This second column in our Resource Links Highlights focuses on resources which feature strong women characters and feminist issues which would be appropriate for use during International Women’s Day which is coming up on March 8. With the current focus on women’s equality fuelled by movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp now is the opportune time to bring these issues to the forefront and hopefully this listing of recent Canadian published titles will help.
Picture Books
MCCARNEY, Rosemary
Being Me (A Rosie the Red Book)
Illustrated by Yvonne Cathcart. Second Story Press, 2016. 24p. Illus. Gr. Preschool – 2. 978-1-92 7583-93-7. Hdbk. $15.95
Rating: G
Rosie was concerned about what she would be when she grew up. She thought of many possibilities; pilot, paramedic, dog groomer, peanut farmer. She knew that she did not want to have to wait until then to do something important in her life.
With her father’s help she discovered that volunteering at the local Food Bank fulfilled her need and she was able to help her friend Sam feel better about having to use the Food Bank as well.
The author is Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva. The illustrations are wonderful. They simulate Rosie’s sheer energy and utilize interesting perspectives. The colour is lush and the drawings propel the story on in all the right places.
(Reviewed by Isobel Lang in Vol. 21. #5, June 2016)
MCCARNEY, Rosemary
Tilt Your Head, Rosie the Red
Illustrated by Yvonne Cathcart. Second Story Press, 2014. 23p. illus. Gr. 1-3. 978-1-927583-59-3. Hdbk. $15.95
Rating: G
Tilt Your Head, Rosie the Red is written by Rosemary McCarney and illustrated by Yvonne Cathcart. Rosie is based on Rosemary McCarney’s own childhood; the story depicted is about tolerance, being open to looking at the world in a different way, celebrating differences, and standing up against bullying. When Rosie’s friend Fadimata is bullied for wearing a head scarf, Rosie comes up with a plan to show others that being different and supporting a friend is ok.
This colourful and inspiring book will make a welcome addition to any home or school library.
(Reviewed by Katherine Watmough in Vol. 20, # 4, April 2015)
Fiction
DUBLIN, Anne
44 Hours or Strike!
Second Story Press, 2015. 120p. Illus. Gr. 6-8. 978-1-927583-76-0. Pbk. $11.95
Rating: G
When Rose and Sophie Abrahamson’s father dies, they both begin work in Toronto’s notorious dressmakers factory/sweatshop but are soon on strike as a union begins to organize workers. When Rose is imprisoned for thirty days for disrupting the strike breakers, 14-year-old Sophie finds herself in charge of her sick mother and the approaching Passover celebration on top of the hard, monotonous hours on the picket line. Her family also refuses to allow her to go out with non-Jewish Jake, a good friend who rescues her in some difficult situations. In the Mercer Reformatory for Women, Rose suffers three days of solitary confinement before she submits to the sexual abuse of a female guard. After she is released only the support of her union friends begins to break her depression. After ten weeks the strike is over without the assurance that any agreements will be honoured, but what was learned on the picket line will eventually lead to better working conditions.
Rose and Sophie are powerful characters who grow up through the suffering they endure. Their mother represents the Jewish immigrant whose horrendous past in Russia colours her every moment but does lead to both humorous times and tragic situations in which racism shuts down happiness and hope for the future.
Excellent dialogue demonstrates character, especially that of the girls’ mother, advances the plot and allows emotion to boil to the surface as strikers confront scabs. The city of Toronto circa 1930 comes alive as Rose tramps through the streets with no money for the streetcar.
The working conditions of the seamstresses are appalling and the strong pro-union theme will teach the intended reader about the history that supports today’s unions. Themes of poverty, racism, working women, prison conditions and family love carry this book beyond a dry recitation of an awful past. The included fascinating photographs ground the story in the real world.
(Reviewed by Joan Marshall in Vol. 21, # 2, December 2015)
KULLING, Monica
Mary Anning’s Curiosity
Illustrated by Melissa Castrillón. Groundwood Books, 2017. 116p. Illus. Gr. 4-6. 978-1-55498-899-0. Hdbk/ :$14.95
Rating: E
“A good fossil hunter is a patient one…” These are the words that Mary Annings carried through her journey of discovery. A historical tale recounted beautifully by Monica Kulling is based on the real life nineteenth century discoverer of fossils, Mary Annings.
Mary Annings Curiosity is introduced to us through a small side story of how Mary Annings came to be, born in Lyme Regis and then struck by lightning. Surviving this, many labelled Mary a miracle. Through the Ten chapters that Kulling has vividly described we take a journey through Mary Annings eyes; a girl that is determined to follow in her father’s footsteps, to be a discoverer of fossils.
