Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells

This book surprised me -- first because the cover somehow led me to believe that this might be adapted for young readers. It wasn't. I think many teen readers would really enjoy it, but it's probably too dense for middle grade. Next, I thought it would be a pretty straightforward biography of Ida

Show More

B. Wells. It's not really that, either -- I mean, there is a solid biographical piece to it, but it reads like a series of interconnected essays that draw parallels between Ida's life and the way her legacy is interconnected through history until now. I learned a lot about points of history I did not know, both in Ida's time and since. I enjoyed the narration by the author, who is also one of Ida's descendants. Altogether, I found it to be a powerful book, with a lot of insightful commentary on American racism. I sometimes found it a bit repetitive about the major events of Ida's life, but I also found it very enjoyable.

Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Libro.fm.

Show Less