The Power of Her Pen: The Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel L. Payne

Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 2020

illustrated by John Parra

Parents’ Choice Gold Award

“I’ve had a box seat on history.”

Ethel Payne always had an ear for stories. Seeking truth, justice, and equality, Ethel followed stories from her school newspaper in Chicago to Japan during World War II. It even led her to the White House briefing room, where she broke barriers as the only black female journalist. Ethel wasn’t afraid to ask the tough questions of presidents, elected officials, or anyone else in charge, earning her the title, “First Lady of the Black Press.”

Fearless and determined, Ethel Payne shined a light on the darkest moments in history, and her ear for stories sought answers to the questions that mattered most in the fight for Civil Rights.

“Cline-Ransome tells [Ethel Payne’s] story with economy and drive. ‘Somebody had to do the fighting,’ she quotes Payne saying, ‘somebody had to speak up.’” —Publishers Weekly

Kansas NEA Reading Circle List PrimaryTitle

NCTE Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts

ALA Rise: A Feminist Book Project List Selection

ALSC 2021 Rise List of Best Feminist Books for Young Readers

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