Her ambitious spirit is lustrously drawn from getting excited over Ammomites (ammos) and digging and chipping away at every other discovery. Bringing to life how she questions the existence of everything, – “She loved that sometimes shells smelled like the salty sea. She loved tracing the rough lines of the outer shell and the water-smooth insides. It set her imagination wondering about the creature that had once lived inside. What had it looked like? When did it live? And how?” – including the age of the earth as she was taught – “…the earth had gone through many ages and was millions and millions of years old. That certainly wasn’t what church folk were taught and believed.
It boggles the brain…with a mixture of fear and wonder…”
Surviving a second fate of near death does not deter her. As a little girl growing up, her father ailing with consumption, she decides to leave school, permanently to learn more about digging up fossils.
She faced many challenges, from her father’s passing to her mother’s inability to be hopeful financially and the nosey Captain Cury that would sometimes steal her finds. Mary Annings never gave up. Eventually, Mary Annings made the biggest discovery of all, a monster like crocodile, but not without others making claims to it…
Monica Kulling has given us a glimpse into this audacious spirit of Mary Annings, leaving us wanting to learn more about her. She includes an additional author’s note explaining “More about Mary”, a section on “What Is a Fossil?” “What Happened to Mary’s Monster?” as well as a commentary on “the Seashell Song” and its possible relation to Mary Annings.
Finally, Melissa Catrillón’s illustrations of the beautiful curlicue cover art and interior black and white images are a lovely accompaniment to Mary Annings Curiosity.
Mary Annings Curiosity will bring about the curiosity of young readers with an imaginative and inquisitive exchange.
(Reviewed by Lara Chauvin in Vol. 22, # 4, April 2017)
PÉRIÈS, Didier
Opération Clandestino: Mystères à Natagamau Series (Collection 14/18)
Les Éditions David, 2013. 202p. Gr. 10-12. 978-2-89597-373-7. Pbk. $14.95
Rating: G
Recent graduates Erika Picbois and Olivia Beaumerle are finding their way in life as young women and, after years apart, the two childhood friends find themselves back in their hometown of rural Natagamau, in Northern Québec. As the two young Métis women begin to establish their careers, they find themselves in the middle of suspicious activities, as they are witnesses to illegal smuggling happening on the outskirts of their rural town. The two young heroines find themselves hunted and threatened by the smugglers and their leader, Joe Corley One, a man who will stop at nothing to silence the young women and hide his criminal activities. With the help of childhood friend Oeil d’Aigle, the trio band together to protect their community from a rash of crime, break-ins, arson and drug smuggling.
While the novel does take time to develop initially, focusing first on the characterization of Erika and Olivia and the establishment of the setting, it is a suspenseful and detailed thriller that highlights the importance of childhood friendship and the process of self-discovery in young adulthood.
The main strength of this novel lies in the strong development of the female protagonists and their struggles to establish their identities once they have graduated and have come back to their childhood hometown. This novel would be suitable for more advanced and mature readers as it does contain some tense moments and mature subject matter and could be best used as an independent novel study around the themes of self-discovery and identity.
(Reviewed by Amy J Flight min Vol. 22, # 2, December 2016)
SHERMAN, Gisela Tobien
The Farmerettes
Second Story Press, 2015. 336p. Gr. 8 up. 978-1-927583-64-7. Pbk. $12.95
Rating: G
It’s 1943. Canada has been at war for more than three years and victory is by no means certain. More and more women and girls must join the war effort to support the military both abroad and at home. It is in this setting that five teens from disparate backgrounds find themselves at a farm in southern Ontario. Under the auspices of the Farm Service Placement Office, these young women come to work with Jean, another young woman who lives on the host farm. Together they plant, weed, nurture, and pick the year’s harvest. As the summer progresses, Helen, Peggy, Isabel, and the others work hard, have wonderful fun, meet young men and break their hearts, and learn a great deal about their limitations and their strengths.
The tone of The Farmerettes is gentle, but the author doesn’t pull back from life’s harsher truths. The girls – directly or through other characters – deal with relationship pressures, family expectations, depression, the deaths of loved ones, and the lingering consequences of war and loss. The book offers a hopeful message, but there’s sufficient depth to keep serious readers engaged. There’s also some nascent feminism and many other themes to encourage readers’ further reflection.
It’s valuable for today’s teens to learn about this period of Canada’s history through fiction, and readers who enjoy character-driven fiction will like getting to know the various personalities here. My only reservation is the character of X, a girl feeling same-sex attraction who is entirely closeted and anonymous. The author is clearly trying to reproduce the experience of young lesbian and bisexual women in the 1940s, but I’m not sure whether this device will translate for readers in the 2010s.
Readers who like period fiction are sure to like The Farmerettes. Older teens who like this novel might be ready for Marge Piercy’s Gone to Soldiers, another novel of linked plots, but much bleaker and more complex. I really enjoyed The Farmerettes.
(Reviewed by Leslie Vermeer in Vol. 20, # 4, April 2015)
Non-Fiction
BERGERON, Emmanuelle
Cinq Sportives de talent (Collection: Ma petite vache a mal aux pattes)
Illustrated by Caroline Merola. Soulières Éditeur, 2015. 93p. Illus. Gr. 3-6. 978-2-89607-334-4. Pbk. 9.95
Rating: E
This book shines a spotlight on five women in different periods of history and in different sports, all of whom overcame obstacles and went on to be outstanding athletes in their various areas. The book places the women in chronological order, beginning with Marie-Louise Sirois (1867 – 1920) and ending with Nadia Comaneci (1961 – ).
Sirois was a championship weightlifter, the strongest Quebecoise in the world, who competed in competitions which were very popular at the time. She lifted incredible weights, outdoing both her male and female competitors.
Myrtle Cook (1902 – 1985) was one of the first women to compete in the Olympic Games despite being warned that girls shouldn’t take part in strenuous physical activity. As part of the women’s relay team, Cook set a record in the 1928 Olympics and then went on to a long career in journalism.
Twin sisters Sharon and Shirley Firth grew up in the north of Canada and became world-famous cross-country skiers who set records which remain today. Born in 1953, Shirley passed away in 2013 but Sharon continues to be involved with sports and youth in Canada’s north.
Nadia Comaneci is remembered by many for her outstanding Olympic performances to which judges awarded a perfect score of 10. The book talks not only about these achievements but also about the rigorous training she endured to become best in the world and how her life evolved once her gymnastic career finished.
Each chapter is approximately 20 pages in length and describes these women as children and athletes as well as what they did when their athletic careers were over. Their stories are told in an interesting and conversational way and the addition of illustrations and a few photographs bring them to life. There are also informative sidebars answering such questions as “who invented cross-country skis?” The text is large and helps make the book quite easy to read, suitable for an older primary student or those in junior grades.
These women had exceptional athletic careers but more importantly serve as great examples and role models, especially for young female readers.
(Reviewed by Ann Ketcheson in Vol. 21, # 2, December 2015)
BERGERON, Emmanuelle
Quatre filles en art (Collection: Ma petite vache a mal aux pattes #145)
Illustrated by Caroline Merola. Soulières Éditeur, 2017. 101p. Illus. Gr. 7-9. 978-2-89607-382-5. Pbk. $9.95
Rating: E
In an era when most women did not work outside the home, these four artists are exceptional. Each was passionate about her chosen profession and persevered despite obstacles.
The author begins with Sarah Bernhardt (1844 – 1923) who as an adolescent adored getting attention and eventually turned this into a career which made her one of the first female stars of the stage. Gabrielle Coco Chanel (1883-1971) grew up in an orphanage where she was taught to sew and later went on to radically change the way women dress. Her influences can still be seen in fashion today. Agatha Christie (1890 – 1976) is one of the world’s most prolific authors whose own life contained a mystery similar to those she included in her famous novels. Mary Travers, better know as La Bolduc (1894 – 1941) turned her love of music into a career which made her famous throughout Quebec and beyond.
The theme running through all four stories is finding your talent and then not being afraid to pursue goals even if others don’t understand or accept you. Each section of the book is approximately 25 pages and can be read separately or as part of the whole. Students using the book for research will find that each chapter contains a bibliography where more information can be found. The illustrations add interest to the book and will help students gain an understanding of women’s life in the late 1800’s and early twentieth century.
(Reviewed by Ann Ketcheson in Vol. 22, # 5, June 2017)
BRIGNALL, Richard
Champion for Health: How Clara Hughes Fought Depression to Win Olympic Gold (Recordbooks Series)
James Lorimer and Co., 2016. 128p. Illus. Gr. 7-9. 978-1-4594-1080-0. Pbk. $12.95
Rating: G
This short non-fiction book details the life of Canadian cycling and short track speed skating Olympic star Clara Hughes. Her early dysfunctional family life in Winnipeg’s Elmwood area nearly derailed her life entirely as she set off on a life of smoking, drinking and getting into trouble. But a chance TV program about Gaetan Boucher’s 1988 Olympic short track ice skating so inspired Clara that she joined the Winnipeg Speed Skating Club and began to train. The rest, as they say, is history. Clara won thirteen World Cup speed skating medals between 2003 and 2010. She took up cycling as a summer sport to complement her skating but quickly found success winning cycling medals at the Commonwealth Games, the Pan American Games and the Olympics. In 2000 Clara returned to speed skating, winning World Championships and Olympic medals. In the next decade Clara went back and forth between the two sports while she was also battling depression.
