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Who Was . . . ? Series
Who Is Ruth Bader Ginsburg?
You've probably seen her on T-shirts, mugs, and even tattoos. Now that famous face graces the cover of this Who Was? book.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was famous for her stylish collars (called jabots) and her commanding dissents. This opera-loving New Yorker always spoke her mind; as a young lawyer, RBG advocated for gender equality and women's rights when few others did. She gained attention for the cases she won when arguing in front of the Supreme Court, before taking her place on the bench in 1993. Author Patricia Brennan Demuth answers all the questions about what made RBG so irreplaceable and how the late Supreme Court justice left a legacy that will last forever.
112 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 3, 2019
197 people are currently reading
763 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
August 27, 2024
Re-readed and translated with the help of Google Translate (2024)
Project Learning English by myself through children's books. I loved this book and Mrs. Ruth Ginsburg's life and sense of justice.
"But at law, Ruth proved to be a natural. Soon she stood out in her class as a star student.
That wasn't the only reason she stood out at Harvard Law School in 1956. It was also because she was female. There were only nine women in her class - and more than five hundred men!
None of the teachers were female. Harvard Law had only started accepting women students a few years earlier. The large classroom building still had no women's bathroom. Ruth sometimes had to make a mad dash for a makeshift restroom a block away.
Being the only girl in a class was hard, especially for shy Ruth. She felt like she was always on display. Even worse, she was afraid of giving a wrong answer. That might make men think women were unfit to become lawyers." (Pages 42, 43 and 44)
"Each spring, big law firms compete to hire graduates from the best law schools in the country. Ruth was an outstanding student. She had graduated at the very top of her class at a top law school. Job offers were bound to flood in. Right?
Wrong! Not a single one came! On their job postings, law firms stated "MEN ONLY". Ten, twenty, thirty... more than forty firms rejected her application!
Not only was she female, but Ruth also had another strike against her: She was a mother. Bosses didn't think a young mom could put in long hours like men did. Finally, with the help of one of her law professors, Ruth landed a job working as a clerk (assistant) to a federal judge.
Then, in 1963, a new path opened for Ruth, Rutgers University in New Jersey hired her to teach law. She became one of the few female law professors in the nation.
There was one catch: Her pay was less than that of the male teachers. Men needed more money in order to support their families, the dean explained. Ruth asked if that meant a single man with no children would also get paid less. The answer was no. To Ruth, that didn't make sense. And it was totally unfair. But Ruth stayed quiet... for now." (Pages 51, 52 and 53)
Project Learning English by myself through children's books. I loved this book and Mrs. Ruth Ginsburg's life and sense of justice.
"But at law, Ruth proved to be a natural. Soon she stood out in her class as a star student.
That wasn't the only reason she stood out at Harvard Law School in 1956. It was also because she was female. There were only nine women in her class - and more than five hundred men!
None of the teachers were female. Harvard Law had only started accepting women students a few years earlier. The large classroom building still had no women's bathroom. Ruth sometimes had to make a mad dash for a makeshift restroom a block away.
Being the only girl in a class was hard, especially for shy Ruth. She felt like she was always on display. Even worse, she was afraid of giving a wrong answer. That might make men think women were unfit to become lawyers." (Pages 42, 43 and 44)
"Each spring, big law firms compete to hire graduates from the best law schools in the country. Ruth was an outstanding student. She had graduated at the very top of her class at a top law school. Job offers were bound to flood in. Right?
Wrong! Not a single one came! On their job postings, law firms stated "MEN ONLY". Ten, twenty, thirty... more than forty firms rejected her application!
Not only was she female, but Ruth also had another strike against her: She was a mother. Bosses didn't think a young mom could put in long hours like men did. Finally, with the help of one of her law professors, Ruth landed a job working as a clerk (assistant) to a federal judge.
Then, in 1963, a new path opened for Ruth, Rutgers University in New Jersey hired her to teach law. She became one of the few female law professors in the nation.
