The Bravest Woman in America is a children's picture book written by Marissa Moss and illustrated by Andrea U'Ren. It centers on a girl who loves the The Bravest Woman in America is a children's picture book written by Marissa Moss and illustrated by Andrea U'Ren. It centers on a girl who loves the sea becomes keeper and protector of those on the water.
Idawalley Zoradia "Ida" Lewis was an American lighthouse keeper noted for her heroism in rescuing people from the seas.
Moss' text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Moss' short, stirring biography of 19th-century lighthouse keeper Ida Lewis centers on her first rescue, off the coast of Rhode Island. Backmatter includes an author's note reveals how Lewis went on to rescue others, receiving the Congressional Life Saving Medal and additional awards. U'Ren's bold, mixed-media illustrations capture the power and many moods of the sea, from calm ultramarine to the foam-topped dark slate and deep green of stormy waters.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Lewis took over keeping duties at Lime Rock from her ailing father when she was a teenager, who has spent her life near the ocean. After Lewis sees a boat with four boys capsize, a descriptive, dramatic narrative relates how she speeds into action, rowing to the scene and hauling each one into her craft.
All in all, The Bravest Woman in America is a good starter biography of what America at that time, called her the Bravest Woman in America....more
Around America to Win the Vote: Two Suffragists, a Kitten, and 10,000 Miles is a children's picture book written by Mara Rockliff and illustrated by HAround America to Win the Vote: Two Suffragists, a Kitten, and 10,000 Miles is a children's picture book written by Mara Rockliff and illustrated by Hadley Hooper. It introduces Nell Richardson and Alice Burke, whose five-month, 10,000-mile crusade for women's voting rights drew crowds and made colorful newspaper copy in 1916.
Rockliff's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. In an account as lively as it is informative, it retells a daring, dangerous, and successful publicity stunt undertaken to promote women's voting rights. Backmatter includes historical note, source note, and bibliography of children's titles. Hooper's airy mixed-media illustrations use brayered swaths of color to back lively vignettes of the activists consulting maps, pushing their stuck car out of the mud, or stopping to stick a daffodil behind a horse's ear.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. With car travel in its infancy, suffragists Nell Richardson and Alice Burke – accompanied them is Saxon, a black kitten, a typewriter, and a sewing machine. They set off on an around-the-country automobile tour to draw attention to the women's suffrage movement. The pair met with schoolchildren, attended parties, before completing a circuit around the perimeter of the United States.
All in all, Around America to Win the Vote: Two Suffragists, a Kitten, and 10,000 Miles is a lively look at the ingenuity of women suffragists near the end of their long road to the vote....more
Stories for South Asian Supergirls: A Treasure Trove of 50 Illustrated Biographies of Amazing South Asian Women is a children's picture book anthologyStories for South Asian Supergirls: A Treasure Trove of 50 Illustrated Biographies of Amazing South Asian Women is a children's picture book anthology of mini-biographies written by Raj Kaur Khaira and illustrated by Anu Chouhan, Deepikah R. Bhardwaj, Kokila Bhattacharya, Meenal Patel, Nazrina Rodjan, Poonam Saini, Raj Kaur, Sandeep Johal, Suman Kaur, and Vinny Soor. It is a collection of fifty tributes of influential South-Asian Women.
For the most part, this treasury is written and constructed extremely well – it is far from perfect, but comes rather close. In no particular order, these fifty mini-biographies is a two-page spread with a two-columned biographical text on the left page and a full-page portrait on the right done by one of the ten South-Asian women artist listed above. Backmatter includes a timeline with introductions to the ten artists of the anthology.
Khaira had chosen fifty influential women from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Bhutan. The women tribute ranges from a diverse background from a prominent suffragette, an Indian princess, prime ministers, authors, and everything in-between. In short, it is a wonderful collection of biographies that redresses the imbalance for young girls of color. Furthermore, it is illustrated by ten renowned South Asian women artists.
