Cover Image: Hispanic Star: Sylvia Rivera

Hispanic Star: Sylvia Rivera

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Member Reviews

Prior to reading this book, I had never heard of Sylvia Rivera. I was enlightened by everything she accomplished. More people should be talking about her.

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Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this digital galley.

This is a terrific and informative nonfiction young readers book about transgender activist Sylvia Rivera. I learned a lot about not just Sylvia and her life, including her impact on transgender rights and equality, but also other important activists and events during this time. From the Stonewall uprisings to Sylvia's role in creating a safe place for homeless transgender youths, to her infamous Gay Power speech, the book provided an in depth look at Sylvia's legacy.

Highly recommend this nonfiction book to include in classroom libraries!

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HISPANIC STAR: SYLVIA RIVERA is an excellent bio of Rivera. I wish it could be expanded into a full-length biography for adults. It's fantastic that Rivera is included in the Hispanic Star series; we need to see people like her in series that are not specific or limited to LGBTQIAP+ people.

The context around Silvera's gender and use of pronouns is excellent: it's factual, rooted in the era, and compared to now, all without any judgement. My students will appreciate--and embrace--this with gusto. I intend to use this in many of my classes, especially my Young Authors Collective - Rainbow cohort. It's such a perfect way to introduce them to a significant heroine and show them how to use history as inspiration for their own writing.

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Telling the story of Sylvia Riviera, a transgender and LGBTQ+ activist, Hispanic Star tells Riviera's story from birth throughout her life with a final focus on her legacy. As educational material, this book includes text boxes touching on ideas like transphobia to SONDA. By having these boxes, the reader can step out of the story to better understand new terms, ideas, or events.
After the story is completed, there are additional materials, including extra bullet-pointed facts accompanied by sources. This could be an excellent place for readers to find ways to continue to engage with the ideas and stories they read. Following this section was a glossary and a list of important resources.
This is a great book to introduce an LGBTQ+ icon who is so important to their growing legacy. With reader-friendly language and great explanations of key terms, this is a great book for any learner looking to expand their knowledge of the LGBTQ+ community through Sylvia Rivera's story.

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