The Book of Queens: Legendary Leaders, Fierce Females, and Wonder Women Who Ruled the World

by Stephanie Warren Drimmer

Overview

Empire builders, legendary leaders, revolutionary rebels, powerful pioneers, and more ... discover more than 100 wonder women who prove that girls totally rule.

They're queens wielding scepters and sitting on thrones, they're revolutionaries on the front lines of change, they're presidents and prime ministers leading their nation, or they're CEOs, scientists, sports legends, and artists who are have risen to the top of their fields. Welcome to The Book of Queens, where being a mighty monarch doesn't just mean wearing a crown. Leaders like these come from all over the globe and have different talents. But most of all? They rule!

Are you ready to be inspired by the most powerful women in history? Some wielded their might for good while others let their power go to their heads. Yet all were powerful people who changed the course of history. From Elizabeth I to Cleopatra to Beyonce, every regal ruler in this book showcases the kind of guts, smarts, and strength it takes to lead. And while there are some wonder women you might recognize, others may leave you wondering why so many brave, smart, and hardworking ladies have gone unnoticed ... until now. Whether real-life royals or average Janes who rose to rule, get ready to be inspired by their stories.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781426335358
Publisher:	Disney Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/12/2019
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	926,832
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	1140L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

STEPHANIE WARREN DRIMMER writes books and magazine stories for kids. She covers all topics weird and wonderful, including adorable animals, freaky brain experiments, and the hunt for new planets. She is a longtime contributor to National Geographic Kids magazine and has written many books for National Geographic, including most recently Ultimate Secrets Revealed, Hey, Baby!, Mastermind, and The Book of Heroines. Drimmer studied science journalism at New York University.

Editorial Reviews

A united nations of leading ladies of the past and present, commingled with luminaries in the arts, sciences, and annals of piracy. Leading off with full-page portraits of Aretha Franklin and Joan of Arc to herald her glittering gallery's expansive purview, Drimmer dishes up short introductions to over 100 strong women who either headed states or shone in academic or public spheres…A carefully diverse roster of "dominant dames" demonstrably capable of breaking gender molds…along with records and/or heads.” — Kirkus


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From the Publisher

11/08/2019

Gr 4–8—This collective biography highlights luminaries in a range of fields (sports, arts, science, and leadership) throughout the world and throughout history. While highly browsable and graphically formatted to appeal to young readers, the wide scope of this volume is also a weakness. With so much to cover, it inevitably misses a lot of people. Modern political leaders of any kind are an obvious gap in the collection, which is confusing since that category would fit so obviously within the expansive representation of women's jobs. This may have been an intentional decision to avoid political partisanship, but it creates an imbalance in the coverage of the work. This oversight implies that women stopped being politically active after the careers of those listed in "Pioneering Politicians" ended. While there is an index, it appears to be not entirely accurate. The entry for Hillary Clinton sends the reader to the page on Mildred Benson (aka Carolyn Keene). The inclusion of some images is also confusing. For example, a still from the 2018 film Tomb Raider on the spread about the "First Ruler of Japan" is never explained. VERDICT This glossy package may get lost on library shelves and should not be considered a definitive collective biography. It could serve as a resource for middle grade readers where there is a need.—Kristin Lee Anderson, Jackson County Library Services, OR

School Library Journal

2019-08-28
A united nations of leading ladies of the past and present, commingled with luminaries in the arts, sciences, and annals of piracy.

Leading off with full-page portraits of Aretha Franklin and Joan of Arc to herald her glittering gallery's expansive purview, Drimmer dishes up short introductions to over 100 strong women who either headed states or shone in academic or public spheres. Gathered thematically, each comes with a picture—some true to period but many done in newer styles, including lots of stock images looking like models in costume—and a biographical note. Along with well-documented royals from Hatshepsut to the Elizabeths I and II, Catherine the Great to Anne Boleyn ("her reign was cut short"), readers will get ganders at such non-Western achievers as Himiko, Japan's earliest known ruler, and Ashanti rebel Yaa Asantewaa. Venturing into realms beyond the geopolitical, Trimmer profiles Simone Biles and other "Sovereigns of Sports," "Monarchs of Music," "Legendary Leaders" like Wonder Woman (the film version), and assorted aeronauts, astronauts, and "Nobel Nobles." A number of male monarchs, mostly from the co-published Book of Kings, sneak into side boxes, and occasional featurettes focus on queenly armor, bling, and emblems. Considering the pervasive evidence of bloody-mindedness, readers in search of "lean in" role models may justly scoff at the closing tally of positive queenly character traits.

A carefully diverse roster of "dominant dames" demonstrably capable of breaking gender molds…along with records and/or heads. (index) (Collective biography. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews