Posted by At 16, Sybil Ludington rode 40 miles in pouring rain to alert people that British soldiers were burning Danbury, Connecticut. She was dubbed the female Paul Revere, even though she rode longer and much harder than him, yet I had never heard of her! Sacagawea helped guide the Lewis and Clark expedition at 15, and Jazz Jennings has never stopped fighting for LGBTQ+ rights. The 20-year-old has been an advocate since elementary school.
All of these strong girls had many things in common, including bravery and persistence. They also changed the world at a young age.
This book features 30 teenage girls from the BC era to now. Some of these females were activists, others were artists or actresses. My mind was refreshed reading more about people I already knew like baseball player Jackie Mitchell, who struck out Babe Ruth; and education activist Malala Yousafzai. I loved learning about people I had never heard of, including Susan Eloise Hinton, who wrote a phenomenal book at 17 called The Outsiders, which was turned into a popular movie in 1983. My parents were surprised to hear this, as they remember watching the film when they were younger. I was intrigued when I read about Tavi Gevinson, a blogger at 12 (like me!) and now an actress and social media sensation.
I loved the diversity in this book! I say this in almost every review, but it’s because it’s so significant. Girls of many ethnicities could see themselves represented. So can many girls of different religions. The way the author, Jennifer Calvert, presented each chapter was very thoughtful. There is a biography about each person, quotes, and side notes that gave the reader fun facts about each girl.
This book is for readers 9-12. If you enjoyed Leading The Way: Women In Power, you will like this one!
This book is such a fun read! I rate it four out of four roses!
Elena Reads and Reviews 