Posted by Want the perfect bedtime story? You should read Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls and the companion book, Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls 2, by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo. The stories inspire readers to speak up – even in life-threatening situations, like how Sophie Scholl formed a group called the White Rose and fought for freedom for Jewish people under Nazi rule.
These books tell the stories of 200 women who changed the world. Each story is just one page. My favorite is of Astrid Lindgren, the author of Pippi Longstocking. I liked how the author branched out and crafted a story that had an outgoing protagonist that many people did not approve of, a story that is now a beloved classic. At the time, some parents thought that the main character, Pippi, was too rebellious and their daughters would disobey them if they read the book. But Pippi actually helped kids learn to speak up for themselves, and to care for others.
I really loved these books because of the illustrations. They were illustrated by 60 talented artists. My favorites were Claudia Careri’s picture of comedian and TV host Ellen Degeneres because it looks cartoon-y, but realistic at the same time. I also really liked Rita Petruccioli’s picture of the pirate Jacquotte Delahaye. I liked how it was really mysterious and makes her look really bold.
The books also give readers a great message: These women weren’t afraid to fight for what they thought was right, so you should, too. It’s a really inspirational book!
For instance, Sonita Alizadeh fought for the right to choose her own path in life instead of being sold into marriage in her homeland of Afghanistan. She became famous after she uploaded a video on YouTube about it called “Brides for Sale.”
I would recommend this book to readers ages 8-11. Anyone who needs a little inspiration to speak up for themselves, this is the book for you. There is also I hope there will be a third one in the series.
This book was awesome! It gets four out of four roses!
Elena Reads and Reviews 
Elena, this book sounds awesome! Before reading it, did you know about most of the women featured? If not, what do you think we can do to make sure kids everywhere (not just ones who read as voraciously as you do!) get to know about strong women from all over the world?
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No, I did not many of the women.
I think we can make sure all kids can learn about these strong women by having teachers teach students about these strong women, and not just about Martin Luther King and Harriet Tubman, who everyone knows about. My social studies teacher actually teaches my class about places like Jamestown, and about people like Mansa Musa. I think a lot of other teachers should do this too.
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