All in all, Stories for South Asian Supergirls: A Treasure Trove of 50 Illustrated Biographies of Amazing South Asian Women is a wonderful collection of inspirational mini-biographies, who just happens to be women from South Asian descent....more
Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women is a middle grade picture anthology of mini-biographies written by Catherine ThimmGirls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women is a middle grade picture anthology of mini-biographies written by Catherine Thimmesh and illustrated by Melissa Sweet. It is a compilation of short biographies of seventeen inventors that happens to be women.
For the most part, this biographic anthology is written and constructed rather well. These biographies range from Ruth Wakefield – inventor of the chocolate chip cookies to Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen – creators of Roominate. Thimmesh had selected a group of diverse innovators from around the world and different walks of life.
These seventeen mini-biographies in fifteen sections cover approximately four pages of written work with mini-portraits and associated illustrations done by Sweet. Backmatter includes a timeline with many more women inventors, selected bibliography, glossary, and index.
The women that Thimmesh had chosen are: Virginia Apgar, Ruth Wakefield, Anna Stork and Andrea Sreshta, Mary Anderson, Azza Abdelhamid Faiad, Stephanie Kwolek, Alissa Chavez, Grace Murray Hooper, Trisha Prabhu, Margaret E. Knight, Patricia Bath, Jeanne Lee Crews, Kiara Nirghin, Patsy O. Sherman, Ann More, and Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen.
All in all, Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women is a wonderful collection of mini-biographies of ingenious women whose inventions had made life simpler and better....more
Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement is an autobiography memoir written by Tarana Burke. It is a soul-baring memoir byUnbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement is an autobiography memoir written by Tarana Burke. It is a soul-baring memoir by one the most significant social activists of the past two decades.
Tarana Burke is an American activist from The Bronx, New York, who started the Me Too movement. In 2006, Burke began using metoo to help other women with similar experiences to stand up for themselves.
Burke reflects on her path from being a young, Black girl in the Bronx to becoming a globally recognized activist. In evocative prose, she reflects on the way her trauma fractured her sense of self and is equally forthcoming about her moments of courage and uncertainty. Most memorable is the intense love and respect that comes through in her recollections of the young people who have trusted her with their own painful stories.
Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement is written extremely well – it is far from perfect, but comes rather close. It is intensely moving and unapologetically frank, Burke’s fearless memoir will uplift and inspire the next generation of survivors, advocates, and truth-tellers. Burke's reckoning with her painful past becomes the blueprint for "me too." Told with candor and deep vulnerability, this story is raw and sobering but also a source of healing and hope for other survivors.
All in all, Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement is an unforgettable page-turner of a life story rendered with endless grace and grit....more
Trigger Warning: Incest, Rape, and Sexual Violence.
Drawing Power: Women's Stories of Sexual Violence, Harassment, and Survival is a collection of overTrigger Warning: Incest, Rape, and Sexual Violence.
Drawing Power: Women's Stories of Sexual Violence, Harassment, and Survival is a collection of over sixty autobiographical comics collected and edited by Diane Noomin with and introduction by Roxane Gay. The #MeToo is elaborated as a movement, not just a moment, in this diverse, unblinkingly honest anthology of sixty-three autobiographical comics.
For the most part this anthology is written constructed rather well. Each short piece, ranging from a few panels to a few pages, explores the specific cartoonist's experiences of sexual harassment, abuse, and violence in varying art styles and approaches – most don't come to a clear resolution. However, the focus is on exposure rather than neatly sewing up a raw experience. Yet whether they are optimistic or nihilistic, abstract or exactingly inked, each entry presents its own startling truth.
The strength of this collection comes from its diversity both of breadth and depth. The anecdotes shared cover a wide range of experiences from a wide range of voices from queer, trans, non-binary, POC from around the world.
