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Who Was . . . ? Series
Who Was Harvey Milk?
Learn about one of the most influential leaders in the fight for gay rights.
Although he started out as a teacher without aspirations to be an activist or politician, Harvey Milk found himself captivated by the history-making movements of the 1960s. He would eventually make history of his own by becoming the first openly gay elected politician in California. While in office, Harvey Milk advocated for equal rights for the gay community.
Even though his life and career were cut short, Harvey is still seen by many as one of the most famous and most significantly open LGBT officials ever elected in the United States. His life and legacy continue to inspire and unite the community.
Although he started out as a teacher without aspirations to be an activist or politician, Harvey Milk found himself captivated by the history-making movements of the 1960s. He would eventually make history of his own by becoming the first openly gay elected politician in California. While in office, Harvey Milk advocated for equal rights for the gay community.
Even though his life and career were cut short, Harvey is still seen by many as one of the most famous and most significantly open LGBT officials ever elected in the United States. His life and legacy continue to inspire and unite the community.
112 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2020
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154 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 29, 2023
Harvey Milk was a gay man who sought public office and won. He opened many doors for gay politicians who followed.
July 18, 2021
3.5, rounded up.
For about two years, I was obsessed with Harvey Milk. We're talking hardcore obsessed - I even went to San Francisco for a research trip and interviewed some of his friends. I still have a box under my bed with photocopies of a bunch of his personal letters. I was planning to write a book that covered his personal life more than Randy Shilts' "The Mayor of Castro Street" did, and maybe one day I still will. So yeah, I'm a Harvey Milk nerd.
This is a pretty good basic biography that would be appropriate for maybe fourth grade onward. I liked the attention it paid to his childhood and how he was influenced by being a Jewish kid during WWII. There's some major, perhaps necessary, bowdlerization of Harvey's adolescent discovery of his sexuality. (He didn't just "recognize" that some men at the opera "were similar to him in a special way," he hooked up with adult men at the opera as a young teenager.) The book does a good job of covering his many career changes and all the times he moved to a different state, not easy to do in a book that's just over a hundred pages.
Onto my particular area of interest, the boyfriends. The portrayal of Harvey's relationship with Joe Campbell is very sweet, but skips over all of Joe's mental health problems and why Harvey and Joe broke up. A few more lines of biographical information about Scott Smith would have been helpful, because the book doesn't give you much sense of what he was like as a person. John Harvey, Joe Campbell, and Scott Smith are the only boyfriends who get mentioned here. It would have been a good historical note to mention Harvey's relationship with Craig Rodwell, who later became a notable gay rights activist and was at Stonewall. Jack Galen McKinley is omitted, probably because it's awkward for a kid's book to bring up a thirty-four-year-old dating a sixteen-year-old.
The really huge omission is Jack Lira, Harvey's unstable boyfriend who hanged himself while Harvey was in office. I get that suicide is not really a comfortable topic to discuss with children, but Jack and his suicide is such a big thing to leave out of a Harvey Milk biography for any audience. Since when do biographies leave out the life and death of one of the subject's partners?
The book really excels in its portrayal of Harvey's personality, and in describing the ins and outs of San Francisco politics in a way that's easy to follow. I like that it didn't make the usual amateur mistakes about Dan White; it doesn't suggest homophobia played a part in the murders, and it doesn't propagate the "Twinkie Defense" urban legend. (I have boatloads of sympathy for his wife, Mary Ann, so I also liked that it mentioned that she was instrumental in his turning himself in to the police.) By the end of the book, the reader has a good sense of why Harvey Milk was important, both in the history of San Francisco and in the history of gay Americans.
A nitpick, because I'm a nerd. The description of Medora Payne as a Catholic schoolgirl was a mistake in "The Mayor of Castro Street" and is repeated here. In the course of my research, she and I e-mailed several times; she's never been Catholic and she didn't go to Catholic school.
Decent introduction to Harvey Milk for kids who are too young to watch the 2008 movie.
For about two years, I was obsessed with Harvey Milk. We're talking hardcore obsessed - I even went to San Francisco for a research trip and interviewed some of his friends. I still have a box under my bed with photocopies of a bunch of his personal letters. I was planning to write a book that covered his personal life more than Randy Shilts' "The Mayor of Castro Street" did, and maybe one day I still will. So yeah, I'm a Harvey Milk nerd.
This is a pretty good basic biography that would be appropriate for maybe fourth grade onward. I liked the attention it paid to his childhood and how he was influenced by being a Jewish kid during WWII. There's some major, perhaps necessary, bowdlerization of Harvey's adolescent discovery of his sexuality. (He didn't just "recognize" that some men at the opera "were similar to him in a special way," he hooked up with adult men at the opera as a young teenager.) The book does a good job of covering his many career changes and all the times he moved to a different state, not easy to do in a book that's just over a hundred pages.
