaport's incisive prose combined with Ruth's own words. Eric Velasquez's dynamic illustrations infuse every scene with life in a moving tribute that will inspire young justice seekers everywhere.

“"Striking." -- Booklist”

"[A] well-researched picture book biography."
--Publishers Weekly
"Insightful and fascinating."
--Kirkus Reviews
"Striking."
--Booklist
Praise for Ruth Objects:

ALSC Notable Children's Books
2021 RISE List Top Ten
Bank Street College of Education Best Books of 2021

"Velasquez's arresting jacket portrait of Ginsburg, superimposed on a facsimile of the U.S. Constitution, conveys a woman of purpose; Rappaport's biography, largely focused on Ginsburg's work for gender equality, reinforces this first impression."--Horn Book

Author Bio:

Doreen Rappaport's nonfiction and historical fiction books have been acclaimed for their meticulous research and varied literary styles. She is the recipient of the Washington Post Children's Book Guild lifetime achievement award for the writing of nonfiction. Among her many award-winning biographies are Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier, a Caldecott Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Honor Book, Orbis Pictus Honor Book, and a Jane Addams Children's Book Award winner; and Abe's Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, the Library of Virginia's Whitney and Scott Cardozo Award winner, a CCBC Best Book of the Year, and an IRA Teachers' Choice. Doreen lives in upstate New York. Visit her at

Illustrator Bio:

Eric Velasquez was born in Spanish Harlem and grew up in Harlem. He earned his BFA from the School of Visual Arts and has been illustrating for over 30 years. He has illustrated over 30 children's books; his first picturebook, The Piano Man by Debbie Chocolate, won the Coretta-Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent. In 2010, Eric was awarded an NAACP Image award for his work in Our Children Can Soar, which he collaborated on with 12 notable illustrators of children's literature. Eric also wrote and illustrated Grandma's Records and its follow-up Grandma's Gift, which won the 2011 Pura Belpre Award for illustration and was nominated for a 2011 NAACP Image Award. His latest book, Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford, won the 2018 Walter Award and Golden Kite Award and was an International Latino Book Award Honorable Mention. Eric lives and works in New York, where he teaches book illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology. For more information, please visit his website EricVelasquez.com.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a trailblazer. A fighter. A public servant who has dedicated her life to the pursuit of equality.When Ruth was a young girl, her mother encouraged her to read, be independent, and stand up for what she thought was right. Ruth graduated first in her class at Cornell University and tied for top of her graduating class at Columbia Law School. But she faced prejudice as both a woman and a Jew, making it difficult to get a job. Ruth eventually found work as a law clerk, and her determination, diligence, and skill led to a distinguished career as a lawyer. In 1993, she became the second woman ever appointed to the United States Supreme Court. As a Supreme Court justice, Ruth has inspired fierce admiration and faced fervent opposition for her judgments in high-profile cases, many of which have involved discrimination. She has been lauded for her sharp wit and boldness, even when her opinions differ from that of the majority.As a student, teacher, lawyer, and judge, Ruth often experienced unfair treatment. But she persisted, becoming a cultural icon, championing equality in pay and opportunity. Her brilliant mind, compelling arguments, and staunch commitment to truth and justice have convinced many to stand with her, and her fight continues to this day.This installment of the award-winning Big Words series brings a legendary figure into focus with Doreen Rappaport's incisive prose combined with Ruth's own words. Eric Velasquez's dynamic illustrations infuse every scene with life in a moving tribute that will inspire young justice seekers everywhere.

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