Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You

Written by Sonia Sotomayor and illustrated by Rafael López

•                 Age Range: 4 - 8 years
•             Grade Level: Preschool - 3
•             Hardcover: 32 pages
•             Publisher: Philomel Books
•             Language: English
•             ISBN-10: 0525514120
•             ISBN-13: 978-0525514121

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and award-winning artist Rafael Lopez create a kind and caring book about the differences that make each of us unique.

Feeling different, especially as a kid, can be tough. But in the same way that different types of plants and flowers make a garden more beautiful and enjoyable, different types of people make our world more vibrant and wonderful.

In Just Ask, United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrates the different abilities kids (and people of all ages) have. Using her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, Justice Sotomayor writes about children with all sorts of challenges--and looks at the special powers those kids have as well. As the kids work together to build a community garden, asking questions of each other along the way, this book encourages readers to do the same: When we come across someone who is different from us but we're not sure why, all we have to do is Just Ask.

Disponible también en español  

¡Solo pregunta!: Sé Diferente, Sé Valiente, Sé Tú 

"An affirmative, delightfully diverse overview of disabilities." 

--Kirkus Reviews

Sonia Sotomayor talks about her book,

Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You

Turning Pages/ Pasando páginas

Turning Pages: My Life Story

Pasando páginas: La historia de mi vida

By Sonia Sotomayor

Illustrated by Lulu Delacre 

•             Age Range: 4 - 8 years
•          Grade Level: Preschool - 3
•          Hardcover: 40 pages
•          Publisher: Philomel Books (September 4, 2018)
•          Language: English
•          ISBN-10: 9780525514084
•          ISBN-13: 978-0525514084

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor tells her own story for young readers for the very first time!

As the first Latina Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor has inspired young people around the world to reach for their dreams. But what inspired her? For young Sonia, the answer was books! They were her mirrors, her maps, her friends, and her teachers. They helped her to connect with her family in New York and in Puerto Rico, to deal with her diabetes diagnosis, to cope with her father's death, to uncover the secrets of the world, and to dream of a future for herself in which anything was possible.

In Turning Pages, Justice Sotomayor shares that love of books with a new generation of readers, and inspires them to read and puzzle and dream for themselves. Accompanied by Lulu Delacre's vibrant art, this story of the Justice's life shows readers that the world is full of promise and possibility--all they need to do is turn the page.

Al ser la primera mujer latina en ser jueza del Tribunal Supremo de Estados Unidos, Sonia Sotomayor es una inspiración para los jóvenes de todas las partes del mundo en la lucha por lograr sus sueños. Pero ¿qué la inspiró a ella? Para la joven Sonia, la respuesta es: ¡los libros! Eran su espejo, sus mapas, sus amigos y sus maestros. Los libros la ayudaron a conectar con su familia en Nueva York y en Puerto Rico, a aceptar y entender el diagnóstico de su diabetes, a hacer frente a la muerte de su padre, a descubrir los secretos del mundo y a soñar con un futuro en el que todo es posible.

En Pasando páginas, Sonia Sotomayor comparte su amor por los libros con una nueva generación de lectores, estimulándolos a leer, a maravillarse y a realizar sus sueños. Acompañada del arte vibrante de Lulu Delacre, la historia de la vida de Sonia Sotomayor  muestra a los lectores que el mundo está lleno de promesas y posibilidades; lo único que necesitan es pasar la página.

Praise for Turning Pages:

* "A sincere and insightful autobiography that also demonstrates the power of the written word. A winning addition to libraries that serve young readers." --School Library Journal, starred review

"A personal and appealing book made to inspire." --Booklist

"A thoughtful introduction to both the power of reading and an inspiring role model." --Kirkus Reviews

"This book would be great as a read-aloud for class discussions of the Supreme Court, or United States government, or of important people in public service. It would also be good for independent reading by students interested in biographies or political figures." --School Library Connection

Sonia Sotomayor was born in the Bronx, New York. She earned a BA from Princeton University and a JD from Yale Law School. She served as Assistant District Attorney in New York County, and then as a litigator at Pavia & Harcourt. In 1991, when President George H.W. Bush nominated her to the US District Court, Southern District of New York. In 1997, President William Jefferson Clinton nominated her to the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. President Barack Obama nominated her as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on May 26, 2009, and she assumed this role August 8, 2009, becoming the first Latina to ever hold such a high position. She is the author of My Beloved World and The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor.

Lulu Delacre (www.luludelacre.com) has been writing and illustrating children's books since 1980. Born and raised in Puerto Rico to Argentinean parents, Delacre is a three-time Pura Belpré Award honoree. Her thirty-eight titles include Arroz con Leche: Popular Songs and Rhymes from Latin America; Us, in Progress: Short Stories About Young Latinos; and ¡Olinguito, de la A a la Z! Descubriendo el bosque nublado/Olinguito, from A to Z! Unveiling the Cloud Forest. Delacre has lectured internationally, served as a juror for the National Book Awards, and exhibited her work at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, among other venues.