Written by Susan Hood, Illustrated by 13 Extraordinary Women
As the Author says, “Women and girls have been shaking things up for a long time, resisting those who would box them in.” This book feels very timely, both for Women’s History Month and with the broader conversation about women in our society. It features 14 young women who sparked change in surprising and unexpected ways. Sometimes these compilations can feel repetitive, featuring the same people. But this book is different in two ways: each section about a young woman is written in poetry form, and many of the women I had never heard of but was fascinated to learn more about. For example, Molly Williams (1747-1821) was an 18th-century African American firefighter in New York City; Annette Kellerman (1886-1975) was a champion swimmer and proponent of athleticism for women; Jacqueline and Eileen Nearne were British sisters who worked as allied secret agents during WWII; Angela Zhang (born 1994) was a 17-year old high school student who discovered a new way to treat cancer, just to name a few. I liked the inclusion of women who aren’t dead yet, along with those who lived long ago. Each chapter is uniquely illustrated by a different artist. There’s an interesting timeline at the beginning as well. I highly recommend this book as a great addition to any nonfiction collection.
Review by Andrea LeBaron, Upland Terrace Elementary Media Center
Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5 stars)
Interest Level: 2nd – 6th Grades
Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World
Written by Susan Hood, Illustrated by 13 Extraordinary Women
Harpercollins Children’s Books
40 pages
Release Date: January 23, 2018
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