Clara’s work with the Right to Play Organization demonstrated her belief in the power of sport in the lives of the world’s children. But it was her courageous speeches for Bell’s Let’s Talk Program detailing her depression and highlighting how we must as a society confront the stigma of mental illness that have forever changed Canadians’ perceptions of mental health. Clara’s Big Ride, a cross Canada bike ride during which she made many speeches and spoke to many Canadians about mental illness has further cemented her reputation as a Canadian hero.
Complete with glossary, thorough index and list of medals, this well-designed book has boxed highlights and inspiring photos that will make it an easily accessible research source on this inspiring athlete.
(Reviewed by Joan Marshall in Vol. 21. # 5, June 2016)
DAKERS, Diane
Crabtree Groundbreaker Biographies
Crabtree Publishing, 2016. 112p. Illus. Gr. 6-12. Hdbk. $24.95ea.
Rating: G
These titles are a new addition to the Crabtree Groundbreaker Biographies, a series which provides in-depth biographies of people who have risen to the top of their field, achieved excellence and recognition and become role-models to many.
These books are divided into 6 or 7 chapters. The first one deals with the major accomplishment for which the person is best known. The remaining five chapters cover the biographical details of the persons’ lives. Chapters are interspersed with captioned photographs and illustrations and information boxes/pages which bring additional information. Each book contains a Table of Contents, a Chronology, a Glossary, an Index and a Further Information section which lists books, web sites and audiovisual materials.
These books are very well presented in a very accessible style. They would be of interest to students at the junior and senior high levels.
Dian Fossey: Animal Rights Activist and Protector of Mountain Gorillas (978-0-7787-2565-7)
This book introduces us to Dian Fossey, a highly respected primatologist – a scientist who studies apes and other primates. Although Dian was thirty-four years old when she was interviewed by Louis Leakey, the world famous archaeologist and palaeontologist, and was invited to become a member of his team to undertake a long-term study of mountain gorillas, she had a passion for animals from an early age. After a trip to Africa where she briefly met Louis Leakey and saw mountain gorillas, she became more passionate about them. She wrote some newspaper articles about her encounter with the great apes and it was these that she handed to Leakey when she met him in Louisville, Kentucky after one of his speeches. He remembered her from the brief encounter in Africa and was most impressed with her photographs and invited her to breakfast the following morning to continue their gorilla discussion. It was then he invited her to join his team. Without any formal training she jumped at the chance and eight months later she arrived in Africa to start her study. The book traces her observation and research of the gorillas which was quite extensive. Over the years Dian also recognized that human activities threatened the survival of the gorillas and she became quite an activist for the safety and preservation of this species. Because of her strong opposition to poaching – which was quite prevalent – she made many enemies. This eventually led to her demise and in 1985 she was found murdered in her cabin in Rawanda. The case remains unsolved but her immense love for the animals and her writings and research have left a strong legacy for her successors.
Oprah Winfrey: Media Legend and Inspiration to Millions
(978-0-7787-2559-6)
“Even though Oprah’s daily talk show is no longer on the air, she is still considered one of the most influential people in the world. As BBC News put it in 2011 “She has become a household name, cultural phenomenon, and one of the richest people on the planet.”
What makes Oprah’s story particularly fascinating is that she has achieved all of this against seemingly impossible odds.” (P. 14)
In the book Oprah Winfrey: Media Legend and Inspiration to Millions, Diane Dakers profiles Oprah from her early days living with her grandparents on the family farm in Mississippi. At the age of six she went to Milwaukee to live with her mother. During the next eight years she spent time back and forth between her mother in Milwalkee and father in Nashville. During this time Oprah was raped and sexually abused and finally when she was fourteen she gave birth to a baby boy who only lived a few weeks. At this time she was living with her father and step-mother who told her “This is your second chance. This is your opportunity … to make something of your life. Oprah took his words to heart and decided it was time to turn her life around.” (p. 31)
From these humble beginnings Oprah went on to become very adept at public speaking and then moved on to working at a local radio and TV station. At age 22 she moved to Baltimore, Maryland where she got a job as a news anchor on WJZ-TV. Before long it was clear that Oprah was not a good news anchor and she was demoted to doing stories nobody else wanted to do and writing news scripts. However, it was when a new manager decided that the station needed a local talk show and convinced Oprah, against her will, to host People are Talking that Oprah found her element. The show became an instant hit and Oprah’s career was launched. From this she never looked back.
After five years she moved to Chicago to host A. A. Chicago which within a year was extended to a one-hour time slot and became The Oprah Winfrey Show. Over the years Oprah broached many topics – lots of them controversial – and interviewed thousands of guests, many of them very high-profile celebrities. As time progressed Oprah was not just a TV host, she was an actress, a film and TV producer and a generous philanthropist – her Angel Network raised more than $80 million for projects around the world, it helped build 60 schools in 13 different countries, along with women’s shelters and homes for youth. In January 2011 Oprah launched OWN TV, her specialty cable and satellite channel and on May 25, 2011 she hosted the final episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show.
