Scan barcode
readingthroughtheages's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely stellar. Beautifully written. Love the many different illustrators' works!
caseykoester39's review against another edition
5.0
This one is better for older kids, like 2nd grade and up - but boy what an amazing book for them to explore. Each spread is a gorgeous illustration of a woman being extraordinary with a poem or story about her life. Then at the bottom is a quick biography to explain what motivated her or other accomplishments in her life. Truly inspiring. Also love the reference citations in the back.
annaeap's review against another edition
5.0
Each page presents a different woman who changed the world along with a poem about her life, an illustration (each by a different artist), and a brief biography. The 14 women are:
1. Molly Williams (first known female firefighter in U.S.)
2. Mary Anning (paleontologist)
3. Nellie Bly (investigative journalist)
4. Annette Kellerman (champion athlete and inventor of the modern swimsuit)
5. Pura Belpré (children’s author and first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library)
6. Frida Kahlo (artist)
7. Jacqueline Nearne (secret agent)
8. Eileen Nearne (secret agent—Jacqueline’s sister)
9. Frances Moore Lappé (anti-hunger activist)
10. Ruby Bridges (Civil Rights pioneer)
11. Mae Jemison (first female African American astronaut)
12. Maya Lin (architect and sculptor)
13. Angela Zhang (scientist and cancer researcher)
14. Malala Yousafzai (education activist and pacifist, youngest winner of Nobel Peace Prize)
Using the book for teaching/learning:
-As an individual, choose two women to compare and contrast. In small groups, make Venn Diagrams with the other women your group partners selected.
-Pair Annette Kellerman’s poem with a modern-day article about controversy around burkinis. Compare criticism of Kellerman’s one-piece bathing suit to critiques of burkinis today. (If possible, find articles about Kellerman’s bathing suit from the time to supplement poem in book.)
-The “Secret Agent Sisters” poem makes mention of invisible ink the Nearnes used when fighting Nazis in France. I could create a science lesson involving invisible ink and investigate (through other books in this unit) ways that the Underground Railroad used secret codes, too. (A study of resistance in different contexts.)
-Maya Lin’s poem discusses how she won the entry for the Vietnam War memorial in Washington at the age of 21. This could spark an exploration of monuments in our own neighborhood around the school and their history, including designers/sculptors.
-The biography of Mary Anning argues that her work “[laid] the foundation for Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.” In what other ways have women—or other groups that have not had as much power as men—paved the way for other scientific discoveries? (Could pair with viewing clips from movie Hidden Figures, which could prompt discussion of Mae Jemison in NASA who also appears in the book.)
-With Mae Jemison, have students read recent article about all-female astronaut space mission that was cancelled because they did not have spacesuits in women’s sizes. Discuss in small groups then share out loud.
-Pura Belpré, NY Public Library librarian, added Spanish books to her library collection and even wrote her own stories in Spanish. How many bilingual books does our school library have? How many languages are spoken by families in our school?
-Students who speak other languages (and who have books in that language at home) could be invited to bring the book to class to share the story.
-Compare Ruby Bridges with Sylvia Mendez in the children's book Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation. Write a story where they talk to each other about their experiences integrating their schools.
Considerations for use with dual-language learners (DLLs): In a couple of places, DLLs may not grasp the full meaning, such as when the author quips, “There wasn’t another female firefighter in New York City until 1982, when Brenda Berkman burned the FDNY with a discrimination lawsuit and won.” DLLs may not understand the double meaning of “burned” in this context. Nevertheless, Spanish is included in Frida Kahlo and Pura Belpré’s poems, which could help Spanish speakers. The book includes women from a variety of cultures. Some of the illustrations are clear and elaborate on what the poem depicts (such as the illustration of all of the Nearne sisters’ secret gadgets), while others—such as collage of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and newspaper text in the shape of a world balanced in back of pickup truck for Frances Moore Lappé—would not add meaning to the text for DLLs.