There was one catch: Her pay was less than that of the male teachers. Men needed more money in order to support their families, the dean explained. Ruth asked if that meant a single man with no children would also get paid less. The answer was no. To Ruth, that didn't make sense. And it was totally unfair. But Ruth stayed quiet... for now." (Pages 51, 52 and 53)
December 31, 2020
As always, this series deserves 5 stars. The great RBG deserves 5+ stars. My rating shows 3 stars only because for the most part, I rate biographies 3 stars.
Notes to remember or details I found interesting:
--Ruth's mother died the day before Ruth was supposed to give a speech at her graduation but because of such an unfortunate event, she wasn't able to.
--Ruth became pregnant, which upset her then boss and he ended up cutting her salary and lowering her rank.
--Ruth wasn't sure about going to law school anymore now that she had a 1yr old baby. Her father-in-law convinced her to go, telling her that if she wanted something bad enough, she should stop worrying and make it happen. It was advice Ruth followed for the rest of her life.
--There were only 9 women and more than 500 men when Ruth went to Harvard Law School in 1956. She was so afraid to give a wrong answer in class for fear the men would think women were unfit to become lawyers.
--Her husband Marty had cancer while Ruth and him were still in school. It was already in an advanced stage when Marty found out he had cancer. Yet Ruth refused to give up. She helped her husband get through his treatments, took care of their baby, kept going to school, took over the household chores, typed up Marty's notes she had asked his classmates to share, and also typed up Marty's papers. By midnight, she would start her own law school work! This started a life-long habit of working till very late and sleeping very little. Superwoman! I love her.
--Although Ruth graduated from one of the top law schools, at the very top of her class, she was rejected by more than 40 firms because they only wanted men, not a woman, especially not one with a child.
--In 1963, Ruth was hired by Rutgers University in New jersey to teach law. She became one of the few females in the nation to teach law. She was paid less than the male teachers because according to the dean, men needed more money in order to support their families. Ruth asked if the same rule applied to a single male with no children. She was told no. So when Ruth became pregnant for the second time, she stayed quiet so as not to risk another paycut or possibly losing her job.
--Ruth helped the female professors at Rutgers University file a lawsuit for equality of pay and won. She then signed on as a volunteer lawyer with the ACLU. She was teaching full-time, and defending clients, and going to court, doing the latter for free.
--Ruth's first case in the Supreme Court was in 1973. Her client, Sharron Frontero, was an officer in the US Air Force. Sharron was unable to get benefits such as payments for housing and medical care for her husband because she was a woman, even though male officers did receive benefits for their spouses. Ruth ended up winning this case which was an important victory for women in the U.S.
--Ruth also fought for men's rights. She won by unanimous vote to get government to pay stay-at-home fathers.
--Ruth argued 6 historic cases before the Supreme Court, winning 5 out of 6.
--Jimmy Carter, noticing the predominance of male judges, started looking for women candidates. In 1980, he selected Ruth as a federal judge in Washington D.C. This was a big honor for Ruth. Her husband moved to Washington D.C. with her. At parties, the host would introduce Judge Ginsburg and people would automatically attempt to shake Marty's hand and Marty would have to correct them and tell them it was his wife. Marty was a supportive husband since the very start and so was Ruth of him.
--Ruth was too shy to brag about her accomplishments, but Marty wasn't. He did whatever he could to make sure President Clinton heard about Ruth when an opening came up in the Supreme Court. Clinton knew after talking to Ruth he'd found the right person. This was in 1993. Ruth became the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court.
--Her famous collars actually have a meaning: white lace=agrees with the winning side, black-beaded bib=disagrees with the winning side, gold=she will announce the majority opinion.
--"You can't spell truth without Ruth."
I read this book before Ruth passed away this year. She is an amazing woman and her legacy will live on.
Notes to remember or details I found interesting:
--Ruth's mother died the day before Ruth was supposed to give a speech at her graduation but because of such an unfortunate event, she wasn't able to.
--Ruth became pregnant, which upset her then boss and he ended up cutting her salary and lowering her rank.
--Ruth wasn't sure about going to law school anymore now that she had a 1yr old baby. Her father-in-law convinced her to go, telling her that if she wanted something bad enough, she should stop worrying and make it happen. It was advice Ruth followed for the rest of her life.
--There were only 9 women and more than 500 men when Ruth went to Harvard Law School in 1956. She was so afraid to give a wrong answer in class for fear the men would think women were unfit to become lawyers.
--Her husband Marty had cancer while Ruth and him were still in school. It was already in an advanced stage when Marty found out he had cancer. Yet Ruth refused to give up. She helped her husband get through his treatments, took care of their baby, kept going to school, took over the household chores, typed up Marty's notes she had asked his classmates to share, and also typed up Marty's papers. By midnight, she would start her own law school work! This started a life-long habit of working till very late and sleeping very little. Superwoman! I love her.
--Although Ruth graduated from one of the top law schools, at the very top of her class, she was rejected by more than 40 firms because they only wanted men, not a woman, especially not one with a child.
--In 1963, Ruth was hired by Rutgers University in New jersey to teach law. She became one of the few females in the nation to teach law. She was paid less than the male teachers because according to the dean, men needed more money in order to support their families. Ruth asked if the same rule applied to a single male with no children. She was told no. So when Ruth became pregnant for the second time, she stayed quiet so as not to risk another paycut or possibly losing her job.
--Ruth helped the female professors at Rutgers University file a lawsuit for equality of pay and won. She then signed on as a volunteer lawyer with the ACLU. She was teaching full-time, and defending clients, and going to court, doing the latter for free.
--Ruth's first case in the Supreme Court was in 1973. Her client, Sharron Frontero, was an officer in the US Air Force. Sharron was unable to get benefits such as payments for housing and medical care for her husband because she was a woman, even though male officers did receive benefits for their spouses. Ruth ended up winning this case which was an important victory for women in the U.S.
--Ruth also fought for men's rights. She won by unanimous vote to get government to pay stay-at-home fathers.
--Ruth argued 6 historic cases before the Supreme Court, winning 5 out of 6.
--Jimmy Carter, noticing the predominance of male judges, started looking for women candidates. In 1980, he selected Ruth as a federal judge in Washington D.C. This was a big honor for Ruth. Her husband moved to Washington D.C. with her. At parties, the host would introduce Judge Ginsburg and people would automatically attempt to shake Marty's hand and Marty would have to correct them and tell them it was his wife. Marty was a supportive husband since the very start and so was Ruth of him.
--Ruth was too shy to brag about her accomplishments, but Marty wasn't. He did whatever he could to make sure President Clinton heard about Ruth when an opening came up in the Supreme Court. Clinton knew after talking to Ruth he'd found the right person. This was in 1993. Ruth became the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court.
--Her famous collars actually have a meaning: white lace=agrees with the winning side, black-beaded bib=disagrees with the winning side, gold=she will announce the majority opinion.
--"You can't spell truth without Ruth."
I read this book before Ruth passed away this year. She is an amazing woman and her legacy will live on.
March 26, 2022
I always knew that Ruth Bader Ginsburg was awesome and this book confirmed it! She's so amazing!
I loved learning everything about her. She's an amazing woman.
Ruth was tiny, soft-spoken, and always polite. Yet when it came to standing up for peoples' rights, she was a warrior.
I loved learning everything about her. She's an amazing woman.
Ruth was tiny, soft-spoken, and always polite. Yet when it came to standing up for peoples' rights, she was a warrior.
February 12, 2020
Who Headquarters for another win! I love these books.
Occasionally I wonder why a certain individual is chosen for one of these biographies. But Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a fantastic, high quality addition.
Go, Ruth, go!
Occasionally I wonder why a certain individual is chosen for one of these biographies. But Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a fantastic, high quality addition.
Go, Ruth, go!
March 25, 2020
RBG is a national treasure.
August 28, 2025
This was a solid 5 stars for me. I love the WHOHQ kids’ series. I bought this book nearly 5 years ago after RBG’s passing and it’s taken me this long to read it. It was worth the wait. Loved it.
February 12, 2022
in the standards of a Who Is book, it was great.
April 21, 2020
I adore Ruth Bader Ginsburg and I am so glad that my daughter enjoys learning about her as well.
