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She Persisted: Patsy Mink

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Hardcover
$14.99 US
| $19.99 CAN
On sale May 03, 2022 | 80 Pages | 9780593402887
Age 6-9 years | Grades 1-4
Reading Level: Fountas & Pinnell T
Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, a chapter book series about women who spoke up and rose up against the odds--including Patsy Mink!

When Patsy Mink won her seat the House of Representatives as a Democrat from Hawaii, she became the first woman of color and the first Asian American woman elected to Congress. A co-author of the Title XI amendment of the Higher Education Act, she was a champion of rights for women, children, immigrants, and minorities throughout her twenty-four years in Congress. She helped paved the way for many other women to succeed.

In this chapter book biography by bestselling and Newbery award-winning author Tae Keller, readers learn about the amazing life of Patsy Mink--and how she persisted
 
Complete with an introduction from Chelsea Clinton, black-and-white illustrations throughout, and a list of ways that readers can follow in Patsy Mink's footsteps and make a difference! A perfect choice for kids who love learning and teachers who want to bring inspiring women into their curriculum.
 
And don’t miss out on the rest of the books in the She Persisted series, featuring so many more women who persisted, including Sonia Sotomayor, Margaret Chase Smith, and more!


Praise for She Persisted: Patsy Mink:

"A propulsive narrative moves quickly through Mink’s life . . . The book is decidedly inspirational in tone, yet the text includes brief, accurate, and age-appropriate explanations of the laws, people, and ideas that contributed to structural racism and oppression . . . A concise yet stirring biography." --Kirkus Reviews
Dear Reader,

As Sally Ride and Marian Wright Edelman both powerfully said, “You can’t be what you can’t see.” When Sally Ride said that, she meant that it was hard to dream of being an astronaut, like she was, or a doctor or an athlete or anything at all if you didn’t see someone like you who already had lived that dream. She especially was talking about seeing women in jobs that historically were held by men. 

I wrote the first She Persisted and the books that came after it because I wanted young girls—and children of all genders—to see women who worked hard to live their dreams. And I wanted all of us to see examples of persistence in the face of different challenges to help inspire us in our own lives. 

I’m so thrilled now to partner with a sisterhood of writers to bring longer, more in-depth versions of these stories of women’s persistence and achievement to readers. I hope you enjoy these chapter books as much as I do and find them inspiring and empowering. 

And remember: If anyone ever tells you no, if anyone ever says your voice isn’t important or your dreams are too big, remember these women. They persisted and so should you.

Warmly,
Chelsea Clinton


TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1: A Sunny Childhood
Chapter 2: Trouble
Chapter 3: Forging Her Path
Chapter 4: Fighting for Equality
Chapter 5: Democracy and Determination
Chapter 6: A Lasting Impact
How You Can Persist
References


Chapter 1
A Sunny Childhood


Patsy Matsu Takemoto was born in 1927 on the  island  of  Maui,  in  Hawaii.  Maui  was  a  land of sunshine, white sand beaches, and warm trade winds. But though the island was beautiful, its people were going through a difficult time.

In 1898, the United States annexed Hawaii. This  meant  that  the  US  government  stole  control of the islands from the Hawaiian people and declared Hawaii a US “territory.” This was a dark time for many Native Hawaiians, who lost their homeland to incoming mainland Americans.

Additionally,  because  Hawaii  was  just  a  territory and not yet a state, the US offered Hawaii’s citizens  very  few  protections  or  rights,  and  the  people of Hawaii had little control over governing their own lives or what was happening in their communities.

At the time, the US government saw the islands  as  a  place  they  could  use  for  their  own  benefit, without thinking about the people who lived there. The government set up a military base on  Oahu  called  Pearl  Harbor  and,  through  taxes,  made money off the islands’ businesses—especially the booming business of growing sugar.

Like  many  people  of  Japanese  descent  in  Hawaii,  Patsy  grew  up  on  a  sugar  plantation. For  most  plantation  workers—mostly  Native  Hawaiians at first, and later, in Patsy’s time, Asian immigrants—this  was  a  difficult  life  of  endless,  grueling work in the fields.

But Patsy’s childhood was different. She was lucky. Many of the other kids her age had parents who’d  just  arrived  in  Hawaii  from  Japan,  but  Patsy’s parents had grown up in Hawaii. Because of  this,  Patsy’s  dad  spoke  English  natively,  so  he  was  hired  as  a  civil  engineer  for  the  plantation,  instead of a field worker. This led to more money and less back-breaking labor for his family.

Patsy  grew  up  in  a  comfortable  cottage  surrounded by palm trees, sugarcane, and dirt roads. Some days, she would play with the pigs, chickens, rabbits, and turkeys. Other days, she would spend time at the nearby beach, searching for seashells. 

On the very best days, she would play with her  brother,  Eugene.  Just  a  year  older,  he  was  Patsy’s best friend, and together they would run, explore, and venture into the nearby mountains to pick mushrooms or bamboo.