Like most anthologies there are weaker contributions and Drawing Power: Women's Stories of Sexual Violence, Harassment, and Survival is not an exception. To be clear, it is not the stories that the problems lay, albeit it was a tad repetitive in some cases, but in its construction. Granted some art is better than others as there were a few that was difficult to decipher, but also some comics felt a tad too cluttered, which made the reading experience difficult.
All in all, Drawing Power: Women's Stories of Sexual Violence, Harassment, and Survival is a powerful testimony to the strength of women who has suffered through sexual violence, survived it, and stood up to tell their stories....more
Medusa is a graphic novel written by Jessie Burton and illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill. The Medusa myth is given new shading and depth in a feminiMedusa is a graphic novel written by Jessie Burton and illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill. The Medusa myth is given new shading and depth in a feminist retelling that homes in on the heart of a young girl punished unfairly for being herself.
After being banished, Medusa lives with only her winged sisters for company on a hidden desert island until Perseus, a son of Zeus, arrives to bring light to her lonely days. In her hunger for the sustenance of the connection she’s been denied, Medusa reconsiders the status quo and her relentlessly cruel treatment by both men and gods.
Medusa is written and constructed rather well. The first-person narration quickly builds connection with readers as Medusa begins to examine her own autonomy and her need to tell her story to a stranger. Burton delves into the lingering trauma of sexual assault and toxic gender roles in a visceral call to empathy, with surprising twists on the original story. Some messages can veer toward heavy-handedness when they shift away from Medusa's own distinct perspective. Gill's sublime full-page illustrations with richness in texture and color give the impression of a rediscovered ancient manuscript or mural.
All in all, Medusa is a smart re-imagining of an ancient tale that questions old tropes....more
Leontyne Price: Voice of a Century is a children's picture book written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Raúl Colón. Rising from the MiLeontyne Price: Voice of a Century is a children's picture book written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Raúl Colón. Rising from the Mississippi Delta to the stages of the Metropolitan Opera and La Scala, Price had a groundbreaking operatic career.
Mary Violet Leontyne Price is an American soprano who was the first African American soprano to receive international acclaim.
Weatherford's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. While Weatherford addresses the barriers Price faced, her love of music and the presence of those who supported her are deeply felt. Backmatter includes an extensive author’s note. Colón works in subdued blues, browns, and creams, textured with the fine lines that are his trademark. Yet when Price sings, fiery, vibrant shapes represent the music pouring out of her as she appears on stage.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Her musical path began in the segregated South where, as a child, she was inspired by hymns, opera music on the radio, and the success of Marian Anderson. Price’s natural talent eventually led her to Juilliard, theatres, and television.
All in all, Leontyne Price: Voice of a Century is a beautiful biography of a wonderful opera singer – Leontyne Price....more
The Cancer Journals is a collection of prose, poems, and selected journal entries written by Audre Lorde with an introduction by Tracy K. Smith. It deThe Cancer Journals is a collection of prose, poems, and selected journal entries written by Audre Lorde with an introduction by Tracy K. Smith. It deals with her struggle with breast cancer and relates it to her strong advocacy and identity in certain social issues such as lesbian, civil rights, and feminist issues.
Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, at least in my part of the world, I thought it would apropos to read this now. Furthermore, this year (2021) my mother celebrates five years remission from her battle with breast cancer.
Audre Lorde was an American writer, feminist, womanist, librarian, and civil rights activist. She was a self-described black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet, who dedicated both her life and her creative talent to confronting and addressing injustices of racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia.
In her mid-40s, Lorde was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a radical mastectomy. Through prose, poems, and selected journal entries beginning six months after the surgery, the author explores the anger, pain, and fear that her illness wrought. Her recovery was characterized by resistance and learning to love her body again.
Lorde confronts tough questions, including the role of holistic and alternative treatments and whether her cancer and its recurrence were preventable. She writes of eschewing "superficial spirituality" and repeatedly rejecting the use of prosthesis because it felt like "a lie" at precisely the time she was seeking new ways of strength and trying to find the courage to tell the truth.