October 12, 2020
This is another (even more lengthy at 112 pages) nonfiction chapter book that chronicles the life of Ginsburg from her birth on March 15, 1933 through 2018. It starts with a section on “Who Is Ruth Bader Ginsburg?” which talks about how her mother taught her to care for others who had even less than they had. So for every birthday, Ruth celebrated at a nearby orphanage with children who didn’t have parents. She and her mom brought treats and she enjoyed the smiles on their faces, immensely. And wow, this little childhood story doesn’t surprise me in least! The remainder of the chapters are as follows:
Chapter 1: An Immigrant Family
Chapter 2: A Terrible Secret
Chapter 3: Opposites Attract
Chapter 4: Law School
Chapter 5: Changing Times
Chapter 6: Landmark Cases
Chapter 7: From Lawyer to Judge
Chapter 8: “Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!”
Chapter 9: “I Dissent!”
Chapter 10: RBG Today
A few points of interest:
*This book shares more about Ginsburg’s fascination with art and opera.
*The library she frequented as a child was built over a Chinese restaurant, so the smell of soy sauce and egg rolls always reminded Ruth of books.
*Her mother surprised the family for after her death when they discovered she’d hidden away $8,000 to help pay for Ruth’s college, despite her terrible bouts with cancer.
*While Ruth was good at many things, she actually flunked her driver’s test five times before finally passing.
*This book is also the first time I learned the story behind her nickname of “the Notorious RBG” when she suddenly became a pop-culture hero.
The back matter includes a timeline of her life, a timeline of the world, and a bibliography. The illustrations are mostly black and white sketches between large sections of text.
Chapter 1: An Immigrant Family
Chapter 2: A Terrible Secret
Chapter 3: Opposites Attract
Chapter 4: Law School
Chapter 5: Changing Times
Chapter 6: Landmark Cases
Chapter 7: From Lawyer to Judge
Chapter 8: “Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!”
Chapter 9: “I Dissent!”
Chapter 10: RBG Today
A few points of interest:
*This book shares more about Ginsburg’s fascination with art and opera.
*The library she frequented as a child was built over a Chinese restaurant, so the smell of soy sauce and egg rolls always reminded Ruth of books.
*Her mother surprised the family for after her death when they discovered she’d hidden away $8,000 to help pay for Ruth’s college, despite her terrible bouts with cancer.
*While Ruth was good at many things, she actually flunked her driver’s test five times before finally passing.
*This book is also the first time I learned the story behind her nickname of “the Notorious RBG” when she suddenly became a pop-culture hero.
The back matter includes a timeline of her life, a timeline of the world, and a bibliography. The illustrations are mostly black and white sketches between large sections of text.
January 17, 2024
Does this count as a book? Maybe. Regardless, I loved learning more about RBG and her life. She couldn’t get a job as a lawyer in a firm because: woman! She took a salary cut when she became pregnant because: woman? No wonder she was so motivated to fight for the little guy. Next up: Who Is Queen Elizabeth
October 28, 2020
Very good book. Every kid, who is interested in public policy and wanting to make a change in a community will like this.
December 21, 2020
I love these little biographies!! They are great way to introduce kids to reading about real people.
February 1, 2021
What a fascinating woman. Such a quiet, little woman who was so powerful and moved the needle for equal rights for all! Wonderful quick little read about this inspirational lady!
August 10, 2021
I enjoyed this book. It is about the history of RBG along with other facts about RBG’s time. I would suggest this book to people who like to read biographies.
February 10, 2022
Cute. My son was reading this for school so I quickly read it too.
April 7, 2025
Learned a lot listening to this book, made me admire her even more! I so wish she was able to hang on for another year, given the state of the USA's Supreme Court in this day and age.
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June 4, 2020I think the theme is never give up or stay happy
August 7, 2020
Very interesting!
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March 27, 2020I think the theme is never give up!
May 22, 2023
I think I enjoyed the book more because it was geared towards children, but it's a good thing it's a short book because I can only handle that writing style in small doses
January 15, 2021
This is a really good book. I would recommend!
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January 11, 2021I enjoyed this book very much!! Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an important person and did a lot for woman, so they could have rights just like men.
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February 23, 2020My family asked me what RBG did and I couldn’t give a great answer. I love The Who Is? And Who Was books to read and learn together!
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethrens is that they take their feet off our necks.”
Sarah Grinké
Destroying the law now would be, “like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.”
