Hazel Scott

A Woman, a Piano, and a Commitment to Justice

Children - Non-Fiction
192 Pages
Reviewed on 05/09/2022
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

“Why would anyone come to hear me … and refuse to sit next to someone like me.” Profound words, but they certainly make one think. Hazel Scott was a trailblazer for African American rights in the United States. To many, however, she was known as a very popular jazz pianist. From a very young age, Hazel had the talent to perform any kind of music on the piano. Her mother taught piano and, even in her early years, Hazel could pick up the tunes she heard her mother’s students play and jazz them up. Her talent to ‘wow’ audiences went far and beyond her musical skill, and she became a legendary figure both on stage and off during the Great Depression and beyond.

Susan Engle’s young people’s biography, Hazel Scott: A Woman, a Piano, and a Commitment to Justice, is a detailed and concise look at the life of an amazing woman of the twentieth century. Written as part story, part biography, the author engages young readers in the life and times of a large figure in twentieth-century African American history. The author presents Hazel Scott as a strong, dedicated, and very talented woman, one that certainly young female readers would look up to. She sets a fine example of someone who has worked hard in their chosen field. For Hazel Scott, it was her music, and she was not afraid to stand up for what she believed in, particularly in the realm of human rights. A fascinating and powerful look at an inspiring woman.