Warrior Queens

September 30, 2019
Beneath the slang (“Relax, the sisters insisted. We got this”) and groan-inducing puns (“as a naval commander, she was ready to overcome any oar-deal”), this book offers a deep look into little-known aspects of ancient history. Women leaders—Amanirenas, Artemisia I, Boudicca, Hatshepsut, the Trung sisters, and Zenobia—each receive a chapter. Their stories launch explorations of ancient cultural practices and beliefs, including sibling marriage to consolidate power in Egypt, the use of antibiotics in Nubian culture, and the importance of a dragon and fairy myth in Vietnam. Each chapter is illustrated with photos of historical artifacts and full-spread illustrations by Mayer, resembling a mash-up of the Marvel aesthetic and classical Greek art. Though the subject matter has lasting appeal, of-the-moment language may limit this book’s shelf life. Ages 9–12.

September 27, 2019

Gr 4-8-While this title advertises "True Stories of Six Ancient Rebels Who Slayed History," the book actually features the stories of seven women-Hatshepsut of Egypt, Artemisia of the Persian empire, Amanirenas of Kush, the Trung sisters of the region that would become Vietnam, Boudicca of the Celts, and Zenobia of Palmyra. Each chapter highlights one woman (or sisters), describing her life, what it was like to be a woman in that time and culture, and the political landscape. Chapters feature a stylized illustration and occasional pictures of artifacts. What is known fact, versus what is a hypothesis or pure conjecture, is well communicated. Each chapter ends with subsections on culture and history. Chapter notes/footnotes are also included. Each noted passage is tied to an end-chapter note as well as a citation at the end of the book, which makes for a frustrating amount of flipping. Many notes seemed better suited to the main text. The book uses modern vocabulary and is replete with groan-inducing puns which sometimes detract from the information presented. A complete bibliography, as well as an index, make this a useful resource for students working on biographical projects. VERDICT Purchase where there is an interest in readable and informative collective biographies that pack a girl-powered punch.-Darla Salva Cruz, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2019
Short biographies of six ancient women rulers for a generation of readers accustomed to plucky heroines. Thanks to the bridging colloquialisms among marginalized populations and the global vector that is the internet-driven media culture, the current language is enriched with a vocabulary of surviving--if not at times vanquishing--the interlocking systems of oppression, from "fierce" to "slay" and "not on my watch" to "arm up and kick butt." Author Shecter employs the very same language here. Hatshepsut the pharaoh queen--whose pivotal reign beginning at age 15 or 16 was nearly buried by the misogyny of her own stepson, Thutmose III, and centuries of neglect--starts off the chronology of exploits. It goes on to cover the Persian-allied Greek queen Artemisia I's military derring-do; the Nubian (now Sudan) queen Amanirenas' martial and diplomatic prowess; and the Trung sisters' joint rule of Vietnam, during which they initially drive out Han Dynasty-era China with an 80,000-person army. Britain's Boudicca and Palmyra's Zenobia round out the collection. These are all stories worth knowing. Unfortunately, the author bogs them down with the aforementioned slang in a seeming desire to appeal to her middle-grade readers: "So how did [Amanirenas] succeed in her mammoth smackdown?" Mayer's busy, Greek vase-inspired illustrations don't add to the stories nearly as much as the occasional photographs pertaining to each woman's narrative. History that tries way too hard to be hip. (source notes, bibliography, index) (Collective biography. 10-12)

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