1. Molly Williams (first known female firefighter in U.S.)
2. Mary Anning (paleontologist)
3. Nellie Bly (investigative journalist)
4. Annette Kellerman (champion athlete and inventor of the modern swimsuit)
5. Pura Belpré (children’s author and first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library)
6. Frida Kahlo (artist)
7. Jacqueline Nearne (secret agent)
8. Eileen Nearne (secret agent—Jacqueline’s sister)
9. Frances Moore Lappé (anti-hunger activist)
10. Ruby Bridges (Civil Rights pioneer)
11. Mae Jemison (first female African American astronaut)
12. Maya Lin (architect and sculptor)
13. Angela Zhang (scientist and cancer researcher)
14. Malala Yousafzai (education activist and pacifist, youngest winner of Nobel Peace Prize)
Using the book for teaching/learning:
-As an individual, choose two women to compare and contrast. In small groups, make Venn Diagrams with the other women your group partners selected.
-Pair Annette Kellerman’s poem with a modern-day article about controversy around burkinis. Compare criticism of Kellerman’s one-piece bathing suit to critiques of burkinis today. (If possible, find articles about Kellerman’s bathing suit from the time to supplement poem in book.)
-The “Secret Agent Sisters” poem makes mention of invisible ink the Nearnes used when fighting Nazis in France. I could create a science lesson involving invisible ink and investigate (through other books in this unit) ways that the Underground Railroad used secret codes, too. (A study of resistance in different contexts.)
-Maya Lin’s poem discusses how she won the entry for the Vietnam War memorial in Washington at the age of 21. This could spark an exploration of monuments in our own neighborhood around the school and their history, including designers/sculptors.
-The biography of Mary Anning argues that her work “[laid] the foundation for Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.” In what other ways have women—or other groups that have not had as much power as men—paved the way for other scientific discoveries? (Could pair with viewing clips from movie Hidden Figures, which could prompt discussion of Mae Jemison in NASA who also appears in the book.)
-With Mae Jemison, have students read recent article about all-female astronaut space mission that was cancelled because they did not have spacesuits in women’s sizes. Discuss in small groups then share out loud.
-Pura Belpré, NY Public Library librarian, added Spanish books to her library collection and even wrote her own stories in Spanish. How many bilingual books does our school library have? How many languages are spoken by families in our school?
-Students who speak other languages (and who have books in that language at home) could be invited to bring the book to class to share the story.
-Compare Ruby Bridges with Sylvia Mendez in the children's book Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation. Write a story where they talk to each other about their experiences integrating their schools.
Considerations for use with dual-language learners (DLLs): In a couple of places, DLLs may not grasp the full meaning, such as when the author quips, “There wasn’t another female firefighter in New York City until 1982, when Brenda Berkman burned the FDNY with a discrimination lawsuit and won.” DLLs may not understand the double meaning of “burned” in this context. Nevertheless, Spanish is included in Frida Kahlo and Pura Belpré’s poems, which could help Spanish speakers. The book includes women from a variety of cultures. Some of the illustrations are clear and elaborate on what the poem depicts (such as the illustration of all of the Nearne sisters’ secret gadgets), while others—such as collage of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and newspaper text in the shape of a world balanced in back of pickup truck for Frances Moore Lappé—would not add meaning to the text for DLLs.
muddypuddle's review against another edition
5.0
Not only are the poems relevant and interesting, they're really GOOD, really well written and great models of superb poetry for kids.
yapha's review against another edition
5.0
Fabulous introduction to 14 important women. Told in verse, with additional information included. Highly recommended for grades 2 & up.
5elementknitr's review against another edition
5.0
This is wonderful! Great stories and all in various forms of poetry!
katlogbrenn's review against another edition
4.0
Helpful timeline. Clever illustrators using different styles on each spread, for each figure. Valuable source data at the end. The main drawback is Susan Hood's poetic writing. It might have been more helpful for students to read a profile rather than an expressive form.
jshettel's review against another edition
5.0
Poetic accounts of 13 women who have made an important mark on history. Beautifully illustrated by various artists.
the_lobrarian's review against another edition
- Mixed media illustrations: each entry is drawn by a different female illustrator in their own style
rainbowbookworm's review against another edition
5.0
14 one-page tales of remarkable females, each accompanied by an illustration from some of the best in the business.