A Story of Courage: Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor

An E-Book by Dr. Dolores T. Burton & Dr. Patricia Ann Marcellino

Dreams can come true.  A Story of Courage: Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor tells the story of the vision, dreams, and courage of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.  

As a Supreme Court Justice, Justice Sonia Sotomayor is one of nine Justices, who decide cases by interpreting the laws based on the Constitution of the United States of America.  Her job makes her a very powerful person because when the nine Justices rule on a case, even the President of the United States and the members of the United States Congress have to obey the rulings of the nine Supreme Court Justices.  

A Story of Courage: Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor begins when Sonia was a child, and she first dreamed about who she would become when she grew up.  Her Puerto Rican family and her cultural heritage as a Hispanic woman provided a strong foundation of who she would become as a leader and role model.  The books she read and the TV shows she watched helped her set career goals.  As a young girl, Sonia dreamed of becoming a lawyer and a judge.  She never strayed from her goals.  She worked extremely hard in school achieving accolades and honors.  She attended Princeton University and Yale University Law School graduating at the top of her classes.  In spite of the obstacles that stood in her way, Sonia persevered with courage and determination and fulfilled her dreams.  

Justice Sotomayor moved up the career ladder first working as a lawyer and a NYC Assistant District Attorney prosecuting criminal cases.  She also became a partner at a private law firm working with corporate clients.  At the law firm, she helped police and detectives pursue counterfeiters, who were copying designer handbags and baseball souvenirs. On one occasion, she even chased the counterfeiters, while riding on the back of a police motorcycle. Eventually, she gave up her partnership in order to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a judge.  Before being appointed as a Supreme Court Justice by President Barack Obama, Justice Sotomayor gained extensive experience working as a federal District Court Judge and a federal Appeals Court Judge.  Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s life serves as an example to every girl and boy that dreams can be achieved, and with courage and bravery, every life can be a dream come true. 

A Story of Courage: Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is geared to children of various reading levels, but especially to Grades: 4, 5, & 6. Teacher resources are included.  This e-book is currently offered on Amazon and may be downloaded starting December 1, 2016 to your Amazon Kindle or your Personal Computer. If it is downloaded to an Amazon HD, it includes  Audio accompaniment. Priced at $3.99, it is a perfect holiday gift.

A Recent Review By Dr. Karen Siris, a Former Elementary School Principal states: “This clearly written biography of Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor belongs in every elementary classroom, offering an opportunity to learn about how a young Hispanic woman in the United States can reach a position in the highest court in our land.  This book offers hope to our children in a time of change and uncertainty. It can be used as a shared, guided, or independent selection in a classroom's balanced reading program.”