This book is a general overall look at Frances Perkins life. How she was the first female, labor, secretary, and how she ushered in things such as minimum wages, Social Security, disability rights, etc. Labor movements today would be less if it was not for the work that Frances Perkins did years ago.

I used to teach about the Triangle Shirt Waist Factory fire and this book was one of the books I added to my classroom library before I retired. Everyone should know about the fire and the reforms in labor laws that followed. This book focuses on Frances Perkins who ended up becoming Secretary of Labor in order to effect lasting change. Her most important contribution: Social Security!

Thanks to Frances Perkins: Fighter for Workers’ Rights by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Kristy Caldwell. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Peachtree, 2020. $19. 9781682631362

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Whenever Frances Perkins had a chance, she would do everything she could to help others – even if that took her into government, where it was rare to see a woman in the 1910’s. When President Roosevelt asked her to be his Secretary of Labor in 1932, Frances was the woman he wanted as his Secretary of Labor – the first woman ever to hold a Cabinet position.

A nice succinct look at Perkin’s life. Hopkinson engages the reader from the start by having them do just a tiny bit of math at the beginning (No, I’m not going to tell you what for). Very useful addition to a picture book biography collection for upper elementary and middle schools.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

I am in utter awe of Frances Perkins: an amazing woman who created Social Security! I honestly had no idea on the background of social security of Frances, so this book was eye opening. I am one hundred percent, totally impressed.

Not only is this book super educational, fit for kids, and full of knowledge but it also has amazing pictures! This biography is an excellent way to celebrate Frances and I hope more books like this come my way. It's a great little story to share to young kids (especially girls!) who need to see that anyone can make a difference.

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Publishing Company for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Thanks to Francis Perkins is a graphic non-fiction book for children and a perfect vehicle to learn about social justice and what it takes to win human rights for those workers who had none. It introduces us to Francis Perkins who was a a champion of workers rights and a force to be reckoned with. She was a fiery advocate for people, including children, who worked in factories, sweatshops and other unsafe and unregulated work sites.

Francis Perkins grew up in Boston, with parents who encouraged her education and supported her in her desire to create a society that gave workers fair wages, unemployment and other benefits to ensure that worker's were safe and protected. Spurred on by the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, Francis started with making change in New York City and was so successful that the President asked her to work in his administration.One of biggest accomplishments was to help pass the Social Security Act.

I had never heard of Francis Perkins and was moved to read about her family's belief in education and their upmost belief in her. Frances Perkins received an MA when women were barely let into colleges. It really speaks to the importance of family and community support and Frances was able to channel this into the causes she championed. The book is a perfect balance for older children in it's simplicity but also never talks down to kids. The graphics are muted and straight forward. It explains complicated issues in plain language that conjures up a place and a time and also the dedication and drive of this bold and passionate woman.

Thank you to Net Galley for giving me this opportunity to review this book for an honest opinion.

I admit I didn't know much about Frances Perkins, which is what drew me to this picture book biography. While I learned a lot, I feel like there isn't enough of a hook to draw in younger readers. I think it might have worked better as a longer, chapter book style biography with more detail on the historical context, as well as more of an emphasis on how her work affected kids. One specific complaint: the tie-in that's included to hook readers is having them figure out how long it will be until they are 62, when in theory, they could retire with social security benefits. First, I'm not sure kids will care about this. And, while technically it's true that people can take early retirement at that age, currently (2020), you need to be 66 and 2 months to get full benefits. A small detail, but since it is emphasized, it should be given more context. In spite of some concerns, I do still recommend this for elementary students to tie-in with American history.
Review based on an ARC received through NetGalley.

Ask a random sample of three adults who Frances Perkins is, and I doubt that two of them will be able to tell you–perhaps none of them will. And that, is a shame. Notice how I wrote adults and not Americans? Well, that was on purpose. Her legacy influenced more than just workers in the United States. Born in the late 19th Century to parents who believed a girl should receive an education, her career culminated in being named the first woman to a cabinet position in the United States, Secretary of the United States Department of Labor.

