Melinda Gates: Philanthropist

May 1, 2020

K-Gr 3-The latest additions to the "Women Leading the Way" series detail a variety of different backgrounds, careers, and ages. The books cover women such as Michelle Howard (retired U.S. Naval Admiral and the first African American woman to command a ship in the U.S. Navy) and Ann Bancroft (the first woman to travel across the ice to the North Pole (as the only female member of the Steger International Polar Expedition in 1986), to more popular public figures like Simone Biles and Emma Watson. These titles consistently offer interesting and pertinent details about their subjects. Short sentences feature challenging vocabulary, with words like philanthropist and dyslexia, making these good choices for young students learning to read and needing to practice their literacy skills. Information about each woman is organized mostly chronologically. As is true for all Blastoff! Readers titles, these books are filled with many colorful photographs, diagrams, and maps presented in an eye-catching format. Time lines, glossaries, and further reading suggestions are also included. VERDICT Biographies about women are always a welcome addition to early reader collections, and these are no exception. These titles highlight a variety of trailblazers working in a diverse array of careers.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill Sch., Cambridge, MA

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