Books in the Barrier Breaker series celebrate the achievements of individuals during various periods of American History. The Cook Who Defended Pearl Harbor features Dorie Miller, who joined the Navy, shot down two enemy planes, and became the first Black American to receive the Navy Cross. Hitting Her Way to the Negro Leagues introduces Toni Stone, who earned her nickname, Tomboy, while playing baseball on a boys' team. She became the first woman to play on a Negro League baseball team. In 1993, she was honored by inclusion in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Mailing Himself to Freedom describes the ordeal of Henry Box Brown, an enslaved man. In 1849, he crouched in a wooden box, which his friends took to a transport company for delivery to Philadelphia. Traveling by rail and steamboat, Brown suffered in his tight quarters but survived to tell his dramatic tale. The Spy Who Wore Petticoats transports readers to New York during the Revolutionary War, when British troops patrolled areas in Manhattan and Long Island, trying to identify spies who reported to General Washington's staff; Anna Strong was one of those spies. The writing is straightforward, and each book's graphic-novel format features its own color palette and a distinctive style of drawing and character-portrayal. An appealing biography series.--Carolyn Phelan "Booklist"

Navy mess attendant Doris Miller distinguishes himself in battle at Pearl Harbor. Marcenia Lyle, aka Toni Stone, breaks race and gender barriers to play professional baseball. Henry "Box" Brown mails himself north to freedom from slavery. Anna Strong is part of the Culper spy ring that helps win the American Revolution. The stories of all these worthy heroes are presented in a graphic format, with a palette that sticks mostly to hues of tan and gray. The artwork is nicely done, but a few errors distract from the overall package. The book on Miller refers to the sailors as soldiers, even having Miller address one superior as sergeant. It also refers to the complement of the USS West Virginia as "1500 officers" more than once. Much of the information on Anna Strong is speculative, as historians disagree about her contributions as a spy (though this is explained in a note at the end). Also, Abraham Woodhull's name is changed to Woodruff midway through the book, easily causing confusion. Though the tales themselves are inspiring, these subjects are featured in other books that readers will find more useful. VERDICT The volumes on Lyle and Brown are sufficient, but the errors in the volumes on Miller and Strong should give selectors pause.--Margaret Nunes, formerly at Gwinnett County PL, GA "School Library Journal"

Publisher: Capstone Press

Pub date: 2025-01-01

Length: 32 pages