The power of her pen : the story of groundbreaking journalist Ethel L. Payne

Title:

Author:

Cline-Ransome, Lesa, author.

ISBN:

9781481462891

Personal Author:

Cline-Ransome, Lesa, author.

Edition:

First edition.

Publication Information:

New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2020.

Physical Description:

1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 25 cm

General Note:

"A Paula Wiseman Book."

Abstract:

Ethel L. Payne always had an ear for stories. Seeking truth, justice, and equality, Ethel followed stories from her school newspaper in Chicago to Japan during World War II. It even led her to the White House briefing room, where she broke barriers as one of the first black journalists. Ethel wasn't afraid to ask the tough questions of presidents, elected officials, or any one else in charge, earning her the title "First Lady of the Black Press." Fearless and determined, Ethel L. Payne shined a light on the darkest moments in history, and her ear for stories sought answers to the questions that mattered most in the fight for civil rights.

Language:

English

Personal Subject:

Payne, Ethel L.-Juvenile literature.

Subject Term:

Journalists -- United States -- Biography -- Juvenile literature.

African American women journalists -- Biography -- Juvenile literature.

Added Author:

Parra, John,

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Call Number	Status
Searching... Blyden Branch	Juvenile Hardback Book	0118617468368	jB PAYNE	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Janaf Branch	Juvenile Hardback Book	0118617468384	jB PAYNE	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Jordan-Newby Anchor Branch	Juvenile Hardback Book	0118617468376	jB PAYNE	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Richard A. Tucker Memorial Library	Hardback Book	0118616558581	jB PAYNE	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Van Wyck Branch	Juvenile Hardback Book	0118617468350	jB PAYNE	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

"A powerful story." -- The Horn Book

"A worthy addition to children's biography collections." -- Booklist

"A solid treatment of an important but little-known figure, and it may prompt kids to think about the role and composition of a free press." -- BCCB

"Cline-Ransome tells [Ethel Payne's] story with economy and drive. 'Somebody had to do the fighting,' she quotes Payne saying, 'somebody had to speak up.'" -- Publishers Weekly

Renowned author Lesa Cline-Ransome and celebrated illustrator John Parra unite to tell the inspiring story of Ethel Payne, a groundbreaking African American journalist known as the First Lady of the Black Press.

"I've had a box seat on history."

Ethel Payne always had an ear for stories. Seeking truth, justice, and equality, Ethel followed stories from her school newspaper in Chicago to Japan during World War II. It even led her to the White House briefing room, where she broke barriers as the only black female journalist. Ethel wasn't afraid to ask the tough questions of presidents, elected officials, or anyone else in charge, earning her the title, "First Lady of the Black Press."

Fearless and determined, Ethel Payne shined a light on the darkest moments in history, and her ear for stories sought answers to the questions that mattered most in the fight for Civil Rights.

Reviews (1)

Booklist Review

This picture book biography of Ethel L. Payne, one of the first African American press correspondents for the White House, is a comprehensive look at the life of a journalism pioneer. From integrating a Chicago school during her childhood, through her reporting on Black soldiers in Japan, to her coverage of the White House during the Civil Rights era and beyond, Payne's life was full of important evens, and Cline-Ransome (Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams, 2018) presents the story with clarity and purpose. Parra's (Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos, 2017) distinctive, folk-art-style acrylic paintings in bold colors are an appealing complement to Cline-Ransome's text, but the monotony of Payne's facial expression in each spread (usually pointed in the same direction with very little variation of expression) does not add much to the narrative. Nevertheless, this is a solid account of a lesser-known figure and a worthy addition to children's biography collections.