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Reviewed by: Taylor Coonelly, Elementary School Librarian Title: Jackie and the Books She Loved
Author: Ronni Diamondstein
Illustrator: Bats Langley
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Year: 2024 Good for Grades: PreK-5 Genre/Type of Book: Biography
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: N/A Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book:
Nominated for the CYBILS award for Elementary/Middle Grade Fiction
If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be:
While many people may know Jackie Kennedy as a former First Lady to John F. Kennedy, this biography dives deeper into the life of a woman whose passion throughout her life was literature.
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Review:
While many people may know Jackie Kennedy as a former First Lady to John F. Kennedy, this biography dives deeper into the life of a woman whose passion throughout her life was literature. Jackie possessed a love of of the written word from a young age, and eventually pursued this love in the form of journalism and sharing the stories of people. It was in this career field where she met Senator John F. Kennedy, whom shared her love of reading and eventually became her husband. Though raising a family and supporting her husband's political career, Jackie continued to pursue writing with her husband and in the White House. After her husband's passing, Jackie began working in the publishing industry, staying in the background while promoting authors and their work. Over her career, she edited nearly 100 books, each of which becoming a bestseller. While Jackie was most famous for being the First Lady and widow to her husband President John Kennedy, Jackie's legacy lives on through the pages of the books she edited.
This biography, while featuring a prominent historical figure that many know of, uncovers the passions and life of Jackie Bouvier outside of her husband. I had heard of the former First Lady before, but never of her accomplishments and work in the literature industry, which is incredibly inspiring. I liked how this biography not only highlighted Jackie's accomplishments, but continued to center her and literature at the forefront of the story. The biography text is appropriate for an elementary audience, with illustrations that are colorful and detailed. I really enjoyed the color palette of the illustrations, and how the cover draws in the reader (especially because of the bookshelves in the background). This biography also includes detailed information in the back including a timeline of Jackie's life/accomplishments, direct quotes from Jackie found by author's research, and a bibliography of books Jackie edited. While biographies are not the most frequently reached for by students as personal reads, this book can be used as a source for talking about biographies, famous women in history, or in a fun activity looking at the faces behind books (those who work on books but are often nameless).
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For more information about this book, see the Publisher's Website
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