Sonia Sotomayor: A Biography

Gr 4–7—Mendoza has written a pocket-size biography highlighting Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor's resilience and tenacity. As a young girl, Sotomayor was inspired by Perry Mason and the "Nancy Drew" series. However, when her diabetes prevented her from pursuing a career in law enforcement, she set her sights on law. Mendoza lightly covers Sotomayor's early life challenges, such as growing up in a Bronx housing project and having diabetes. The slim biography is overall an adequate introduction to Sotomayor and the U.S. Supreme Court. The writing is occasionally a bit spotty. For instance, Mendoza describes a situation where Sotomayor's law school classmates said Sotomayor "argued like a guy." The text states that "at first she was offended by the remark, but when they explained, she understood their perspective," yet Mendoza doesn't provide the explanation or the perspective that Sotomayor is said to have comprehended. Furthermore, the cover is lackluster and unlikely to entice potential readers.