The Cancer Journals is written extremely well – it is far from perfect, but comes rather close. After many decades, this collection remains a raw reckoning with illness and death as well as a challenge to the conventional expectations of women with cancer. Universally, Lorde's rage and the clarity that follows offer readers a blueprint for facing mortality and living boldly in the little time we have. In short, it is an empowering compilation, which is equal parts heartbreaking, beautiful, and timeless.
This particular edition contains an introduction by Tracy K. Smith. Smith explores the inner thoughts of Lorde and how her collection of prose, poetry, and journal entries impacted the ways women and eventually the medical industry views women with breast cancer.
All in all, The Cancer Journals showcases Lorde's big heart and fierce mind in this deeply personal and deeply political collection....more
Wonderful Women of the World is an anthology of nineteen comic vignettes biographies of wonderful women of the world, collected, edited, and an introdWonderful Women of the World is an anthology of nineteen comic vignettes biographies of wonderful women of the world, collected, edited, and an introduction by Laurie Halse Anderson. It tells, in comic fashion, real women who are just as much as superhero as the one who grace the cover.
For the most part, this collection of comic vignettes was written and constructed rather well. This compelling graphic collection features nineteen women from all walks of life and divided into five sections of roughly four biographies under each section: Strength (4), Compassion (4), Justice (3), Truth (4), and Equality (4). This anthology is filled to the brim with beautiful artwork and sincere interpretations of key moments in these women’s lives that had an impact on humanity.
Like most anthologies there are weaker contributions and Wonderful Women of the World is not an exception. It is not so much as weaker entries, it just that each entry has a different creative team (writer and illustrator), which makes the anthology as a whole felt rather hodgepodge as talent differs wildly, but done rather well nevertheless – just some creative teams better than others.
Entries includes: Serena Williams, Teara Fraser, Malala Yousafzai, Leiomy Maldonado, Brené Brown, Beyoncé, Mari Copeny, Mariana Costa Checa, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Greta Thunberg, Edith Windsor, Khatijah Mohamad Yusoff, Francisca Nneka Okeke, Judith Heumann, Mácia Barbosa, Ellen Ochoa, Naomi Watanabe, Marsha P. Johnson, and Keiko Agena. Additionally, there are five portraits, which is just a page dedicated to that particular woman: Jenette Kahn, Mary Seacole, Wilma Mankiller, Ada Lovelace, and Venus Williams.
All in all, Wonderful Women of the World is a wonderful anthology of biographical vignettes that is showcases women from around the world and from all walks of life that has influenced the world for the better....more
Fight Night is a contemporary written by Miriam Toews. It is a story of a women's self-determination in this indelible and darkly hilarious portrait oFight Night is a contemporary written by Miriam Toews. It is a story of a women's self-determination in this indelible and darkly hilarious portrait of an unforgettable Toronto family told through the eyes of a child.
This book is short-listed for the 2021 edition of Scotiabank Giller Prize.
After being expelled from school for fighting, Swiv grows closer to her larger-than-life grandmother, Elvira, who dives into homeschooling with gusto, convening so-called editorial meetings and devising assignments to write letters to one another.
Meanwhile, Swiv's mother, Mooshie, a pregnant actor, is prone to dramatic and sometimes violent mood swings, leading Swiv to fear Mooshie might succumb to the same mental illness that led to her aunt’s and grandfather's suicides. The harder-edged Mooshie and the exuberant Elvira are both brash and fearless, traits that alternately embarrass and inspire Swiv.
Fight Night is written extremely well – it is far from perfect, but comes rather close. Framed as a long letter to Swiv's absent father in her brisk, matter-of-fact voice, it also features letters to her mother and others. Through these women's letters and stories, readers glimpse histories of grief, loss, and abuse. The moving conclusion, which has its roots in a plan for Swiv and Elvira to visit family members in California, shuns sentimentality and celebrates survival.
All in all, Fight Night is a funny and sad and exquisitely tender narrative....more
Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World is a children's picture book written by Susan Hood and illustrated by Selina Alko, Sophie BlacShaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World is a children's picture book written by Susan Hood and illustrated by Selina Alko, Sophie Blackall, Lisa Brown, Hadley Hooper, Emily Winfield Martin, Oge Mora, Julie Morstad, Sara Palacios, LeUyen Pham, Erin K. Robinson, Isabel Roxas, Shadra Strickland, and Melissa Sweet. It is a collection of fourteen tributes written in simple language of women that changed the world.
Hood's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, informative, and lyrical. Multistanza poems do a fine job of encapsulating each woman's life, and they're bolstered by quotations, supplementary paragraphs, a timeline, and back matter. Backmatter includes an author's note, a timeline, and additional resources. Thirteen illustrators – taking on one tribute each, has done a nice job of encapsulating the tribute and text with many different styles.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. These encouraging profiles of astronauts, artists, and activists both honor past accomplishments and point toward ways young readers themselves might change the world, too.
The fourteen tributes mentioned are: Mary Anning, Ruby Bridges, Maya Lin, Molly Williams, Annette Kellerman, Nellie Bly, Pura Belpré, Frida Kahlo, Jacqueline and Eileen Nearne, Frances Moore Lappé, Mae Jemison, Angela Zhang, and Malala Yousafzai.
All in all, Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World is wonderful collection of inspirational women who changed the world....more
Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli is a children's picture book written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Julie Morstad. It is an exBloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli is a children's picture book written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Julie Morstad. It is an exuberant fictionalized rendering of designer Elsa Schiaparelli's early life.
Elsa Schiaparelli was an Italian fashion designer. Along with Coco Chanel, her greatest rival, she is regarded as one of the most prominent figures in fashion between the two World Wars.
Maclear's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Maclear's intimate, first-person, present-tense account begins with how the young Schiaparelli internalized her parents' affection for her beautiful older sister and their palpable disappointment in their less-attractive second child. Backmatter includes an author and illustrator's note, endnotes, and bibliography. Morstad's vivid mixed-media have an imaginativeness to match Schiaparelli's surrealistic designs and feature splashes of Schiaparelli’s trademark shade of pink.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It begins with her dreary childhood in Rome, where the bright colors of market flowers brought her joy in a family that dismissed her as ugly. Schiaparelli's passion for color and beauty never waned, and as a single mother in Paris, Schiaparelli discovered a community of artists, who helped foster her artistic identity.
All in all, Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli is a gorgeous portrayal of this 20th-century creative genius....more
Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skelton is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Meghan McCarthy. It centers on a woman that is a wDaredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skelton is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Meghan McCarthy. It centers on a woman that is a whirling daredevil who liked to go fast and broke records in aviation and auto racing.
Betty Skelton Frankman Erde was a land speed record holder and aerobatics pilot who set 17 aviation and automobile records. She was known as "The First Lady of Firsts," and helped create opportunities for women in aviation, auto racing, astronautics, and advertising.
McCarthy's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Direct quotations from Skelton fill her story with personality. In McCarthy’s succinct prose and wide-eyed acrylic cartooning, Skelton comes through as a woman eager to break barriers and try anything. Backmatter includes notable facts, additional quotes, timeline, and bibliography.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. This biography reveals a woman who embodies a need for speed. Skelton was obsessed with flying from an early age, and she made the newspapers for a solo flight on her sixteenth birthday. Skelton went on to break records on land, sea, and air, and she even had a shot at becoming the first woman in space.
All in all, Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skelton is an adventurous story about a little-known woman and highlighting her groundbreaking triumphs with respectful whimsy....more
Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World is a children's picture book written by Laurie Lawlor and illustrated by Laura Beingessner. It exploRachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World is a children's picture book written by Laurie Lawlor and illustrated by Laura Beingessner. It explores Rachel Carson's development as a scientist and writer, beginning with a childhood spent reading and exploring nature.
Rachel Louise Carson was an American marine biologist, author, and conservationist whose influential book Silent Spring and other writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement.
Lawlor's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Lawlor's quietly contemplative prose depicts Carson as a proud, conscientious woman who never allowed the constraints of her era to interfere with her convictions. Backmatter elaborates on the significance of Silent Spring with source notes. Beingessner's light-filled paint and ink illustrations have an understated, 1950s-era grace.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Carson attended college, obtaining her master's degree in biology, which was a formidable accomplishment for a woman at the time. However, despite her determination to become a scientist, she was responsible for supporting her family following the death of her father. Slowly, Carson's writing gained attention, and her dedication to protecting the environment from pollutants led to her magnum opus, Silent Spring.
All in all, Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World is a collection of unconnected facts that are dropped in to the text to help children understand her life and accomplishments....more
Milk Blood Heat is an anthology of eleven short stories written by Dantiel W. Moniz. This powerful debut collection is a wonderland of deep female chaMilk Blood Heat is an anthology of eleven short stories written by Dantiel W. Moniz. This powerful debut collection is a wonderland of deep female characters navigating their lives against the ever changeable backdrop of Northern Florida.
For the most part, this collection of short stories was written rather well. Milk Blood Heat is a smart collection of eleven short stories with themes of adolescent discovery, family strain, and temptation's dangerous appeal. Some stories end abruptly, but Moniz knows her characters well and writes with confidence throughout, letting narratives meander without losing sight of their destinations.
Like most anthologies there are weaker contributions and Milk Blood Heat is not an exception. Comparatively, there were a couple of short stories that didn't resonate well with me, but those seem like outlier in what is a wonderful collection of short stories. As mentioned, some of the stories end abruptly, while others meanders a tad too much.
All in all, Milk Blood Heat is a wonderful collection of eleven short stories that are dark and lushly layered....more
Good Girls Don't Make History is a graphic novel written by Elizabeth Kiehner and Kara Coyle and illustrated by Micaela Dawn and Mary Sanche. It highlGood Girls Don't Make History is a graphic novel written by Elizabeth Kiehner and Kara Coyle and illustrated by Micaela Dawn and Mary Sanche. It highlights the oft-told dramatic moments in the history of women's suffrage activism, from the 1840s through the 1920 ratification of the 19th Amendment, prohibiting sex-based voting discrimination.
In one fictional vignette of this nonfiction graphic novel, a modern-day girl's complaint about the length of a voting line results in her mother replying that it took nearly one hundred years to get this right.
The narrative then flashes back to the past and centers Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organizing the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, the founding meeting of the women’s rights movement in the United States.
Good Girls Don't Make History is written and constructed rather well. The narrative focuses largely on well-known white women such as Susan B. Anthony, Victoria Woodhull, Inez Milholland, and Alice Paul, as well as several portraits of Black women's suffrage activists, such as Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Sojourner Truth, and Ida B. Wells.
Luscious illustrations by Dawn present a rich range of expressions and dynamic angles. Unfortunately, the book upholds a tired narrative of white women's suffrage activism, failing to point out the large degree of racism and white supremacy present within the movement, and eliding the many significant contributions of Black women, such as Ida B. Wells' founding of the Alpha Suffrage Club.
All in all, Good Girls Don't Make History is a wonderful account of bravery, perseverance, and courage that is truly inspiring....more
Ballots for Belva: The True Story of a Woman's Race for the Presidency is a children's picture book written by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and illustratedBallots for Belva: The True Story of a Woman's Race for the Presidency is a children's picture book written by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and illustrated by Courtney A. Martin. It is centered on Belva Lockwood, a candidate for the President of the United States, during a time when women couldn't vote.
Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood was an American attorney, politician, educator, and author. She was active in working for women's rights, including women's suffrage. Lockwood overcame many social and personal obstacles related to gender restrictions. After college, she became a teacher and principal, working to equalize pay for women in education. She supported the movement for world peace, and was a proponent of the Temperance movement.
Bardhan-Quallen's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Bardhan-Quallen’s simply told narrative argues effectively for Lockwood’s place in history books. Backmatter includes an author's note, glossary, timeline, and bibliography. Martin’s illustrations are stiff and unconvincing, however, and, rather mysteriously, almost always picture Lockwood with her cat – even in law school.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. In 1884 Belva Lockwood ran for president, although as women she and her female running mate could not vote. She actually received some history-making votes in the election that Grover Cleveland won. The path to the 1884 election was not smooth: Widowed and remarried with a daughter, Belva went to law school where she was not allowed to take classes with men and where her degree was withheld until she wrote to President Grant, who was also president of the law school, and demanded her diploma. She was the first woman to practice law in federal courts and the first to argue a case before the Supreme Court.
All in all, Ballots for Belva: The True Story of a Woman's Race for the Presidency is an informative and useful biography of a little known feminist icon in Belva Lockwood....more
All In: An Autobiography is an autobiography memoir written by Billie Jean King. It centers on a tennis legend, who tells it all.
Billie Jean King (néeAll In: An Autobiography is an autobiography memoir written by Billie Jean King. It centers on a tennis legend, who tells it all.
Billie Jean King (née Moffitt) is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. King won 39 Grand Slam titles: 12 in singles, 16 in women's doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles. She often represented the United States in the Federation Cup and the Wightman Cup.
The tennis legend faces off against on-court rivalries and off-court battles for equality in her audacious memoir. King looks back on her years as a tennis superstar and winner of multiple Grand Slam titles in the 1960s and 1970s. Her exploits leading the movement to professionalize women's tennis with the Virginia Slims tour and win equality with men in tournament prize money and her celebrated 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" match, in which she beat chauvinist figure Bobby Rigg to her traumatic outing after a former female lover filed a palimony lawsuit, which cost King endorsement contracts.
All In: An Autobiography is written extremely well – it is far from perfect, but comes rather close. Vivid throughout is King's passion for the game and her obsessive will to win. She also fervidly speaks on contemporary issues from trans rights to gun control. The result is a lively and inspiring portrait of pressure-cooker play and political upheaval in tennis, from one of its most fascinating figures.
All in all, All In: An Autobiography is a memoir bristling with energy and passion....more
Heart on Fire: Susan B. Anthony Votes for President is a children's picture book written by Ann Malaspina and illustrated by Steve James. It details tHeart on Fire: Susan B. Anthony Votes for President is a children's picture book written by Ann Malaspina and illustrated by Steve James. It details the civil disobedience led by Susan B. Anthony in order to give women the vote.
Susan B. Anthony was an American social reformer and women's rights activist who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement. Born into a Quaker family committed to social equality, she collected anti-slavery petitions at the age of 17. In 1856, she became the New York state agent for the American Anti-Slavery Society.
Malaspina's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. In spare and elegant free verse, Malaspina shares a vivid act of civil disobedience. Backmatter includes an afterword and bibliography. James fills the pages with strongly modeled images and many close-ups of Susan’s face and the faces of judge, jury, police officers and followers. He makes their faces mobile and intense, so children can feel the force of these ideas as well as hear the words.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Susan B. Anthony registered to vote in Rochester, New York on November 1, 1872. She and fifteen other women cast their ballots four days later, hoping that the new 14th Amendment, which stated that "All persons born or naturalized in the United States...are citizens of the United States," would permit all women the right to vote. Instead, she was arrested and brought to trial, found guilty because women were not permitted the vote, and fined $100, which she never paid.
All in all, Heart on Fire: Susan B. Anthony Votes for President is an inspiring fodder for any year – not just on an electoral one....more
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