An Equal Shot: How the Law Title IX Changed America

by Helaine Becker, Dow Phumiruk (Illustrator)

Overview

"The book we needed right now." —Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production

Helaine Becker's An Equal Shot is a nonfiction picture book introduction to the history and importance of Title IX as civil rights legislature, featuring illustrations by Dow Phumiruk.

You’ve likely heard of the law Title IX. It protects the equal rights of students, athletes, and professionals in America regardless of gender. But do you know about the women who fought to enact this new law?

Here is the rousing account of how Title IX was shaped at the hands of brave politicians who took risks to secure women’s dreams and their futures under the Constitution. From the creative team that brought you Counting on Katherine and told in simple, commanding prose, An Equal Shot celebrates the power of words to defend and unite vulnerable people.

Christy Ottaviano Books

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250825285
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	02/23/2021
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	41 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Helaine Becker is the author of many books for young readers, including the bestselling Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13, which was named an NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book, an NCTM Mathical Honor Book, an NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book, among other honors. She lives in Toronto, Canada.

Dow Phumiruk is the award-winning illustrator of Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 and Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines. A general pediatrician with a passion for art, Dow lives in Colorado with her family.

Dow Phumiruk is the award-winning illustrator of Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo13, which won the Bank Street Cook Prize and was named an NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book as well as an NCTM Mathical Honor Book, among many other honors; An Equal Shot: How the Law Title IX Changed America; and Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines, which was an Amazon Best Book of the Year and an NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People. A general pediatrician with a passion for art, Dow lives in Colorado with her family.

Editorial Reviews

01/11/2021

Three girls in contemporary clothing peer, dismayed, at founding U.S. documents, seeing firsthand how protection against sex-based discrimination was lacking until Title IX: 1972 civil rights legislation, today known largely for its contribution to sports, that also offers girls and women equal access to jobs and educational opportunities. Becker’s concise prose is both informative and accessible (“Title IX’s thirty-seven words taught us a simple truth: Words have power”). Phumiruk’s digital art spotlights graceful, slim-limbed figures with differing skin tones engaging in a range of professions and physical activities. While the conclusion is overly idealistic (“Today, no American can be held back from living out their dream because of their gender”), this book serves as a solid starting point for anyone interested in the groundbreaking law. Back matter includes four biographies of significant female architects of the legislation, effects of the law both past and present, “More Work to Do,” and additional resources. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

A 2022 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List Selection

"Provides a look at the fundamental nature of the law. The back matter features additional information, including portraits of the heroes in Congress who fought for the passage of Title IX, details regarding the progress made and the work to be done for full equality, and resources for further exploration. A recommended addition that expands awareness of the full impact of Title IX." —School Library Journal

"Becker ably explains to readers that Title IX is about more than just giving girls and women the ability to play sports. . .Both an easy-to-read introduction and a powerful reminder that we must always fight for equality." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

02/01/2021

K-Gr 4—There are a few previously published books about Title IX for children, but they focused on the impact of the law on expanding girls' participation in sports. In this picture book, Becker explains that Title IX applies to all aspects of education. The law ensures that everyone has an equal opportunity to pursue an education, training, and a job in the field of their choice. The text notes that the 37 words that encapsulate the law were not included in earlier pivotal documents, such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The colorful, full-page illustrations depict the fight for the ratification of the law and young people enjoying the opportunities that it provides on the athletic field, in the classroom, and beyond. The illustrations present girls from a variety of races and ethnicities. The straightforward text provides a look at the fundamental nature of the law. The back matter features additional information, including portraits of the heroes in Congress who fought for the passage of Title IX, details regarding the progress made and the work to be done for full equality, and resources for further exploration. Incorporating more of the information in the back matter into the main text would have enhanced the book, especially for older readers. VERDICT A recommended addition that expands awareness of the full impact of Title IX.—Theresa Muraski, Univ. of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Lib.

School Library Journal

2020-11-18
It took only 37 words to change the United States forever.

When certain words were omitted from the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Gettysburg Address, and the Emancipation Proclamation, 37 had to be written in 1972 to grant girls and women the same opportunities as boys and men. Before that, girls and women could be denied jobs, the chance to play sports, and educational opportunities—things that boys and men took for granted. Writing simply, Becker ably explains to readers that Title IX is about more than just giving girls and women the ability to play sports, which is often the aspect of the law most discussed; Title IX continues to allow girls and women access to every aspect of education, which provides them with the same training as boys and men to become experts in all fields. This account of Title IX, though, shines in the backmatter. Here, Becker names the women credited with crafting the law’s language and discusses how the law looked in the past and looks today, taking care to explain that inequity persists. There are some hiccups: Becker uses “America” when she means the United States, and Phumiruk’s casually diverse illustrations suggest that White and Black women always walked together in the fight for women’s rights. But her endpapers are delightful, and all illustrations are clean and clear. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 25% of actual size.)

Both an easy-to-read introduction and a powerful reminder that we must always fight for equality. (resources, further reading) (Informational picture book. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews