04/01/2022
Gr 3–5—Young readers are introduced to dynamic women whose efforts instigated much-needed change in many areas. Clara Barton was instrumental in creating the American Red Cross, and Sacagawea was critical to the survival of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The others were ardent campaigners for human rights: Sojourner Truth fought for abolition and Rosa Parks worked for Civil Rights, while Elizabeth Cady Stanton was active in women's suffrage and Dolores Huerta advocated for farm workers. Simple, direct language is employed to relate the facts of the individuals' lives and their efforts to assist others. Featured highlights include Parks's courageous stance on a Montgomery bus, Truth's successful lawsuit to retrieve her son from slavery, and Stanton's presidency of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. The information provided in each volume is good, but the narratives, along with the accompanying illustrations and photographs, are uninspiring. VERDICT Numerous other titles on these popular report subjects exist; selectors should only consider this series if their collections need refreshing for young researchers.