Onto my particular area of interest, the boyfriends. The portrayal of Harvey's relationship with Joe Campbell is very sweet, but skips over all of Joe's mental health problems and why Harvey and Joe broke up. A few more lines of biographical information about Scott Smith would have been helpful, because the book doesn't give you much sense of what he was like as a person. John Harvey, Joe Campbell, and Scott Smith are the only boyfriends who get mentioned here. It would have been a good historical note to mention Harvey's relationship with Craig Rodwell, who later became a notable gay rights activist and was at Stonewall. Jack Galen McKinley is omitted, probably because it's awkward for a kid's book to bring up a thirty-four-year-old dating a sixteen-year-old.
The really huge omission is Jack Lira, Harvey's unstable boyfriend who hanged himself while Harvey was in office. I get that suicide is not really a comfortable topic to discuss with children, but Jack and his suicide is such a big thing to leave out of a Harvey Milk biography for any audience. Since when do biographies leave out the life and death of one of the subject's partners?
The book really excels in its portrayal of Harvey's personality, and in describing the ins and outs of San Francisco politics in a way that's easy to follow. I like that it didn't make the usual amateur mistakes about Dan White; it doesn't suggest homophobia played a part in the murders, and it doesn't propagate the "Twinkie Defense" urban legend. (I have boatloads of sympathy for his wife, Mary Ann, so I also liked that it mentioned that she was instrumental in his turning himself in to the police.) By the end of the book, the reader has a good sense of why Harvey Milk was important, both in the history of San Francisco and in the history of gay Americans.
A nitpick, because I'm a nerd. The description of Medora Payne as a Catholic schoolgirl was a mistake in "The Mayor of Castro Street" and is repeated here. In the course of my research, she and I e-mailed several times; she's never been Catholic and she didn't go to Catholic school.
Decent introduction to Harvey Milk for kids who are too young to watch the 2008 movie.
January 30, 2021
Did you know...
-That Harvey's family was Jewish?
-that he had a High School named after him?
-that he was known as the class clown?
-that he had a celebratory day named after him?
Check out his awesome story of life, love, laughter, and drive!
-That Harvey's family was Jewish?
-that he had a High School named after him?
-that he was known as the class clown?
-that he had a celebratory day named after him?
Check out his awesome story of life, love, laughter, and drive!
June 15, 2023
I first learned about Harvey Milk in the 2008 movie Milk starring Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, and Lucas Grabeel. I worked at Blockbuster at the time, and I remember the movie being incredibly popular.
So I had a basic idea of who he was, but mostly just recalled that he was a Gay politician and activist who was assassinated in the 70s in California. Who Was Harvey Milk was a great way to fill in some of the gaps. The book starts with his growing up as a Jewish child during World War II, studying to be a teacher, his work as a teacher and photo developer, and finally his change to being a politician, all while being a Gay man.
The Who Is/Was series is geared towards elementary aged children, but it still provides a good groundwork for learning about the person featured. I am around 4x the age of the demographic, but the book still held a lot of educational value. In addition to providing details of Milk's life, there were also information on Judaism, World War II and the Holocaust, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", Gay and Lesbian Rights in the US, The Teamsters, the "Hope" Speech, Dianne Feinstein, and What Does LGBTQ+ Stand For? These little breaks from the biographical story helps to add context to Milk's life, and are written in an age appropriate way to describe some complex events.
So I had a basic idea of who he was, but mostly just recalled that he was a Gay politician and activist who was assassinated in the 70s in California. Who Was Harvey Milk was a great way to fill in some of the gaps. The book starts with his growing up as a Jewish child during World War II, studying to be a teacher, his work as a teacher and photo developer, and finally his change to being a politician, all while being a Gay man.
The Who Is/Was series is geared towards elementary aged children, but it still provides a good groundwork for learning about the person featured. I am around 4x the age of the demographic, but the book still held a lot of educational value. In addition to providing details of Milk's life, there were also information on Judaism, World War II and the Holocaust, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", Gay and Lesbian Rights in the US, The Teamsters, the "Hope" Speech, Dianne Feinstein, and What Does LGBTQ+ Stand For? These little breaks from the biographical story helps to add context to Milk's life, and are written in an age appropriate way to describe some complex events.
April 10, 2025
Summary: Who Was Harvey Milk? By Corrine A. Grinpol is a book about Harvey Milk who was one of
the first openly gay people elected to public office in the U.S. He worked hard to make the world fairer
and accepting before his life was tragically cut short.
Commentary: As someone who supports LGBTQ+ I feel it is important for children to know the history
and the obstacles that many overcame. This book is formatted to be honest and hopeful without being too
heavy for a child. The themes that this book conveys are, LGBTQ+ rights, equality, activism, civil rights,
perseverance, hope (ChatGPT, 2025)
Application: In my classroom I would use this book during Pride Month. I would have students create a
timeline of LGBQ+ history and map out important dates for LGBQ+. I can use YouTube to listen to a
read-aloud of this book. This book is suggested for ages 8-12 years-old (Amazon, 2025) but I think this
book will be appropriate for ages 10 and up due to a child not comprehending the subject.
the first openly gay people elected to public office in the U.S. He worked hard to make the world fairer
and accepting before his life was tragically cut short.
