July 2018, Ten Speed Press, 112 pages, Hardback, Review copy
Book summary
You might know the stories of Malala Yousafzai, Anne Frank, Jazz
Jennings, and Joan of Arc. But have you heard about Yusra Mardini, a
Syrian refugee who swam a sinking boat to shore, saved twenty lives,
then went on to compete as an Olympic swimmer? Or Trisha Prabhu, who
invented an anti-cyberbullying app at age 13? Or Barbara Rose Johns,
whose high school protest helped spark the civil rights movement?
Nayu's thoughts
There are occasions when you think about a review, believe you've written it when in fact it's still only in your head, and this book is one of those instances. Really sorry! It's here now, which is the main thing, because of how important this book is. There are so many strong women who have defied cultural/political/environmental/anything else you can think of so-called norms to be their true selves, stand up for what they believe in and chase their dreams. I know that there are many more women than those who got into this book, so maybe there will be a sequel at some point. For now this book showcases strong female role models that all girls (and women) can look up to for their values.
I am not going through every single girl's story: that would be too long of a review. All I will say is the facts are clearly laid out and easy to read. It's not all about modern girls like Anne Frank (who ended up dying in a concentration camp because she was a Jew, and who wrote a famous diary while in hiding) and Malala Yousafzai (the girl who got shot in the head and came to England for medical treatment, and to live once she survived, simply for standing up to rebels and wanting girls to be educated).
Someone who caught my interest was a girl who became a princess for her service to her country, Princess Ping Yang who lived in Ancient China well over 1500 years ago! The girls come from all walks of life, from all over the world. The book highlights the struggles they faced, including prejudice, and how they overcame them and became a role model.
This is an essential must-read for any girl or boy's bookshelf, and definitely should be a key book in schools.
Suggested read
Other good books looking at strong historical girls includes Little People, Big Dreams: Audrey Hepburn by Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Amaia Arrazola (Children's, Non-Fiction, 10E/10E)
Little People, Big Dreams: Coco Chanel (Children's, Non-fiction, 10E/10E)
Little People, Big Dreams: Amelia Earhart by Ma Isbael Sanchez Vegara and Mariadiamantes, translated by Raquel Plitt (Children's, Non-fiction, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)
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