While Oprah may not be beamed into millions of homes every day, she is still on top of the world – she is the richest self-made woman in U. S. history and she continues to share her wealth in humanitarian efforts throughout the world.
(Reviewed by Victoria Pennell in Vol. 21, #5, June 2016)
LAFLAMME, Sonia K.
Laura Secord; Une loyaliste d’exception (Bonjour l’histoire series)
Illustrated by Adeline Lamarre. Éditions de l’Isatis, 2015. 88p. Illus. Gr. 8-9. 978-2-924309-56-8. Pbk. $13.95
Rating: G
No, Laura Secord is not a chocolate although many chocolate-confectioneries across Canada bear her name. Born in 1775 in Massachusetts, Laura Ingersoll – married to James Secord – played an important role in the conflict between the United States and Britain, known as the Anglo-American War of 1812. She allowed the British to gain victory at Beaver Dams by bringing Lieutenant Fitzgibbon a message unveiling plans for a surprise attack by American soldiers.
This is the story that Sonia K. Laflamme relates in this short book of 80 pages from the “Bonjour l’histoire” collection We welcome the publication of this book that brings attention to a young female personality, strong and brave, and of singular course.
Indeed, Laura is presented as a woman determined and brave that is not afraid to put her life in danger to bring her message to Lieutenant Fitzgibbon. But before Laura Secord, the exemplary loyalist, she was a woman who took care of a household (three sisters + 7 children of a third marriage of her father) since her mother died and her father remarried. As a young girl, she was not afraid to roll up her sleeves and follow her father to Canada to start a new life with his large family, and work at her father’s tavern at Queenston where they were living. Once she married James Secord, she assisted in his business while being a mother.
This collection presents historical figures; they are brought to the attention of young readers in a brilliant way and without complacency, in compliance with historically known facts. The text is well written and is supported by black and white illustrations by Adeline Lamarre.
At the end of the book there is a glossary, a list of contemporaries of Laura Secord, chronological and geographical landmarks as well as information about the Anglo-American war. Downloadable educational activities are available free through the publisher’s website.
(Reviewed by Louise Melançon in Vol. 21, # 5, June 2016)
MCCARNEY, Rosemary with Jen Albaugh & Plan International
Because I am a Girl I Can Change the World
Second Story Press, 2014. 95p. Illus. Gr. 4-7. 978-1-92758344-9. Pbk. $16.95
Rating: G
This book is part of Plan International’s Because I am a Girl global initiative to promote girls’ rights and end gender inequality, and tells the stories of 8 girls from around the world. It was published on October 11, 2014 to commemorate the UN’s International Day of the Girl Child, which was established from a motion brought forward by Canada to the UN General Assembly. The book illustrates the goals of this program, with stories from 8 girls from around the world, telling readers what it is like to be a girl in their house, town, and country. Each of the accounts represent a tenet of the Because I am a Girl Manifesto, like “Because I am a girl…I am the heart of my community” and “Because I am a girl…I watch my brothers go to school while I stay home.” Sidebars in the stories provide background information and facts, as well as “did you know” questions and answers. For example, did you know “65 million girls of school age are not in school,” and then some background on a few of the reasons.
The photos show us happy, smiling, neatly dressed girls, and the stories attempt to be upbeat and focus on improvements made, but some of the accounts are so difficult that the positive approach rings a bit false.
(Reviewed by Jaclyn McLean in Vol. 20 # 3, February 2013)
MCCARNEY, Rosemary with Plan International
Every Day is Malala Day
Second Story Press, 2014. Unp. Illus. Gr. 3 up. 978-1-927583-31-9. Hdbk. $18.95
Rating: E
After being shot for the simple act of going to school in Pakistan and surviving to continue her advocacy for education for girls, Malala Yousafzai is probably the most well know young girl in the world. For her bravery she has received almost thirty awards and honours, she was the youngest person ever to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 and then was a co-winner of the prize in 2014.
On July 12, 2013 the United Nations declared Malala Day. Inspired by Malala’s speech to the UN, Plan International created a video to show the reaction of girls throughout the world. This book uses photographs from this video (depicting young girls from many different countries in various situations) in a letter of sisterhood to Malala reiterating the belief that every girl in the world has a right to go to school. A short introduction tells us who Malala is and her speech to the UN Youth Assembly (on her 16th birthday) is included at the end of the book.
This book is part of Plan International’s Because I Am A Girl global initiative to end gender inequality and promote girl’s rights. In 2014 400 students participating in the Strong Girls, Strong Worlds conference in Toronto were each given a copy of this wonderful book. It has had numerous printings and continues been translated into many foreign languages.
