Kid Trailblazers

Inspiring, relatable, and totally true biographies tell the childhood stories of a diverse group of trailblazers including Kamala Harris, Greta Thunberg, Ai Weiwei, Benazir Bhutto, Elliot Page, and John Lewis, along with 10 other powerful figures.

Featuring kid-friendly text and full-color illustrations, Kid Trailblazers highlights contemporary figures who have led the way in their fields—government, social activism, environmental justice, and the arts. Middle-grade readers will learn how these trailblazers got their start as kids just like them, with relatable stories and fun facts such as:

Angela Merkeonce won a trip to Moscow, where she bought a Beatles album.

Stacey Abrams and her siblings used to pretend to be librarians while playing together.

•Al Gore lived in a hotel as a kid and liked to drop water balloons off the roof!
 
Kid Trailblazers explores the childhood stories of leaders who have taken on the most pressing issues of our time by expressing themselves and challenging the world.

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Reviews

Starred review: “Stevenson’s informative text, along with Steinfeld’s illustrations, is designed perfectly for reading aloud, social studies units, or social-emotional learning connections. VERDICT An important nonfiction collection of stories about influencers and leaders when they were children. Perfect for group sharing and current events connections.” -School Library Journal, July 2022

“Stevenson expands her 2019 roster of Kid Activists with profiles of 20 more advocates for political, social, and environmental causes…Inspiring examples for younger would-be world-changers.” -Kirkus, June 2022

“This book helps young leaders-to-be get excited about fixing problems they spot, and they may meet some new heroes, too. For your biography-finding this school year, Kid Trailblazers is the easy solution.”—Terri Schlichenmeyer, Bookworm Sez

“Stevenson sketches her subjects’ childhoods and later impact, deftly setting the scene for each one and providing informative details, engaging quotes, and sometimes humorous anecdotes.”—Mombian