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All the Way to the Top
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Praise for All the Way to the Top
"A powerful, empowering story!" - Washington Parent
“A necessary testament to the power of children's voices.” --Kirkus Reviews
“Clear, accessible prose accompanied by Ali’s creamily textured digital illustrations...a jumping-off point for conversations.” --Publishers Weekly
"Pimentel’s compelling, present-tense narrative gives the story great immediacy, helping children connect with Jennifer’s reactions to physical barriers and social injustice...Still an activist, Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins offers a thought-provoking foreword to this inspiring picture book." --Booklist
“Pimentel offers a great look at a young activist creating change and a better understanding of the importance of the ADA.” --School Library Journal
“A necessary testament to the power of children's voices.” --Kirkus Reviews
“Clear, accessible prose accompanied by Ali’s creamily textured digital illustrations...a jumping-off point for conversations.” --Publishers Weekly
"Pimentel’s compelling, present-tense narrative gives the story great immediacy, helping children connect with Jennifer’s reactions to physical barriers and social injustice...Still an activist, Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins offers a thought-provoking foreword to this inspiring picture book." --Booklist
“Pimentel offers a great look at a young activist creating change and a better understanding of the importance of the ADA.” --School Library Journal
Media
Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, Interview with CBS Denver, Channel 4: "Colorado Woman Who Helped Get ADA Passed 30 Years Ago Says There’s More Work To Do"
The Democratic Left - "How an Eight-Year-Old Girl Made Disability History: A Conversation with Activist Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins and Children’s Book Author Annette Bay Pimentel"
Featured in TIME for Kids, "Fighting for Change"
Annette Bay Pimentel, Guest Post on the Disability Tribune Blog , "The People United Will Never Be Defeated"
Interview with Annette Bay Pimentel, The Kathryn Zox Show- "Disability Rights"
Interview with Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, The Armchair Advocate
The Democratic Left - "How an Eight-Year-Old Girl Made Disability History: A Conversation with Activist Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins and Children’s Book Author Annette Bay Pimentel"
Featured in TIME for Kids, "Fighting for Change"
Annette Bay Pimentel, Guest Post on the Disability Tribune Blog , "The People United Will Never Be Defeated"
Interview with Annette Bay Pimentel, The Kathryn Zox Show- "Disability Rights"
Interview with Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, The Armchair Advocate
For Educators and Librarians
Click the image to download a Common Core Aligned Educator guide for grades 1—5 below.
Visit our hub for activity kits, educator guides, and more here.
Visit our hub for activity kits, educator guides, and more here.
The Story
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As a young girl in the early 80s, Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, diagnosed with cerebral palsy two years after she was born, realized that she wasn’t treated equally compared to her able-bodied peers and friends. She is stopped by the lack of ramps to buildings at school, not allowed to eat lunch with her friends, and shunned by her peers.
Eager to prove that she can do anything everyone else can, Jennifer joined the disability rights movement and participated in her first protest when she is six years old. She is arrested for the first time when she is seven. Soon, Jennifer decided to participate in the Capitol Crawl, a public demonstration by disability activists to convince lawmakers to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Adult disability activists told Jennifer that she was too young. That it would be too difficult. But Jennifer was determined to represent kids with disabilities. So she climbed. Publishing on the 30th anniversary of the Capitol Crawl and the passing of the ADA, All the Way to the Top chronicles the life of Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins and her determination to fight for disability rights, even after the Capitol Crawl. With a foreword by Jennifer and backmatter covering the specifics of her life and the history of the disability rights movement, this important picture book shines a light on youth activism and disability rights and inspire young readers to speak up for what is right. |
A Q&A with Author Annette Bay Pimentel
How did you discover Jennifer’s story?
About three years ago I was startled to notice that several books for kids were being published about historical events in the 1980s and 1990s. That's history for kids, but for me it was my young adulthood.
I decided I should write about something from that time that I remember being important. As soon as I had posed the question that way, I knew what I wanted to write about: the Americans with Disabilities Act. I had classmates at UC Berkeley in the mid-1980s who managed to navigate campus life with disabilities, but it wasn't easy for them. A few years later I had watched the news coverage about the ADA with great interest, thinking about my college acquaintances, and was very happy to see it pass. Then I had watched the world of public spaces radically transform in the next few years, making space for people with disabilities. I saw cut-away curbs, Braille elevator panels, and close-captioning on movies. My children attended school with kids with disabilities--something that was unthinkable in the elementary school I attended. I realized that kids today probably had no idea that the world had once been so different.
So I went looking for a way into telling the story of the ADA. It didn't take me very long to find the Capitol Crawl and Jennifer. I knew that hers was a story I wanted to tell, but only if she was willing to tell it with me. It took some detective work to find a way to contact her, but she has been open, generous, and enthusiastic about sharing her story with kids.
Why did you want to write about her story?
I love stories of people who are relatively unknown but whose courageous actions have an outsize impact—people who nudge the world in new directions. Jennifer's courage and determination as a child inspired me, and I think it will inspire lots of kids to know that an eight-year-old can make a difference in the world.
How did the writing process go? Did you bounce ideas off of Jennifer as you went?
I always knew that the Capitol Crawl would come near the end of the book—it's a dramatic and important moment. But it was tricky to know what needed to come earlier in the book. Jennifer's life—like anyone else's—is complex and multi-faceted. I had to leave out lots of fascinating bits, which is always painful.
For a few drafts, I tried to continue Jennifer's story well past the Capitol Crawl. After all, she has continued to be an activist, and today there continue to be issues of access for people with disabilities. But ultimately, a picture book cannot sprawl. It has to choose the ground it will occupy, and do that as well as it can.
