Dear Dumplin,
When I was contacted by Ms. Jessica N. Childress about reviewing her book, The Briefcase of Juris P. Prudence, I was surprised! Usually, authors reach out to me about picture books geared towards a younger audience. However, let me tell you how glad I am that Jessica emailed me! This book was so good that I read it in two days. I can’t wait for us to read this book together! But before that day comes, let me tell you about this amazing story. (I promise, no spoilers!)
The Briefcase of Juris P. Prudence, tells the story of 11-year-old Juris. A gifted child with equally brilliant friends, Juris attends the National Kids Leader Academy in Washington, D.C. After passing the bar exam and witnessing legal injustices, Juris does what any 11-year-old would do. She starts a legitimate law firm and takes on the case with her friends!
As a parent to a beautiful daughter, there are so many things to love about this concept. There is a positive child of color as the protagonist who is very interested in education and solving problems. Her back story is well thought out. Juris’ friends have equally well-developed backgrounds. I like that each of Juris’ friends have their own individual flair, in addition to unique interests and colorful personalities. As the plot thickens, I could feel what the characters felt and envision what was happening. I kept saying to myself, “Are all kids books this good?”
As I continued to read I became more impressed. Juris becomes a young advocate for justice and is a wonderful role model for young girls of color. Her character is ground breaking in that it illustrates diversity in gender, ethnicity, and age all at once. Raised by her grandparents who are wonderful characters themselves, I found Juris to be a breath of fresh air. Moreover, her adventure is motivation for young girls to join the legal profession. This book is the perfect illustration that nothing is impossible with hard work, dedication and focus.
Ms. Childress was motivated to write The Briefcase of Juris P. Prudence by her own childhood dream of wanting to become an attorney. Today she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government and African-American Studies from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law. In 2015, Ms. Childress was honored with the National Bar Association’s 40 under 40 Best Advocates Award. Clearly, she was meant to write this book. As a child Jessica wanted to become a lawyer and promote the public good. The Briefcase of Juris P. Prudence is absolutely for the public good. It’s the perfect gift for middle school age kids, or even younger if they are strong readers.
I’m happy to have this book be a part of your library and will be giving a copy to your cousin Sarah as well.
Love,
Mama
PS – Want a free copy of The Briefcase of Juris Prudence? Go to my Instagram page (@JoeyNishawn) and follow the easy rules. Good luck!
Disclaimer: I received “The Briefcase of Juris Prudence” for review purposes. All opinions are mine alone.