An informative biography

Schraff, Anne. Ida B. Wells-Barnett.
Enslow, 2008. 128p $31.93 978-0-7660-2704-6
African American Biographies series

This informative biography of the civil rights activist, teacher, and journalist provides a solid introduction to the life of Ida B. Wells-Barnett. She was an eloquent and passionate woman who fought for justice and against hate crimes such as lynching. An early incident in her life is a precursor to the Rosa Parks protest, when Wells-Barnett refuses to leave her seat in a whites only train car. Most students know about Parks and will be able to relate to this earlier event. There are historical black and white, sepia, and a few color photographs that elucidate the text at the appropriate places as well as sidebars that provide background about the time period. Some primary sources are pictured, such as a photo of Wells-Barnett’s newspaper article. The format includes a chronology, chapter notes, suggestions for further reading, Internet addresses, and an index. Recommended for Tristate Books of Note Series with the caveat that there is an error on page 97 where a caption for a photograph reads: “Mary Church Terrell was another women who advocated for African-American rights.” This should be changed in later printings.
There are twenty-four other biographies in this series that highlights prominent African-Americans. TW