Although  Patsy  grew  up  in  a  time  when  girls were often expected to stay home while boys played  outside,  her  family  always  treated  her  and  her brother as equals. Eugene included her in football and baseball games, and her parents encouraged her to follow her dreams.

And Patsy was certainly a dreamer.
Praise for She Persisted: Patsy Mink:

"A propulsive narrative moves quickly through Mink’s life . . . The book is decidedly inspirational in tone, yet the text includes brief, accurate, and age-appropriate explanations of the laws, people, and ideas that contributed to structural racism and oppression . . . A concise yet stirring biography." Kirkus Reviews

"This biography’s focus on perseverance, prejudice, women’s issues, and uncomfortable historical events makes it an important addition to all libraries." School Library Journal

"Keller's simple yet engaging text...is gentle and well suited to a young audience while never overshadowing the hard work and obstacles that stood in Mink's way. Endnotes share actionable steps readers can take to make change right now. An inspiring and engaging entry." Booklist
© Saavedra Photography
TAE KELLER was born and raised in Honolulu, where she grew up on purple rice, Spam musubi, and her halmoni’s tiger stories. She is the Newbery Medal-winning author of When You Trap a Tiger and The Science of Breakable Things. She lives in Seattle. Visit her at TaeKeller.com, follow her monthly love letters at bit.ly/lovetae, and find her on Twitter and Instagram. View titles by Tae Keller
© Photo courtesy of the author
Chelsea Clinton is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World; She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History; She Persisted in Sports: American Olympians Who Changed the Game; She Persisted in Science: Brilliant Women Who Made a Difference; Don't Let Them Disappear: 12 Endangered Species Across the Globe; Welcome to the Big Kids Club; It's Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going!; Start Now!: You Can Make a Difference; with Hillary Clinton, Grandma's Gardens and Gutsy Women; and, with Devi Sridhar, Governing Global Health: Who Runs the World and Why? She is also the Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, where she works on many initiatives, including those that help empower the next generation of leaders. She lives in New York City with her husband, Marc, and their children. You can follow Chelsea Clinton on Twitter @ChelseaClinton or on Facebook at facebook.com/ChelseaClinton. View titles by Chelsea Clinton
© Vanessa Blasich
Alexandra Boiger grew up in Munich, Germany as the youngest of seven children. She studied Graphic Design at the Fachhochschule Augsburg before working in Feature Animation at Warner Brothers and Dreamworks. After working in animation, Alexandra decided to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a children’s book illustrator. She has illustrated many picture books, including She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World. Max and Marla was her debut as both author and illustrator. Alexandra now lives in Northern California with her husband and daughter. View titles by Alexandra Boiger

About

Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, a chapter book series about women who spoke up and rose up against the odds--including Patsy Mink!

When Patsy Mink won her seat the House of Representatives as a Democrat from Hawaii, she became the first woman of color and the first Asian American woman elected to Congress. A co-author of the Title XI amendment of the Higher Education Act, she was a champion of rights for women, children, immigrants, and minorities throughout her twenty-four years in Congress. She helped paved the way for many other women to succeed.

In this chapter book biography by bestselling and Newbery award-winning author Tae Keller, readers learn about the amazing life of Patsy Mink--and how she persisted
 
Complete with an introduction from Chelsea Clinton, black-and-white illustrations throughout, and a list of ways that readers can follow in Patsy Mink's footsteps and make a difference! A perfect choice for kids who love learning and teachers who want to bring inspiring women into their curriculum.
 
And don’t miss out on the rest of the books in the She Persisted series, featuring so many more women who persisted, including Sonia Sotomayor, Margaret Chase Smith, and more!


Praise for She Persisted: Patsy Mink:

"A propulsive narrative moves quickly through Mink’s life . . . The book is decidedly inspirational in tone, yet the text includes brief, accurate, and age-appropriate explanations of the laws, people, and ideas that contributed to structural racism and oppression . . . A concise yet stirring biography." --Kirkus Reviews

Excerpt

Dear Reader,

As Sally Ride and Marian Wright Edelman both powerfully said, “You can’t be what you can’t see.” When Sally Ride said that, she meant that it was hard to dream of being an astronaut, like she was, or a doctor or an athlete or anything at all if you didn’t see someone like you who already had lived that dream. She especially was talking about seeing women in jobs that historically were held by men. 

I wrote the first She Persisted and the books that came after it because I wanted young girls—and children of all genders—to see women who worked hard to live their dreams. And I wanted all of us to see examples of persistence in the face of different challenges to help inspire us in our own lives. 

I’m so thrilled now to partner with a sisterhood of writers to bring longer, more in-depth versions of these stories of women’s persistence and achievement to readers. I hope you enjoy these chapter books as much as I do and find them inspiring and empowering. 

And remember: If anyone ever tells you no, if anyone ever says your voice isn’t important or your dreams are too big, remember these women. They persisted and so should you.