Commentary: As someone who supports LGBTQ+ I feel it is important for children to know the history
and the obstacles that many overcame. This book is formatted to be honest and hopeful without being too
heavy for a child. The themes that this book conveys are, LGBTQ+ rights, equality, activism, civil rights,
perseverance, hope (ChatGPT, 2025)
Application: In my classroom I would use this book during Pride Month. I would have students create a
timeline of LGBQ+ history and map out important dates for LGBQ+. I can use YouTube to listen to a
read-aloud of this book. This book is suggested for ages 8-12 years-old (Amazon, 2025) but I think this
book will be appropriate for ages 10 and up due to a child not comprehending the subject.
March 19, 2021
Who Was Harvey Milk? by Corinne A. Grinapol
Published May 19, 2020
<3
Learn about one of the most influential leaders in the fight for gay rights.
Although he started out as a teacher without aspirations to be an activist or politician, Harvey Milk found himself captivated by the history-making movements of the 1960s. He would eventually make history of his own by becoming the first openly gay elected politician in California. While in office, Harvey Milk advocated for equal rights for the gay community.
Even though his life and career were cut short, Harvey is still seen by many as one of the most famous and most significantly open LGBT officials ever elected in the United States. His life and legacy continue to inspire and unite the community.
Published May 19, 2020
<3
Learn about one of the most influential leaders in the fight for gay rights.
Although he started out as a teacher without aspirations to be an activist or politician, Harvey Milk found himself captivated by the history-making movements of the 1960s. He would eventually make history of his own by becoming the first openly gay elected politician in California. While in office, Harvey Milk advocated for equal rights for the gay community.
Even though his life and career were cut short, Harvey is still seen by many as one of the most famous and most significantly open LGBT officials ever elected in the United States. His life and legacy continue to inspire and unite the community.
February 16, 2021
Read for my Libraries, Literature, and the Child class. Part of the popular Who Was? series, this brief biography of Harvey Milk includes illustrations, information on simultaneous and related historical events, as well as a detailed timeline at the end of the book. Harvey Milk’s story includes heavy topics such as homophobia, anti-Semitism, and death via gun violence. However, the overall message is one of hope and inspiration, encouraging readers to be accepting and stand up for what is right. I actually really enjoyed reading this quick-bite biography, and I think I might try reading more in the series!
May 28, 2022
Now don't think that Harvey Milk invented milk so he was a little boy and everybody said that it's was unusual boy because his nose weird and his ears and he was a young Jewish boy who like listening to Opera Opera and playing football he was a fan of playing football and he was also a politician and I keep on forgetting it who advocated for gay rights in San Francisco San Francisco and California to and you do for one of the most openly gay man to run for plus the show office in the United States it's interesting book you should read it but once again he did not invent milk
who-hq
July 19, 2020Assassinated by Dan White, fellow Supervisor of San Francisco who had resigned his seat but wanted his seat back. White used Twinkie defense, was sentenced to 7 years for manslaughter leading to White Night Riots
June 8, 2021
It was a really good book about the life of a man named Harvey Milk. I learned many facts about him. It was really good because of how they told the story like it was an actual story. This is why I liked this book.
January 19, 2022
This was a very informative book. It tells the background of Mr. Harvey Milk a gay rights activist. It goes from his childhood to his death showing the reader his progression in life as an activist in the LGBT community. It was well written and easy to follow.
November 27, 2022
The first part of the book is great. Well written with a lot of sensitive information.
Unfortunately, the end of the book give too much information about LGBTQ+ is too much for young, impressionable children.
Unfortunately, the end of the book give too much information about LGBTQ+ is too much for young, impressionable children.
September 1, 2020
Always like these "Who Was" series. Good simple way to learn about people in the world.
January 26, 2022
🏳️🌈Excellent quick read about a fascinating man. Good for teaching the power of boycotting and team work.
February 20, 2022
cus y1 prompt 22 free book
short straight to the facts. i enjoyed it.
short straight to the facts. i enjoyed it.
April 9, 2022
Informative children's book, we enjoyed learning about this
June 13, 2022
The best Audiobook on CD about the late Harvey Bernard Milk (05/22/1930-11/27/1978)!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2023
Very short read but a good overview
December 5, 2023
4.25 a near perfect overview a the write balance of personal and professional with the weaving of his larger place in sf and national history. Also an indecisive yet motivated KING
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2025
Another short biography of a a leading 20th century figure. Listening Library has factual and short bios on people we may not remember ro know enough FACTS about.
February 1, 2023
A good read to learn about Harvey Milk. The book narrates both the personal and political life of Harvey with more weight on his political achievements.
December 1, 2022
Condences the life of Harvey Milk, Essential reading
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews