CHICAGO — Not sure what it is about children’s books that make life purer, more logical and possible, but U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s latest children’s book, “Just Help! How to Build a Better World” continues the tradition.
The Chicago Public Library hosted Sotomayor for a virtual conversation last week about the new release, which takes young readers on a journey through a neighborhood where kids, adults, activists, friends and strangers all help one another build a better world. Sotomayor answered questions from school-age children about her career and life with the help of Eve Ewing — author, sociologist, poet, playwright, former Chicago Public Schools middle school science teacher, and current assistant professor at the Crown Family School of Social Work at the University of Chicago.
“There’s such an interest and desire right now in exploring themes of social justice and racial healing,” said Chicago Public Library Commissioner Chris Brown. “It’s happening at a city level with Mayor (Lori) Lightfoot in ‘Together We Heal’ and this is our attempt at Chicago Public Library to bring in thought leaders and authors to be part of that citywide dialogue in exploring these topics that just became so much more apparent during the pandemic.”