"Thanks to Frances Perkins – Fighter for Workers’ Rights," provides a brief overview of a life of activism and service that was influenced by perhaps the greatest tragedy in labor’s history: The Triangle Waist Company Fire, where 146 people, mostly teenage girls lost their lives to a fire because they were locked-in while working. Perkins witnessed the event from the street level and was so moved that she went to work joining committees and the subsequent battle to improve worker safety and conditions. The book gives a bird’s-eye-view of Perkins’ lobbying efforts to change the laws of New York, where the fire had occurred, and later how she influenced changes in the United States. Perhaps most surprising to some, it credits Perkins with a little known fact about the development of Social Security–namely, how it was her idea, provided to Roosevelt.

The book’s illustrations have a soft-unrushed look to them. The colors are somewhat muted, but lovely, and alive. The color palette was apparently given great thought as the colors are not only evocative of the period, but also are seamless in how they woven together (every pun intended). Even the suits and dresses don’t clash! Although not sepia-toned, the pages have a soft archival quality to them that gives the book a historical feel.

The overall look of the book works well with and enhances the soft-unrushed prose. Although most Middle Grade biographies have a tendency towards the static, this one has more of a narrative feel. By integrating quotations from both Perkins and her contemporaries, be it in snippets, Hopkinson has broken up the monotony of “and then this happened” and injected the text with life. Hopkinson has also managed to capture Perkins’ spirit rather well, ensuring that the reader understands why Perkins wanted to make a better life for workers even though she was never a part of that affected class.

"Thanks to Frances Perkins – Fighter for Workers’ Rights" paints the portrait of a strong woman doing remarkable things and is a wonderful addition to any library.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an Advance Copy of this book prior to its publication. The views expressed herein are my own.

What a well-written and illustrated story of Frances Perkins that also includes a beautifully broken down description of social security for children. I think this story does a great job of breaking down major historical events for children that will oftentimes get glossed over in their future history classes and allows them to have an understanding of a concept that bewilders many adults. Perkins was an incredible woman who fought for worker's rights following the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire but usually her story is pushed to the wayside over more gruesome details of the fire. This book allows her important role to shine and gives little girls the chance to see a woman who pushed the boundaries of her time to create a system that we still use to this day. I really enjoyed this one and will be purchasing a hard copy when it comes out.

Readers who enjoyed The House That Jane Built (about Jane Addams and the creation of Hull House) may also enjoy this biography of Frances Perkins, the first female Secretary of Labor in the U.S. and also one of the labor activists behind worker protections such as minimum wage, child labor laws, and Society Security. Explaining Society Security to the PB set may seem like a tall order, but author Deborah Hopkinson distills these concepts into simple, kid-friendly terms through the use of second person in the book's opening and closing. That said, I think the part about the Triangle Shirtwaist tragedy could upset very young children, so it does skew a bit older, as many picture book biographies do. Themes of worker protections and trailblazing women make this a very timely book.

This is a really solid picture book biography of Frances Perkins, first female member of a President's Cabinet and the great mind behind Social Security. This will be a great introduction for kids to the idea of Social Security and a great biography to boot. Loved the art!

Thanks to Frances Perkins highlights the many wonderful achievements of Frances Perkins. I hadn't Jerard of her before which is a shame because she is a true hero. Frances was way ahead of her time in believing in the well being of workers. This book was engaging and educational. Its a fantastic read for both children and adults.

This book provides information about the contributions of Frances Perkins to the security and well-being of American workers. Readers learn about her work running the New York State’s labor office when FDR was governor, and then serving as Secretary of Labor when he was president. Thanks to Perkins, we now have minimum wage, unemployment insurance, and social security.

The author involves readers by asking them to consider what year they will be ready for social security and how many years away that is. What I would have like to see as well is more about Frances Perkins as a person—her relationship with FDR, cabinet members, and her family. However, readers will learn important information, clearly presented.