Thanks to Frances Perkins

Thanks to Frances Perkins
Fighter for Workers’ Rights
by Deborah Hopkinson
illustrated by Kristy Caldwell

How many years will it be until you turn sixty-two? What year will that be? Once you’ve read Thanks to Frances Perkins, you’ll know why these are important questions—and why you may want to thank her, too.

Just in time for the 85th anniversary of the Social Security Act (August 14th, 2020), this thoughtful nonfiction picture book celebrates Frances Perkins, the creator of the Social Security program and the first woman cabinet member in the United States. After witnessing the tragic Triangle Waist Company fire in 1911, Frances Perkins vowed to fight for underpaid, exhausted laborers. She took to the halls of government, advocating for safe working conditions and limited hours. Her efforts in New York became a model for the nation and captured the attention of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the future president of the United States who would make her a valuable member of his administration.

Deborah Hopkinson, award-winning author of Carter Reads the Newspaper, introduces young readers to another historical trailblazer—one who’s legacy and undying enthusiasm still hold their effect today. Hopkinson’s narrative yet inquisitive approach to Frances Perkins’s biography encourages readers to consider how history affects them and how they, in turn, can provide service to others. Kristy Caldwell captures Perkins’s analytical mind with beautifully illustrated “idea bubbles” and provides detailed glimpses into factory life. Back matter with information about Frances Perkins and Social Security and resources for further economic education make this the perfect addition to a social studies collection.

Get to know the talented team behind this informative book with these author and illustrator Q&As, and learn more about Frances Perkins’s important fight for Social Security with this helpful teachers’s guide.

“Engaging… An informative portrait of an activist and advocate whose accomplishments are still evident today.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The lively text presents Perkins’ life and times, while emphasizing her significant contributions to society. Created using pleasant, subdued colors, the well-composed digital illustrations bring past eras into focus and show Perkins’ determined work on behalf of others. An informative picture-book biography of a notable American.” —Booklist

You can thank Frances Perkins this August at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble, and don’t forget to check out the rest of our brand-new Fall 2020 titles as well as our picture books and middle grade titles coming to Peachtree this season in paperback!