Warmly,
Chelsea Clinton


TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1: A Sunny Childhood
Chapter 2: Trouble
Chapter 3: Forging Her Path
Chapter 4: Fighting for Equality
Chapter 5: Democracy and Determination
Chapter 6: A Lasting Impact
How You Can Persist
References


Chapter 1
A Sunny Childhood


Patsy Matsu Takemoto was born in 1927 on the  island  of  Maui,  in  Hawaii.  Maui  was  a  land of sunshine, white sand beaches, and warm trade winds. But though the island was beautiful, its people were going through a difficult time.

In 1898, the United States annexed Hawaii. This  meant  that  the  US  government  stole  control of the islands from the Hawaiian people and declared Hawaii a US “territory.” This was a dark time for many Native Hawaiians, who lost their homeland to incoming mainland Americans.

Additionally,  because  Hawaii  was  just  a  territory and not yet a state, the US offered Hawaii’s citizens  very  few  protections  or  rights,  and  the  people of Hawaii had little control over governing their own lives or what was happening in their communities.

At the time, the US government saw the islands  as  a  place  they  could  use  for  their  own  benefit, without thinking about the people who lived there. The government set up a military base on  Oahu  called  Pearl  Harbor  and,  through  taxes,  made money off the islands’ businesses—especially the booming business of growing sugar.

Like  many  people  of  Japanese  descent  in  Hawaii,  Patsy  grew  up  on  a  sugar  plantation. For  most  plantation  workers—mostly  Native  Hawaiians at first, and later, in Patsy’s time, Asian immigrants—this  was  a  difficult  life  of  endless,  grueling work in the fields.

But Patsy’s childhood was different. She was lucky. Many of the other kids her age had parents who’d  just  arrived  in  Hawaii  from  Japan,  but  Patsy’s parents had grown up in Hawaii. Because of  this,  Patsy’s  dad  spoke  English  natively,  so  he  was  hired  as  a  civil  engineer  for  the  plantation,  instead of a field worker. This led to more money and less back-breaking labor for his family.

Patsy  grew  up  in  a  comfortable  cottage  surrounded by palm trees, sugarcane, and dirt roads. Some days, she would play with the pigs, chickens, rabbits, and turkeys. Other days, she would spend time at the nearby beach, searching for seashells. 

On the very best days, she would play with her  brother,  Eugene.  Just  a  year  older,  he  was  Patsy’s best friend, and together they would run, explore, and venture into the nearby mountains to pick mushrooms or bamboo.

Although  Patsy  grew  up  in  a  time  when  girls were often expected to stay home while boys played  outside,  her  family  always  treated  her  and  her brother as equals. Eugene included her in football and baseball games, and her parents encouraged her to follow her dreams.

And Patsy was certainly a dreamer.

Reviews

Praise for She Persisted: Patsy Mink:

"A propulsive narrative moves quickly through Mink’s life . . . The book is decidedly inspirational in tone, yet the text includes brief, accurate, and age-appropriate explanations of the laws, people, and ideas that contributed to structural racism and oppression . . . A concise yet stirring biography." Kirkus Reviews

"This biography’s focus on perseverance, prejudice, women’s issues, and uncomfortable historical events makes it an important addition to all libraries." School Library Journal

"Keller's simple yet engaging text...is gentle and well suited to a young audience while never overshadowing the hard work and obstacles that stood in Mink's way. Endnotes share actionable steps readers can take to make change right now. An inspiring and engaging entry." Booklist

Author

© Saavedra Photography
TAE KELLER was born and raised in Honolulu, where she grew up on purple rice, Spam musubi, and her halmoni’s tiger stories. She is the Newbery Medal-winning author of When You Trap a Tiger and The Science of Breakable Things. She lives in Seattle. Visit her at TaeKeller.com, follow her monthly love letters at bit.ly/lovetae, and find her on Twitter and Instagram. View titles by Tae Keller
© Photo courtesy of the author
Chelsea Clinton is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World; She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History; She Persisted in Sports: American Olympians Who Changed the Game; She Persisted in Science: Brilliant Women Who Made a Difference; Don't Let Them Disappear: 12 Endangered Species Across the Globe; Welcome to the Big Kids Club; It's Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going!; Start Now!: You Can Make a Difference; with Hillary Clinton, Grandma's Gardens and Gutsy Women; and, with Devi Sridhar, Governing Global Health: Who Runs the World and Why? She is also the Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, where she works on many initiatives, including those that help empower the next generation of leaders. She lives in New York City with her husband, Marc, and their children. You can follow Chelsea Clinton on Twitter @ChelseaClinton or on Facebook at facebook.com/ChelseaClinton. View titles by Chelsea Clinton
© Vanessa Blasich
Alexandra Boiger grew up in Munich, Germany as the youngest of seven children. She studied Graphic Design at the Fachhochschule Augsburg before working in Feature Animation at Warner Brothers and Dreamworks. After working in animation, Alexandra decided to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a children’s book illustrator. She has illustrated many picture books, including She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World. Max and Marla was her debut as both author and illustrator. Alexandra now lives in Northern California with her husband and daughter. View titles by Alexandra Boiger