Door by Door: How Sarah McBride Became America's First Openly Transgender Senator

by Meeg Pincus, Meridth McKean Gimbel (Illustrator)

Overview

Senator Sarah McBride is now the first openly transgender member of the U.S. House of Representatives!

A nonfiction picture book about Sarah McBride, who dreamed of making a difference as a kid and grew up to become the highest-ranking openly transgender political official in America.

As a kid, Sarah McBride dreamed of running for office so she could help people in her community. When her friends asked for bicycles for Christmas, Sarah asked for a podium. Her friends and family encouraged her to follow this path, but there was one problem: they saw Sarah as a boy, and Sarah knew she was a girl. Every night, she’d replay the day in her head, watching how it would have played out if she was able to live as the girl she knew herself to be.

In college, she finally came out as Sarah, and in 2024 she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, making her the highest-ranking trans political official in the country and a hero to kids everywhere who want to live their dreams and be themselves!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593484654
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	05/09/2023
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.44(w) x 11.75(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD750L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Meeg is the author of several nonfiction picture books, including Miep and the Most Famous Diary: The Woman Who Rescued Anne Frank’s Diary (2019), which received starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal, and Winged Wonders: Solving the Monarch Migration Mystery (2020) from Sleeping Bear Press. Her books have won a variety of awards and been named to many state reading lists. Find out more at MeegPincus.com.

Meridth McKean Gimbel is an illustrator, author, and world-champion taco cruncher whose work has received many awards, including the National SCBWI-LA Mentorship Award. They are passionate about creating books that are like a snuggly blanket, an open window, and a very accessible door. Meridth is also passionate about donuts, corgis, and ghost stories. Learn more at meridthsayshello.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ "This is a special book that will mean a lot to a very special audience." —Booklist, starred review

“Informative and absorbing, this is an enjoyable and uplifting read.” —Kirkus Reviews

"[A] heartwarming biography." —School Library Journal

"This light biography by Pincus plots out key parallels in McBride’s formative years, centering a real-life figure both following her heart and 'opening the doors of opportunity for all'.” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2023-03-29
Pincus chronicles Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride’s childhood and coming out.

McBride always knew that she wanted to be a politician, but it took time to learn that she could do that and be herself—a transgender woman. Following her through her childhood and college years, when she came out, the book emphasizes her commitment to helping others. It narratively connects her to her political role models, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Informative and absorbing, this is an enjoyable and uplifting read, though it lacks a strong unifying structure. Most of the narrative is devoted to McBride’s coming out; her 2020 election win is covered quickly at the end and does not feel like a strong payoff. Doors are a theme throughout: Telling others that she is transgender initially feels like something best left behind a closed door, and later, McBride works to open “the doors of opportunity” for others. It’s a meaningful metaphor, though one that might go over younger readers’ heads. However, Pincus tells McBride’s story effectively and explains trans identity in an understandable and empathetic way, enhanced by pleasant, straightforward illustrations. She describes McBride’s childhood without ever using the wrong pronouns or her birth name. McBride is White; other characters are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A heartfelt biography that will encourage readers to live their truths. (author’s note, note from McBride, guide to being a trans ally, glossary, bibliography) (Picture-book biography. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews