Ryan, Pam Muñoz. Illustrated by Brian Selznick. 2002. When Marion sang. New York: Scholastic Press.

Marion Anderson loved to sing. And when she sang, everyone wanted to listen. Marion’s voice had a range of three octaves—24 notes. She could make her voice sound like a summer rain shower and she could make her voice sound like the thunder that precedes a storm. Marion Anderson’s lifelong dream was to become a professional singer. Her church promised to pay for her music school as soon as she was accepted. Unfortunately for Marion, growing up in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century, many people were not willing to overlook the color of her skin. She was denied entrance to music school, but with the determination for which she became known, she did not give up. Ryan has provided an insight into the life of an extraordinary American. Marion Anderson’s gift of singing led her across the world, and in the end, home again where she performed for a crowd of 75,000 at the Lincoln Memorial. The book is set up as a program for an opera or other musical performance, and has words to songs recorded by Marion throughout. The sepia-toned illustrations by Selznik bring Marion’s world to life for readers and blend perfectly with the flowing text of the story. The timeline in the back of the book along with more information about Marion’s life make this story one that will touch the hearts and minds of readers.