I worked with Jennifer throughout the process. She did formal interviews with me as well as many telephone and email exchanges to answer particular questions. She and her family were unfailingly patient and helpful as I tried to make sure I got her story just right. I never could have done this particular book without Jennifer's help and, frankly, I would not have wanted to. It is Jennifer's story.
Anything else unique or impactful you can share?
Many other people have been inspired by Jennifer. Her relative Tom Olin, a disability rights photographer, has over the years taken many stunning portraits of Jennifer in action at demonstrations. The sculptor Gina Klawitter is including a sculpture of Jennifer in her series of people with disabilities. And many teachers and librarians have told me how excited they are to have this book coming out so they can share it with their students.
About three years ago I was startled to notice that several books for kids were being published about historical events in the 1980s and 1990s. That's history for kids, but for me it was my young adulthood.
I decided I should write about something from that time that I remember being important. As soon as I had posed the question that way, I knew what I wanted to write about: the Americans with Disabilities Act. I had classmates at UC Berkeley in the mid-1980s who managed to navigate campus life with disabilities, but it wasn't easy for them. A few years later I had watched the news coverage about the ADA with great interest, thinking about my college acquaintances, and was very happy to see it pass. Then I had watched the world of public spaces radically transform in the next few years, making space for people with disabilities. I saw cut-away curbs, Braille elevator panels, and close-captioning on movies. My children attended school with kids with disabilities--something that was unthinkable in the elementary school I attended. I realized that kids today probably had no idea that the world had once been so different.
So I went looking for a way into telling the story of the ADA. It didn't take me very long to find the Capitol Crawl and Jennifer. I knew that hers was a story I wanted to tell, but only if she was willing to tell it with me. It took some detective work to find a way to contact her, but she has been open, generous, and enthusiastic about sharing her story with kids.
Why did you want to write about her story?
I love stories of people who are relatively unknown but whose courageous actions have an outsize impact—people who nudge the world in new directions. Jennifer's courage and determination as a child inspired me, and I think it will inspire lots of kids to know that an eight-year-old can make a difference in the world.
How did the writing process go? Did you bounce ideas off of Jennifer as you went?
I always knew that the Capitol Crawl would come near the end of the book—it's a dramatic and important moment. But it was tricky to know what needed to come earlier in the book. Jennifer's life—like anyone else's—is complex and multi-faceted. I had to leave out lots of fascinating bits, which is always painful.
For a few drafts, I tried to continue Jennifer's story well past the Capitol Crawl. After all, she has continued to be an activist, and today there continue to be issues of access for people with disabilities. But ultimately, a picture book cannot sprawl. It has to choose the ground it will occupy, and do that as well as it can.
I worked with Jennifer throughout the process. She did formal interviews with me as well as many telephone and email exchanges to answer particular questions. She and her family were unfailingly patient and helpful as I tried to make sure I got her story just right. I never could have done this particular book without Jennifer's help and, frankly, I would not have wanted to. It is Jennifer's story.
Anything else unique or impactful you can share?
Many other people have been inspired by Jennifer. Her relative Tom Olin, a disability rights photographer, has over the years taken many stunning portraits of Jennifer in action at demonstrations. The sculptor Gina Klawitter is including a sculpture of Jennifer in her series of people with disabilities. And many teachers and librarians have told me how excited they are to have this book coming out so they can share it with their students.
The Contributors:
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Annette Bay Pimentel has published two picture book biographies: Mountain Chef (Charlesbridge, 2016) about a Chinese American who helped inspire the creation of the National Park Service which won the Carter G. Woodson Award, and Girl, Running (Nancy Paulson, 2018) about the first female to run the Boston Marathon, which was a JLG pick and received a starred review. Annette lives in Moscow, Idaho.
You can learn more about Annette at annettebaypimentel.com and follow her on Twitter @AnnettePimentel and on Instagram @annettebaypimentel. |
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Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins joined the disability rights movement at the age of six and has been a passionate advocate ever since. In 1990, she received the Americans With Disabilities Act Award. Jennifer received her GED in 2002 before earning a B.S. in Family and Human Development from Arizona State University, which she plans to use to help children with disability rights advocacy. She lives in Colorado with her mother, Cynthia Keelan, and her service dog Mya.
Visit Jennifer's website at jkclegacy.com. |
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Nabi H. Ali is an illustrator of Tamil descent based in Orange County, California. He enjoys creating works that foster inclusivity and intersectionality in art and media. His hobbies include painting, researching South Asian culture, and writing poetry.
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All the Way to Freedom
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All the Way to Freedom is a sculpture by Denver artist Gina Klawitter formed directly from the posed body of Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins.
Gina’s sculpture (representing Jennifer’s adult life struggles) demonstrates both Jennifer’s power and the obstacles she and others still strive to overcome. The lower left side of the art symbolizes psychological barriers, such as the general public's interpretation of a wheelchair as an indication of incompetency and pity. (Jennifer digs that the art shows her as her own human being, separate from the chair.) The steps on the right represent remaining physical barriers. Learn more about Gina’s ADA art project. Gina Klawitter invented her method of forming sculptures from live models by quickly shaping and hardening fabric over their posed bodies. She's been doing this for about 2 years. Projects include a series with Colorado Ballet dancers for exhibit in CB's Armstrong Center for dance. Also, sculptures of Paralympians for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Visitor Center. Gina's goal for her art practice is to promote a more inclusive world that celebrates both differences and common humanity. Learn more about Gina's work here. |
