Sonia Sotomayor Live In Austin, Celebrating Her Children’s Book “Just Shine!” With BookPeople.

BookPeople welcomes U.S, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to Austin to celebrate Just Shine!, a new picture book described as “a sweet and powerful tale inspired by her own mother’s ability to help people see their own brilliance.” The book is a #1 New York Times bestseller and centers on a girl who “grew up in Puerto Rico with an incredible ability—she was able to make everyone around her shine.” Sotomayor says that the story shows how “helping others shine makes the whole world brighter,” tracing a life shaped by kindness, loss, and community across Puerto Rico and the United States. At this ticketed event, Sotomayor will speak about Just Shine! and ¡Solo brilla! and then sign copies, giving Austin readers the chance to hear directly from the Justice about a story praised as “a thoughtful primer on the transformative power of goodness.”

Here’s What They’re Saying About Just Shine!:

• NBC News: Inspired by her late mother’s ability to make “people feel good about themselves,” Justice Sotomayor recalls that Celina Báez Sotomayor “woke up with a smile every day” and, through small acts, helped others feel “not just important, but empowered to be themselves.” The book’s illustrated vignettes show the “unspoken ways” her mother showed love — from Puerto Rico to the U.S. — and how those lessons shaped Sotomayor’s life and work.

• PEOPLE: Sotomayor tells the story of a girl from Puerto Rico who “listened, understood, worked hard and brought out the beauty in each person she met.” Sotomayor adds: “I attribute my success to my mother and all she taught me about being a good person and treating others with respect and care,” calling the book “the story of those lessons from my mother.”

• AL DÍA: The book offers a lesson for kids navigating a heavy world, praising how the book shows that “helping others shine makes the world better” through listening, encouragement, and empathy. It focuses on “the simple ways we can help our friends shine and make the world a better place for us all.”

Meet Justice Sonia Sotomayor: Justice Sonia Sotomayor was born on June 25, 1954, in the Bronx, New York to Puerto Rican parents. She earned her B.A. from Princeton University in 1976 and went on to receive her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1979, where she served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal. Before joining the federal bench, Sotomayor served as an assistant district attorney in New York County, worked in private practice, and was appointed by Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and then the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. In 2009, President Barack Obama nominated her to the U.S. Supreme Court. Upon her confirmation, she became the first Hispanic and third woman to serve on the nation’s highest court, a historic milestone celebrated widely.

When: Wednesday, Feb. 11, 6:00 PM (check-in starts 5:15 PM) | Where: First Baptist Church of Austin | Tickets: Here.

‍