I would recommend this book to all school and public libraries. All students should be aware of its message and do their share to promote equality.
(Reviewed by Victoria Pennell in Vol. 20, # 2, December 2014)
Remarkable Lives Revealed Series: Crabtree Publishing, 2017. 32p. Illus. Gr. 4-9. Hdbk. $21.56 ea.
Rating: G
This biography series from Crabtree Publishing focuses on people who overcame barriers and challenges to make discoveries, achieve goals and inspire change. Divided into five chapters these books follow each remarkable person through their early years, the challenges they faced, how they overcame them and their accomplishments. The books are written in a fairly large accessible text accompanied by captioned photographs, sidebars with additional information and quotes. The books also include a Table of Contents, a page about writing prompts, a learning more section which includes a list of books and websites, a glossary and an index.
These books are well written, with lots of interesting information. They would be a good addition to social studies and science programs at the elementary and junior high school level. The remarkable lives of these people might be an inspiration to some of the readers to help them to overcome barriers and pursue their dreams.
The following titles from this series focus on women who made major accomplishments in their field after overcoming a variety of obstacles.
BARGHOORN, Linda.
Dolores Huerta: Advocate for Women and Workers
(978-0-7787-3418-5)
This book tells the story of Dolores Huerta who grew up during the Great Depression when farm labourers were making very little money and had very few rights. Inspired by her mother’s entrepreneurial spirit and her father’s leadership in a labour union, she eventually became an activist for helping farm labourers. After she finished high school Dolores went on to University and became a teacher. She joined the Stockton chapter of the Community Service Organization which supported working-class families and here she met César Chávez, who shared her goals and they made a great team. In 1962 they created the National Farm Workers Association so that hey could organized farm labourers into unions that could fight for better working conditions. For the next two decades she helped organize the labourers. She has continued to fight for equality for everyone and later in her career became involved in national politics and participated in several US presidential campaigns. In 2002 she was presented with a $100,000 Creative Citizenship Award which she used to establish the Dolores Huerta Foundation which enables her to continue her work to improve the lives of women, children and poor working-class families. In 2012 President Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her enduring contributions to American society.
BARGHOORN, Linda.
Mae Jemison: Trailblazing Astronaut, Doctor, and Teacher
(978-0-7787-2963-7)
From the time Mae Jemison was in kindergarten she knew she wanted to be a scientist, however, she faced many racial barriers to achieving her dreams. When she was just 16 Mae received a scholarship to Stanford University and studied Chemical Engineering and African American studies. Here she realized that women and minorities were not given equal opportunity to enroll and be successful in science programs and she felt strongly that this had to change. After receiving her degree, Mae decided to study medicine and was accepted at Cornell University Medical College. She also studied abroad in Cuba and Kenya and worked at a refugee camp in Thailand. In 1981 she went to West Africa as a medical officer with the Peace Corps. In 1987 she applied to NASA’s astronaut training program and was the first African American female to be accepted. In 1992 she became the first African American woman in space where she conducted scientific experiments on weightlessness and motion sickness. In 1993 after Mae left the NASA program she created the Jemison Group, a company which researches, develops and markets technologies to help improve the lives of people around the world. Along with her brother and sister, she created the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence which develops teaching materials and programs to improve education around the world.
These books are well written, with lots of interesting information. They would be a good addition to social studies and science programs at the elementary and junior high school level. The remarkable lives of these people might be an inspiration to some of the readers to help them to overcome barriers and pursue their dreams.
BARGHOORN, Linda.
Temple Grandin: Pioneer for Animals Rights and Autism Awareness (978-0-7787-2688-3)
When Temple Grandin was four years old she was diagnosed with autism. Her doctor and father felt she should be put in an institution but her mother refused. She insisted that Temple would stay with her family and go to school like a normal child. Temple learned to speak with the help of a speech therapist and to become independent under the guidance of her mother. Temple’s talent for science was encouraged by a high school teacher. She also had a love for animals and as a result of her observation of them at her aunt’s farm, Temple built her first ‘squeeze machine’ for people who are uncomfortable being touched at the age of 18. She earned a Masters and PHD in Animal Science and has built a unique career in animal welfare and designing humane equipment for handling livestock. She is considered one of the world’s leading experts on livestock welfare. Temple has also delivered hundreds of speeches in different countries about her experience with autism in an effort to advance the rights of people with autism. She has written seven books on autism and has helped empower people with autism to pursue productive and rewarding lives.
RODGER, Ellen.
Jazz Jennings: Voice for LFBTQ Youth
(978-0-7787-3419-2)
This book introduces us to a transgender youth. Born as a boy, Jazz knew very early in life that she was not comfortable in that gender so she began acting as her true self – a girl. She was officially confirmed as transgender at the age of 3. Her parents supported her and helped her in her transition. They started a charity, The TransKids Purple Rainbow Foundation, to help educate people about trans youth and raise money for trans kids. As Jazz grew older she started speaking out at conferences, was the subject of a documentary, started her won YouTube Channel and her own business. Today Jazz is a television personality and activist.
