100 Tales of Extraordinary Women

March 1, 2017

Gr 3-6-Packaged as a "heartwarming and thought-provoking" bedtime selection, this offering aims to inspire readers with brief biographies of notable women. As an introductory text, the volume is a browsable resource that promotes a multifaceted view of womanhood: scientists and supermodels are presented alongside activists and athletes. But as a collection of biographies, it lacks depth. Each entry is a single page in length, with the subject's birth (and death, when applicable) date at the bottom of the page. Relevant details are often omitted, eliminating context from accomplishments: an entry on the Bronte sisters includes talk of "when [their] novels came out," without mentioning what these influential novels were or in what year they were published. The entry on Malala Yousafzai does not specify at what age she was shot or when she won the Nobel Peace Prize-only that she is the youngest person to have been awarded it. However, a note on the title page verso states that "this is a work of creative nonfiction...not an encyclopedic account of events and accomplishments of [the subjects'] lives." Full-color portraits, illustrated by a number of artists, add visual interest. VERDICT Though inspirational, this book will be of little use to school libraries.-Brandy Danner, Coakley Middle School, Norwood, MA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 5, 2020
The third book in the Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls series, this volume profiles 100 women who at some point immigrated to a new country, seeking freedom, safety, or success. Favilli defines a rebel girl as someone trying to make a positive difference in the world, and she includes a wide array of subjects, organized alphabetically by first name, such as financial executive Chinwe Esimai, WWII spy for England Noor Inayat Khan, and table tennis world champion Angelica Rozeanu. Stylish illustrations from a variety of female artists show figures in their milieu—Karina Cocq presents hematologist Marcela Contreras surrounded by blood cells—and accompany brief, accessible biographies about and quotations from each woman. While readers won’t come away with an in-depth view of each life, and the subjects’ adopted countries lean overwhelmingly toward the U.S. and U.K., the book successfully includes a range of subjects. A volume full of inspiring role models. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 7–up.