Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 06/01/2021 Ten carefully chosen biographies—of six men and four women—introduce figures who have made invaluable contributions to Africa’s history. Profiled here are Egypt’s first pharaoh, Menes; First Dynasty Queen Merneith; Imhotep, medical demigod and vizier to a king; storyteller Aesop, alongside text of “The Eagle and the Beetle”; military commander Hannibal; playwright Terence; Queen Amanirenas, who defended her kingdom against the Roman Empire; disabled woman Tin Hinan, who founded a desert city and became a queen; warrior queen Idia; and Mansa Musa, then the richest man in the world, who became an emperor. Scattered throughout these biographies are fascinating facts (e.g., most maps show Africa 14.5 times smaller than it really is in comparison to other continents). Baptiste includes contextualizing background in each profile that addresses the richness of Africa’s history. Each profile contains a color illustration with a name-pronunciation guide. Readers will be fascinated by the lives of these icons and gain a real appreciation of Africa’s underrepresented place in world history. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 10/01/2021 Gr 6–10—To remedy the practice of limiting lesson plans on Black history to enslavement, the Civil War, and the civil rights movement, Baptiste sheds light on the rich and complex pre-enslavement history of the African continent, much of which has been long buried because of the bias and racism of white gatekeepers. Thankfully, Baptiste has unearthed them for young readers through copious research and synthesized them into a spellbinding collection that spotlights 10 historical figures, including writers, kings and queens, and military leaders. Each profile opens with a majestic portrait by Wilson, whose palette of purples and golds imbues the subjects with a regal feel. Interstitial chapters provide background on geography, historical context, and technology. Transitions between selections are smooth; the volume reads more like a cohesive narrative than a group of entries. The language is accessible to upper elementary readers, but the book will find a better home in middle school libraries. The back matter is a librarian's dream, with almost 14 pages of bibliography and source notes, in addition to notes from the author and designer, an index, and further reading. Educators should use this work to discuss how bias in research and history has resulted in groundbreaking figures of color being pushed to the margins. VERDICT An impeccably researched revelation that fills a too wide gap in collections; it's unfair how long it's taken for these histories to be made public to young readers.—Shelley M. Diaz, School Library Journal - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.