MORGANELLI, Adrianna.
Wilma Rudolph: Track and Field Champion
(978-0-7787-2689-0)
This book focuses on champion runner Wilma Rudolph who was the first American woman to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games. As a child Wilma wore a leg brace for paralysis caused by polio and she was also an African American girl growing up during a time of racial segregation. However, she was very determined and she managed to overcome these barriers and achieve her dreams. After retiring from her track career, Wilma became an elementary teacher and coached female track athletes. Later she began to travel across the United States accepting coaching positions at different schools and giving motivational speeches. She also worked as a broadcaster, co-hosted a radio show and was a sports commentator. In 1967 Wilma was invited to participate in an outreach program called “Operation Champ” which reached out to underprivileged children in the ghettoes of 16 American cities. This inspired her to start her own organization called “The Wilma Rudolph Foundation” which provided children with free coaching in many different sports.
SPENCE, Kelly.
Malala Yousafzai: Defender of Education for Girls
(978-0-7787-2691-3)
In 2013, 15 year-old Malala Yousafzai became famous around the world when she was shot in the head by the Taliban for standing up for her right to learn in her home country of Pakistan. After a long recovery, Malala and her family settled into a new life in England. Malala continued her stand for the right of everyone to get an education and on her sixteenth birthday she made a speech at the UN Headquarters in New York City. She and her father quickly started the “Malala Foundation” which has worked to educate children in Kenya, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Pakistan and has also built schools for refugees. Malala’s plight brought attention to girl’s education everywhere and also inspired change in her home country as the Pakistan government passed a new law shortly after her shooting making it illegal for children not to go to school and made education free for boys and girls throughout the country. In 2013 Malala was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. She was nominated again in 2014 and became the youngest person ever to win the award which she shared with Kailash Satyarthi, a children’s rights activist from India. Malala continues to spread her message around the world and hopes that some day she will be able to return to her homeland.
(Reviewed by Victoria Pennell in Vol. 22, # 3, February 2017, & Vol. 22, # 5, June 2017)
MARRIOTT, Emma.
Violence Against Women (Behind the News Series)
Crabtree Publishing, 2017. 48p. Illus. Gr. 7-12. 978-0-7787-2590-9. Hdbk. $23.49 ea.
Rating: G/E
This title is part of a new series of books from Crabtree Publishing that deals with some of the current issues we are facing in the world today – financial crisis, racial relations and crimes, hostage taking, political and religious uprising in a variety of countries, and violence against women. The books go beyond the news headlines to take a look at different perspectives, theories and the real lives involved in some of the world’s biggest news stories of recent years. The books are arranged in 2-page spreads which consist of text, captioned photographs, documents, quotes, fact boxes and debate questions with a positive and negative statement. Topics are presented using case studies which give background information to the stories and allow readers to be aware of some of the issues impacting these news stories. The text raises many questions which give students an opportunity to debate among themselves and arrive at their own conclusions using the information which is presented. This style of presentation shows readers that there are no easy answers to some of the questions which are posed and that reporting the “news” can be a very complicated process. All books include a table of contents, a glossary and an index.
The title Violence Against Women deals with the exploitation of and violence against women and girls from trafficking and murder to sexual and domestic violence. The book looks at the way women and girls have been regarded throughout history and how this has played a major role in the treatment of women in our society today. Some of the specific case studies which are explored are the more than 370 murdered women in Ciudad Juàrez, Maxico, a city known for drug trafficking and wars between gangs and drug cartels, the shooting of Malala Yousafzai in the Swet Valleey of Pakistan in 2012, the mass rape and torture of 200,000 Congolese women during the wars which have been taking place in the Dominican Republic of the Congo since 1996, the gang rape of 23-year-old Jyoti Singh Pandey – which resulted in her death – on a bus in Munirka, Delhi, India in 2012.
This set of books would be excellent for use in global issues and economics programs at the junior high and high school level as they deal with current global topics with which we are dealing in today’s society. The background information given along with the questions raised should instigate readers to examine their own reactions to these issues and to discuss them with their peers. The debate questions raised in the books would be good starting points for debating teams or for in-class debates.
If you are looking for answers to these world problems, these books will not give you any clear-cut resolutions, however, they will inspire readers to think about the issues and draw their own conclusions. I would recommend these books for junior and senior high school libraries.
(Reviewed by Victoria Pennell in Vol. 22, # 3, February 2017)
RUTHERFORD, Kristina
Level the Playing Field: The Past, Present, and Future of Women’s Pro Sports
Owlkids Books, 2016. 56p. Gr 6-8. 978-1-77147-160-2. Hdbk. $18.95
Rating: E
Name five professional athletes.
