DISSENTER ON THE BENCH: Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Life and Work written by Victoria Ortiz is a beautifully laid out book that focuses on RBG’s childhood, what led her to decide to study law and the depth of her contributions to the law concerning student’s rights, marriage rights, women’s rights and human rights.
The shape of each of the ten chapters includes engaging material about both her personal life and her professional life. The impact of her iconic wins and powerful dissents are skillfully described in this well-researched book.
The first chapter discusses thirteen year-old Savana Redding and her fight for her 4th Amendment Rights against the Safford Unified School District’s strip search of her for pills someone said she had. Her case eventually came to the Supreme Court in 2009. Justice Ginsburg, during the Justices’ conference behind closed doors had to remind her eight male colleagues who were being flippant about what Savana went through that a thirteen year-old girl is not a thirteen year-old boy. Savana won the case at the Supreme Court on a vote of 8-1.
The final chapter discusses the many personal ways Justice Ginsburg became a beloved icon from her deep love of opera to her speaking debut in the Washington National Opera’s production of The Daughter of the Regiment to the great personal concern and care she gave her law clerks.
Many wonderful photographs enhance this celebration of RBG’s life and her contributions to the law. The back material includes Notes, Bibliography, Photo Credits, Index and The Bill of Rights!
Dissenter on the Bench: Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Life and Work written by Victoria Ortiz is an engaging read for serious readers 13 and up (Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2019).
Activity Questions for Dissenter on the Bench: Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Life and Work
Quote by RBG: “Ledbetter was a wonderful example of how a defeat can be turned into a victory.” What did she mean by this and what role did RBG play in this case? Why is this still important today?
At the age of thirteen RBG wrote a piece entitled “One Person” in The East Midwood Jewish Center Bulletin. Within that text she said no one could feel free from danger “until the many torn threads of civilization are bound together again.” Why did she say this? What was she referring to? How would you illustrate the binding of the threads of civilization together? Think about it. Visualize it. Go ahead and draw it.
RBG took on many cases for men that turned out to be important to both men and woman. Can you find such a case within this book?
There are many photographs of Ruth as a child, schoolgirl, university student, lawyer, judge and justice in this book. Do you have some favorites? Select three photos and give each of them a title. Be creative.
