Crystal Hubbard

Who is Cynthia Erivo is an easy to read biography of singer and actress Cynthia Erivo. The format of these biographies are engaging and kid-friendly. I enjoyed learning about her life and accomplishments and would love to purchase additional books in this series to add to our biography collection for intermediate readers.

This book was one of the most inspirational books I have ever read. Mabel Fairbanks is known as the first black figure skater. She became an orphan at a young age, then went to live with her brother who later threw her out, forcing her to live on on the streets until a woman took her in as nanny to her young child. It was at this point when Mabel was pushing the baby stroller through Central Park that she discovered ice skating. This was a time when racism was unfortunately prevalent and it show more was not easy for Mabel follow her dream of becoming a figure skater. Despite constantly being turned away because of the color of her skin, she kept going. I loved this. It's sad that Mabel did not get the full recognition that she deserves while she was alive but I'm glad people are finally seeing how talented, resilient, and just incredible this woman was. show less

There are so many reasons that I like this book. The first being that it is based off of a true story. A young girl dreams of becoming a professional baseball player but has some obstacles to overcome. Those obstacles being people. Trying to convince boys her age she is a good ball player, convince a man named Mr. Street to let her go to his baseball camp, and finally, convince her father to let her play baseball. This book does a wonderful job at portraying this young girl’s dream. show more Showing how she had to earn her place to play with the boys at the baseball field. Some of the boys even backed her up when Mr. Street said that he doesn’t let girls in his camp saying, “She’s the only player that will steal a base”. Another reason why I like this book is because of its overall message to young girls. This book teaches young girls that it is okay to have a dream that no one else has and to believe in that dream no matter who tells you differently. Marcenia broke the barriers of women in male sports. I also liked this book because of Marcenia’s character. Whenever someone talked her down she always showed them up with her actions by being a good baseball player. That is a lesson in itself to young girls and boys alike. show less

After seeing Erivo in “Wicked: Part One,” I was an instant fan. When I saw this biography of her from the “Who HQ,” I knew I needed to check it out. It’s been a long time since I read a “Who Is/Was” title and I’m glad I had the opportunity to learn more about Erivo and add another biography title to my repertoire. This is a complete biography from birth to 2024, just prior to the release of the movie that would launch her to the forefront of media attention. I appreciated show more that this book didn’t shy away from discussing moments in Erivo’s life where she faced discriminated as a Black woman. Students who have seen the Wicked movie would likely be eager to check out this book. I’d rate it a 4 out of 5. show less