Chances are not one of the people you just listed was female. And that’s the point of this book. Life is very different for female athletes. No matter how good they are, how hard they work, how many games they win, they don’t get the same recognition – or money – as men.
This fascinating book introduces some of the incredible female athletes who would be household names if they were male. There’s Maya Moore, for example, an Olympic gold medalist and many times Women’s National Basketball Association All-Star. Think LeBron James, maybe better.
This title explains and describes the challenges women continue to face, plus the barriers they’re breaking – and how. Readers will learn new names, be impressed by the ever-growing number of women who are competing and winning.
Reading this book will inspire many girls to play a sport if they aren’t already, or to train harder and have more fun if they are. That’s why every school library should have a copy, and every teacher should read and share it. Maybe it will spark someone to deal with a continuing Canadian issue. In this country, there’s a difference between the amount of funding providing for male and female sports. In the United States, thanks to a 1970s bill called Title IX, funding is equal. The number and calibre of American female athletes has increased greatly since that change.
(Reviewed by Helen Mason in Vol. 22, # 4, April 2017)
WILLEN, Janet and Marjorie Gann
Speak A Word for Freedom: Women Against Slavery
Tundra Books, 2015. 205p. Gr. 7-12. 978-1-77049-651-4. Hdbk. $24.99
Rating: G
When most of us hear the word slavery we automatically think of the era when slavery was a way-of-life for most of the black population of the American South. However, this book portrays the wider picture of slavery in many countries throughout the world, not only in the past but also in present times. Even in our own country – which we perceive of as being totally free – there are cases of sex-trafficking and immigrants being submitted to slave-like work conditions.
This book profiles fourteen women who from the late 1700s to the present day have been involved in abolitionist activity fighting against slavery in its various forms. Some of the women profiled such as Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Freeman, Harriet Tubman, Timea Nagy, Micheline Slattery, Hadijatou Mani were former slaves who managed to achieve their freedom and go on to help others who were in similar circumstances, others such as Elizabeth Heyrick, Ellen Craft, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Frances Anne Kembel, Alice Seeley Harris, Kathleen Simon, Fredericka Martin, Sheila Roseau and Nina Smith have been involved in writing about slavery, in political action to put an end to slavery and in reaching out to the enslaved through their involvement in various organizations such as GoodWeave and Walk With Me Canada.
This book gives a comprehensive insight into the various forms of slavery which were – and still are in some areas – prevalent throughout the world and the tireless women who have been involved in the abolitionist movement. As the cover summary states it “is an inspirational, shocking and informative account of the lives of women abolitionists, from the eighteenth century to the present.”
This book would be a good addition to social justice and history programs at the junior high and high school levels.
Thematic Links: Slavery; Human Trafficking; Child Labour; Women Abolitionists
(Reviewed by Victoria Pennell in Vol. 21, # 1, October 2015)
Audio-Visual Resources
Malala: The Power of One Voice
McInytre Media. 2015. DVD. 15 min. Includes Teacher Resource Guide. Gr. 6-12. $129.00
Rating: E
Malala: The Power of One Voice tells the story of one young girl who had the courage to stand up for her rights to an education in a society where girls are traditionally denied education. She has spoken to multitudes of audiences about her trials and successes. She is an exemplary activist for women’s rights.
Malala Yousafzai won a Nobel Peace Prize for her dedication to educate the world about the plight of girls who are being denied an education in their countries. She is the youngest person to achieve such a stellar accomplishment.
This riveting and inspiring documentary is an excellent tool for use in Canadian Social Studies, Character Education, Gender and Women’s Rights, Political Activism, and Social Issues. It demonstrates the importance of Education for all and the positive effect education has on issues such as child labour, child marriage, sexual assault, poverty and a wealth of other gender issues.
The Teacher Resource Guide provides a variety of discussion topics, student activities as well as an additional Resource list for further study. Highly recommended for school collections, public libraries and classrooms.
(Reviewed by Sharon Armstrong in Vol. 22, # 2, December 2016)
Resource Links, published 5 times a year is Canada’s national journal devoted to the review and evaluation of Canadian resources for children and young adults
Resource Links reviews new information books, picture books and novels for children and young adults, audio-visual materials, computer software, and Internet resources for young people and professional literature of interest to teachers and librarians.
Resource Links informs you about Canadian writers, awards and announcements. Everything of interest to a Canadian audience.
Resource Links is written by educators, librarians and writers working with young people across the nation. Our reviewers span the country from British Columbia to Newfoundland.
For subscription information, feature columns, excerpts, and a comprehensive index visit the Resource Links website at: www.resourcelinksmagazine.ca
