The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard, illustrated by Oge Mora, Schwartz & Wade Books (an imprint of Random House), 9781524768287, 2020
Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5
Format: Hardcover picture book
Genre: Biography
What did you like about the book? A truly remarkable story about the power of grit and the burdens of racism. Mary Walker was born into slavery and despite emancipation, continued to labor as a sharecropper for most of her working life. Between the struggle to support her family and the responsibilities of motherhood, she never learned to read or write. After outliving two husbands and three children, at age 116, she decided to learn. The illustrations for this amazing book are done almost entirely in collage, with acrylic paint, patterned paper and book clippings. Despite the rigidity of this form, Mora is able to present an enormous range of emotion, through the set of Mary’s shoulders, the color palette that gradually grows brighter and the words all around her that morph from incomprehensible squiggles into actual words. Hubbard admits that she had to use her imagination to fill in the unknown parts of Walker’s life, but does include a select bibliography to direct readers for more information. It’s great to see biographies that celebrate the accomplishments of ordinary people.
Anything you didn’t like about it? No
To whom would you recommend this book? A good read aloud choice for students in grades 3 and up who have begun to master reading themselves. Could also be an inspired choice to read with students with language learning disabilities about effort and determination.
Who should buy this book? Elementary and public libraries
Where would you shelve it? Biographies
Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Yes
Reviewer: Susan Harari, Keefe Library, Boston Latin School, Boston, MA
Date of review: January 26, 2020
Youth Services Book Review 
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