Five Uppity Women
RSSJohn Peters -- School Library Journal, 03/28/2007
One of the reasons that women have been invisible participants in history for so long is that those who did dare to assert themselves often got it in the neck. Happily, that's happening less and less often—but for young readers inclined to take their social and political rights for granted, here are some cautionary tales to demonstrate that those rights were often (or, better, usually) dearly bought.
BAUSUM, Ann. With Courage and Cloth: Winning the Fight for a Woman's Right to Vote. National Geographic. 2004. Tr $21.95. ISBN 978-0-7922-7647-0; PLB $32.90. ISBN 978-0-7922-6996-0.
Gr 7 Up–Bausum peels back the layers of the story of the women's suffrage movement, exposing grit, fiery determination, and radical tactics. After covering the importance of familiar names, she devotes the bulk of the book to the events of 1906 to 1920, when a new group of young women emerged who were willing to truly suffer for suffrage. The movement split into two camps–Carrie Chapman Catt's larger National American Woman Suffrage Association working conservatively to gain the vote state by state, and a smaller, more contentiously radical organization, the National Woman's Party led by Alice Paul, focusing on a federal amendment. Bausum highlights the tension between these factions in well-documented detail and casts it against the greater picture of controversy within and surrounding the national and state governments, as well as World War I. She portrays her suffragist heroines as iron-jawed women totally devoted to their cause. Cloth is a recurrent theme, as the author describes the suffragists' tricolored banners, sashes, pennants, and sewn signs. Vintage photographs, some never before published, depict key figures in the movement speaking, protesting, parading, picketing, and going to jail. Bausum's careful research is evident throughout, with sources thoroughly cited and a text studded with original source quotations. Judy Monroe's The Nineteenth Amendment (Enslow, 1998) also includes lesser-known characters and vintage photos and anecdotal material, but lacks the vitality of Bausum's vivid presentation.–Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS
FAULKNER, Matt. The Pirate Meets the Queen. illus. by author. Philomel. 2005. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-399-24038-6.
Gr 2-4–Faulkner relates the story of the legendary Irish pirate Granuaile ("Granny") O'Malley. He describes her early years, when her father's fishing boat and occasional plundering of English merchant vessels held more appeal than her mother's kitchen; her first marriage; and her eventual command of her father's ship. He relates how her exploits angered Queen Elizabeth, who had her declared an outlaw, and the birth of her son, Toby, and his eventual capture while attacking an English ship. The climax of the story comes when Granny travels to London to bargain for Toby's life, and the pirate and the monarch recognize in one another "a woman of consequence." The gouache cartoon illustrations feature people with exaggerated facial expressions and body postures, lending an air of melodrama to his version of history. Emily Arnold McCully's The Pirate Queen (Putnam, 1995) is more complex in terms of the writing style, the breadth of historical background provided, and the characterization of O'Malley. Faulkner's version is a serviceable introduction to the legend of this fascinating woman, but it's an additional purchase for those already owning McCully's book.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
KRULL, Kathleen. A Woman for President: The Story of Victoria Woodhull. illus. by Jane Dyer. Walker. 2004. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8027-8908-2; RTE $17.85. ISBN 978-0-8027-8909-9; pap. $6.95. ISBN 978-0-8027-9615-8.
Gr 3-5–Despite her impressive number of achievements–first woman to sit on the Stock Exchange, first woman to own a newspaper or speak before Congress, first woman to run for the presidency of the United States–Woodhull is little known by elementary-grade students. This book, though soft-pedaling the more scandalous aspects of her life, rectifies that omission. Born into an impoverished family, Woodhull was supporting her clan by the time she was eight as a gospel preacher. Married at 14 to her alcoholic doctor, she and her sister became well known as fortune-tellers. By the time they became spiritual and financial advisors to Cornelius Vanderbilt, Woodhull had divorced, remarried, and moved her entire family, including her ailing ex-husband, into a large house in New York City where she took an active role in the women's suffrage movement. It was this involvement that led her to declare herself a candidate for president in 1872. Although the campaign was a failure, it did serve to raise the issue of women's rights in an obvious and unforgettable manner. Krull's writing style is lively and engaging and Dyer's large, photo-realist watercolors capture the sense of the age and involve both eye and imagination. Use this lovely book with Jean Fritz's You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton? (Putnam, 1995) for an expanded look at the birth of the movement for women's rights.–Ann Welton, Grant Elementary School, Tacoma, WA
LOVE, D. Anne. Of Numbers and Stars: The Story of Hypatia. illus. by Pam Paparone. Holiday House. 2006. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8234-1621-9.
Gr 2-5–In fourth-century C.E. Egypt, women had few opportunities. How Hypatia, daughter of mathematician Theon, became one of the greatest philosophers of her day makes fascinating reading. The opening text, accentuated by a map of Egypt and a painting of the Mediterranean coast, introduces cultural life. A somewhat modern pictorial interpretation of Theon, his wife, baby, and a pet dog transition to Theon's insistence that his daughter be educated like any boy just as soon as she started to walk. Hypatia mastered fishing, riding a horse, and rowing, but her father had bigger plans. His daughter studied literature, writing, and natural science before discovering her passion in the "sentences made not of words, but of numbers"–mathematics. She learned arithmetic, geometry, and astronomy. Finally, she studied philosophy and oration and began using all her skills to write and teach, spreading her fame through the world. Love presents factual information about Hypatia and does not fictionalize details about her personality or thoughts, about which little is known since few primary documents survive. With just a picture walk through the book, readers will understand how many subjects her education encompassed. Attractive paintings add life to a clear and captivating text that offers a unique contribution to units about Egypt, philosophers, or women in history.–Julie R. Ranelli, Kent Island Branch Library, Stevensville, MD
STANLEY, Diane. Joan of Arc. illus. by author. HarperCollins. 1998. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-0-688-14329-9; PLB $16.89. ISBN 978-0-688-14330-5; pap. $7.99. ISBN 978-0-06-443748-6.
Gr 4-7–This magnificent picture book exemplifies the author's talent for historical research, skill in writing clear and interesting prose, and ability to adopt different art styles and techniques appropriate to her subject. Joan of Arc's story is both history and mystery. How a peasant girl living in a class-structured century, a female in a man's world of war and politics, an unlettered visionary in a church-dominated society could change the course of history has been an ever-intriguing puzzle. Stanley finds answers in Joan's own words spoken before the Inquisition during her trial for heresy and in the 115 eyewitness accounts recorded in the Trial of Rehabilitation held after her martyrdom. From these 15th-century documents and other sources, the author weaves an absorbing and convincing story of a naive, brave, and driven young woman willing to face death to accomplish God's will as she heard it in her "voices." Stanley does not answer the question of whether Joan's role was divine or human in origin, concluding, "Sometimes, in studying history, we have to accept what we know and let the rest remain a mystery." The meticulously designed pages and colorful, decoratively framed illustrations are full of details from Joan's era. Decorative banners, costumes, scenes with crowds of soldiers and nobles, rooms with patterned floors, and gabled houses and crenellated castles reflect the bright world of the Flemish art of the late Middle Ages. Joan is pictured as young and serene, an innocent child among a throng of cynical warriors and disapproving priests. This narrative description of the greatest of French saints is a work of art, a good story, and a model of historical writing.–Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ
