  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 08/01/2015 Gr 2–5—Krull continues her series of trailblazing women. Presenting a fresh view and focusing on these individuals' determination and resulting achievements, the author adroitly tells their stories from birth to death. In Coretta Scott King, she emphasizes the woman's lifelong quest for equality and is candid, letting readers know that the civil rights leader and her husband disagreed on women's rights. The more difficult aspects of King's life, including a bombing at her home and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., are deftly presented. More informative than Ntozake Shange's Coretta Scott (HarperCollins, 2011) and more fluid than Melody S. Mis's Meet Coretta Scott King (Powerkids Pr., 2008), this book is an excellent introduction to the activist. In Mary Todd Lincoln, Lincoln is portrayed as a clever woman who used her intelligence to promote herself and her husband. Neither opposition from her family regarding her marriage nor the contempt she suffered from Abraham Lincoln's cabinet daunted her, as Krull makes clear. Despite the upbeat, positive tone, the author does not shy from the less pleasant aspects of Lincoln's life, including her arguments with her husband while she was redecorating the White House and her enforced confinement in a mental institution by Robert Todd Lincoln (from which she neatly managed her own release). Even if there were more titles about Mary Todd Lincoln for this grade range, this volume would still rank highly. Appropriate illustrations complement both texts. VERDICT Strong additions to biography collections.—Margaret Nunes, Gwinnett County Public Library, GA - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 12/01/2015 This entry in the Women Who Broke the Rules series highlights Coretta Scott King and the rules she broke—“the racist laws that once kept blacks and whites strictly apart.” Although it’s impossible to talk about her without mentioning her iconic husband, Krull makes sure Coretta remains front and center. Beginning with her love of music and her education in Boston, where she met Martin Luther King Jr., Krull presents Coretta’s life in an inspiring and honest way, including such details as Coretta omitting the word obey from her marriage vows and exhibiting strength in the face of hatred and prejudice. The chapters are short and packed with plenty of information in an engaging, conversational tone, and Freeman’s expressive full-color illustrations do a great job of portraying Coretta in a wide variety of moments in her life, including the historic March on Washington. This slim volume is packed with honest, accurate information and interesting tidbits about an important woman, and it would be a welcome addition to both school and public libraries. - Copyright 2015 Booklist. Loading...
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