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Reviewed by: Taylor Coonelly, Elementary School Librarian Title: Black History Heroes: Chadwick Boseman
Author: Chris Singleton
Illustrator: Adriana Perez Perales
Publisher: Milk & Cookies
Year: 2024 Good for Grades: 2-8 Genre/Type of Book: Biography
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: Mentions of racism (however discussed in appropriate way)
Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: Nominated for the CYBILS award for Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be:
The story of a real-life superhero, both on and off the movie screen.
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Review:
The story of a real-life superhero, both on and off the movie screen. Chadwick Boseman was born in South Carolina to a big Christian family. Even though schools were segregated by the time Chadwick began attending, he continually faced racism from peers and those in the surrounding Southern neighborhoods. Despite those efforts to segregate and exclude Black children, Chadwick's dream was to be a professional basketball player. By the time he reached high school, he had become an all-star player for his team. But then one of his classmates was shot, and Chadwick discovered the power of theater and words to heal. He continued to play basketball but began acting any chance he could in the drama department. Chadwick studied performance and directing at the prominent Black college Howard University under Emmy and Tony winning actress Phylicia Rashad and continued his education at the British American Drama Academy at Oxford. He moved to New York City after graduation, and then in moving to LA, he landed huge roles like Nate in Lincoln Heights, Graham McNair in Kill Holes, and finally his film debut as Jackie Robinson in the biopic 42. This is the role that landed Chadwick into the Hollywood big leagues, attracting the attention of Marvel and making him the first Black superhero on the first predominately Black Hollywood cast and crew. Chadwick saw the importance of a movie of this caliber in highlighting and celebrating Black culture and actors in such a popular franchise, and how this character could inspire a generation. Off screen, Chadwick was an active philanthropist, working with organizations like the Boys and Girls Club of America, Make-A-Wish and donating funds to Black communities' during the COVID pandemic. Sadly, after a private battle with colon cancer, Chadwick passed away in August of 2020. However, his legacy both on and off screen has continued and will continue to inspire the film industry and the Black community.
This was a really great upper elementary biography of an influential and popular actor. Chadwick Boseman has name and face recognition because of the amazing work he did in his movies but also in Black communities, and this biography really highlights his life in a way that is inspiring and meaningful. The chapters are concise and filled with comic-style illustrations highlighting the words. Each chapter also includes a glossary of terms used in the chapter, a context for the time period the chapter was discussing, and discussion questions that can be used by readers. I could see this being used by students as a research text about influential figures, as a discussion piece for conversations on film/race, or as a fun personal read about a popular figure.
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