RBG
“...do something outside yourself...something to make life a little better for people less fortunate than you. That’s what I think a meaningful life is—living not for oneself, it for one’s community.”
RBG
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethrens is that they take their feet off our necks.”
Sarah Grinké
Destroying the law now would be, “like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.”
RBG
“...do something outside yourself...something to make life a little better for people less fortunate than you. That’s what I think a meaningful life is—living not for oneself, it for one’s community.”
RBG
October 18, 2020
On page 51-52, in the discussion of her difficulty with obtaining a job even though she, "had graduated at the very top of her class at a top law school" (accurate), this book fails to include being Jewish as one of the reasons law firms did not want to hire Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This omission is glaring because the discussion mentions two strikes against her being that she was both a woman and a mother. We should take her own words that it was THREE things: " I struck out on three grounds: I was Jewish, a woman, and a mother." (page 53 of Ruth Bader Ginsburg: In Her Own Words)
If picture books like Ruth Objects: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg can include all 3 reasons, there is absolutely no reason for a chapter book like this to selectively omit one. And no, my family is not Jewish, but I still noticed and was bothered by it.
If picture books like Ruth Objects: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg can include all 3 reasons, there is absolutely no reason for a chapter book like this to selectively omit one. And no, my family is not Jewish, but I still noticed and was bothered by it.
November 16, 2020
My daughters love the "Who Was" series of books (and the associated Netflix television show). They are not intended to be exhaustive biographies, but generalized overviews of the societal impact a person has had. In this regard, I thought "Who Is(Was) Ruth Bader Ginsburg?" was an excellent way for my girls to learn about a powerful and important woman in the United States. I was able to check the book out from the library right after Ms. Ginsburg passed away (sadly making the book's title obsolete!), and it turned out to be the perfect way to add context to current events for my 12-year-old and 10-year-old daughters. I enjoy the light tone of the book, and the clear way it described Ms. Ginsburg's career. While I did not always agree with Ms. Ginsburg's political leanings, I still have great respect for her, both for her tireless advocacy for workplace equality, and for the (mostly) gentle and respectful way in which she conveyed her opinions. Her friendships with the other Justices of the Supreme Court are also a good example of civility in these fractious and contentious political times. She was a good woman and I was glad to learn more about her (if only a little!) by reading this book with my children.
January 4, 2021
For this time, I chose to read this Who Was book. I didn't really know much about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, all I knew is that she fought for women's rights and that caught my attention so I chose this book to read.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was born in Brooklyn, New York, March 15, 1933. Ever since she was little, she wanted to do something that would change people's lives. Her mom taught her to care for others, even those who had less. Ruth realized how women had a lot of closed doors back then. It would always be the men in charge. She set her goal to allow women to have rights.
One by one, as she grew up, she opened and walked through those doors. She was enrolled into Harvard Law School, and gets married to Marty Ginsburg in 1954. Later, she switches to Columbia University Law School and graduates at the top of her class. Ruth starts to make a family and gives birth to two beautiful children, Jane and James Ginsburg, Marty as the father.
As Ruth opens another door, she starts cofounding a Women's Rights projects and argues her first case infront of the US Supreme Court. In 1993, Bill Clinton nominates her for the Supreme Court. Through all those years she successfully fights against gender discrimination and truly became a hero. She is known as her initials, RBG.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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December 7, 2020I used this series for both informational and historical texts. Why? Because they work for both categories! These books are highly informational in digestible chunks, have historical value and accuracy, and can be about time periods, major historical events, and people throughout history! I love using these as good introductory source materials for curious minds. These books can be worked into ELA, social studies, and science standards because of their biographical material, informational intent, and the nature of the topics. I'd love to work this into a ELA lesson on factual texts and relate it to a project in social studies about historical figures.
October 21, 2020
This was a quick fun read to see how RBG is presented to younger audiences. I was surprised by how thorough of a book this was, and the depth of information provided (specifically with regards to some of her most impactful cases). I do wish the book drew on events to provide context for others (e.g. it never actually says RBG's mother died or how that impacted her later life, leaving the end of that chapter at Ruth studying by her mother's bedside when she was sick). The eBook also needs some formatting work.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews