Reviews

Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl at a Time by Tanya Lee Stone

molly_dettmann's review

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4.0

Wow. This book made me feel like I was on an emotional roller coaster. Each story filled me sadness, anger, hope, and awe. I don't know if I could watch the documentary the book was based off of! I loved the chapter that included information and inspiration for teens reading to be advocates for women's rights and how they could play a part in supporting women all over the world facing such awful violations of human rights. It was hard not to cry during each heartbreaking story. Very powerful read that should be in every library.

daydreamer80's review

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5.0

I really liked this book and as a teacher feel that think it is a great nonfiction book for middle to high schoolers. The stories have just enough details to help you empathize with their plight and motivate you to want to do something to help make things better for girls/women everywhere. I also really liked how Stone provided several organizations for one to look into to help people like the girls mentioned in the book.

annebennett1957's review

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5.0

Excellent. Should be required reading for all legislators! I am so inspired by the project I am going to look into ways that I can get involved.

salemravenart's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

5.0

likethebabyfood's review

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5.0

Empowering and eye opening. A great read for feminists! Full review coming soon.

bookbrig's review

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hopeful informative medium-paced

4.0

Great photos and really amazing stories. I wish there had been a little bit of a mention that some of these issues affect girls in the developed world too, but overall it was full of fascinating snapshots of young women. Girls are so amazing, friends.

ralovesbooks's review

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4.0

Recommended!

Girl Rising is a nonfiction young adult book based on the Girl Rising film, which I now need to see. The book is a compilation of stories of real girls around the world who have persisted in gaining an education despite tremendously difficult odds. The author does a great job setting up the context of the problem: due to human trafficking, child marriage, and desperate poverty, girls are uneducated and vulnerable to exploitation. Modern slavery isn't the only topic covered here, and I think that's a good thing. This book would be a wonderful entry point in a classroom or at home for conversations about endurance and adversity. The photographs are full-color and beautiful, and the short bios of each girl are compelling, especially for readers of the same age.

avabudavari's review

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4.0

This book brings awareness to an issue that is far too often ignored: gender inequality worldwide. Through its beautiful photographs and its personal, deeply touching stories, the reader will be inspired to make a difference in the lives of girls all around the world who simply lack the same opportunities as those in first world countries, but have an equal amount of potential. You will realize that you too can make a difference in gender inequality worldwide, because one life changed can impact the whole world.

elizabethlk's review

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3.0

Overall, Girl Rising serves as a solid introduction to education issues for girls in developing countries. This is an important matter that desperately needs more discussion, and more work done.

I appreciated that the contextual information was shared, stories about real girls fighting for their education was shared, and in the end they provided more information about what people reading the book could do to help contribute to solutions for the issues in a meaningful way. The writing isn't always consistent, and a couple of the sections were divided strangely at times, but the writing quality is mostly positive.

The tone was occasionally on the uncomfortable side, and made it hard for me to appreciate at times. Many of the stories are phrased in such a way that it feels as though we are supposed to be in awe of anyone who is capable of any sort of happiness after going through tragedy. The same sort of dialog often happens around people who have experienced circumstances outside the "standard" in developed countries, and it's always uncomfortable to read. While the personality of the girls is a vital part of the story, I just wish it weren't so "how could anyone ever be happy again, isn't this amazing." I also wish some of the stories had gone more in depth.

This is a decent starting place for anyone looking to learn about barriers to education for girls around the world. It doesn't cover everything (how could it?) but it serves as a good basis. Don't read it uncritically, but still give it a read. I haven't seen the documentary that inspired it, but I have put it on hold with my local library.

kevinhendricks's review

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3.0

Girl Rising is a film that follows the stories of girls throughout the world who rise above their harsh circumstances and give back. The original film brought in a diverse range of authors to help each girl tell her story. This book goes deeper, diving into stories of girls who didn't appear in the final film, but also further exploring some of the girls who are in the film.

It's eye-opening, if a little broad and scatter-shot. I think it's valuable to hear stories from around the world, but it starts to feel a little watered down.