Children's ✦ Penny’s Take
Pauli Murray
Terry Catasús Jennings · 2022
76/100
👍 Worth It
Pauli Murray shaped both Brown v. Board and Title VII and most middle-grade readers have never heard that name — that gap alone makes this biography worth the effort. Having a niece as co-author gives the book personal authority that purely researched biographies can't replicate, and the back matter is robust enough for actual classroom use. Kirkus is right that the verse can run more factual than lyrical, but a biography this historically significant earns its place even when the poetry stumbles.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
⚠ Parent note — our reviewers flagged: Murray is described as queer and gender non-conforming; faith-based families may wish to discuss this context with children before or during reading.. We still scored it 76; these are context for your family, not an automatic skip.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
safety82
substance86
craft70
originality82
accuracy86
hype78
age-fit74
human-eye78
Penny’s verdict76
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