It's Her Story Ida B. Wells a Graphic Novel - by Anastasia Magloire Williams (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Ida B. Wells was a groundbreaking journalist and civil rights activist in the decades after the Civil War. She worked fiercely for the equal treatment of Black people in schools, in society, and at the voting booth. With her powerful voice, she spoke out against injustice wherever she saw it. This is her story."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

A graphic novel for children ages 7 to 10. Ida B. Wells was a groundbreaking journalist and civil rights activist in the decades after the Civil War. She worked fiercely for the equal treatment of Black people in schools, in society, and at the voting booth. With her powerful voice, she spoke out against injustice wherever she saw it. This is her story.

Review Quotes

Readers meet the brave journalist and activist who wasn't afraid to use her voice to fight for herself or others.

In this fictional graphic memoir, Williams chronicles Wells' birth, childhood experiences, early adulthood in Memphis, and subsequent life in Chicago, allowing her subject to speak in the first person. In Memphis, Wells is forced from a train after refusing to leave the first-class seat that she paid for, three of her friends are lynched for owning a successful grocery store, and the office of her newspaper is bombed. After her departure from Memphis, Wells' story focuses on her activism for both civil rights and women's rights, forthrightly (if briefly) addressing resistance she met from White suffragists and Black leaders. Wells' narration carries readers to her death in 1931. From there, her great-granddaughter (and author) Michelle Duster takes over the narrative. The switch in perspective is odd but not wholly confusing due to Harris' clear stylings in the comics panels. The book lacks historical notes or bibliography, so engaged readers will need to seek more information about the subject on their own. The illustrations, while not particularly dynamic, use mostly warm, muted shades as they depict their subject against varying backdrops; they add much to the reading without detracting from the text. Series companion Dolly Parton, by Emily Skwish and illustrated by Lydia Fernández Abril, publishes simultaneously.
A sweeping and inspiring young readers' introduction to Ida B. Wells. (Graphic biography. 6-9)

--Kirkus Reviews "https: //www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/anastasia-magloire-williams/ida-b-wells-williams/" (9/24/2021 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Anastasia Magloire Williams enjoys working with bold characters and writing vibrant stories that reflect a diverse and beautiful world. When she isn't reading everything in sight, she can be found tending to her many plants, gaming with her husband, or painting in her studio in sunny Florida.