The Voice that Won the Vote: How One Woman's Words Made History

by Elisa Boxer, Vivien Mildenberger (Illustrator), Angela Juarez (Narrated by)

Overview

In August of 1920, women's suffrage in America came down to the vote in Tennessee. If the Tennessee legislature approved the 19th amendment it would be ratified, giving all American women the right to vote. The historic moment came down to a single vote and the voter who tipped the scale toward equality did so because of a powerful letter his mother, Febb Burn, had written him urging him to "Vote for suffrage and don't forget to be a good boy." The Voice That Won the Vote is the story of Febb, her son Harry, and the letter than gave all American women a voice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534110496
Publisher:	Sleeping Bear Press
Publication date:	03/15/2020
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	418,177
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	570L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 9 Years

Editorial Reviews

03/01/2020

Gr 1–5—Engaging cartoon illustrations and snappy text make this story about women's suffrage perfect for very young children. The familiar heroines of the movement (Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul) are included only in a time line, as the book's main characters are Harry Burn, a little-known lawmaker, and Febb Burn, his mother. In August of 1920, American women looked to Tennessee, hoping it would become the necessary 36th state to ratify the 19th amendment. But the first round of voting resulted in a tie. When Representative Burn changed his vote, he changed history. Although Burn knew that breaking the tie would jeopardize his chance at state reelection, he was determined to follow his conscience (and the advice of his mother). VERDICT A most suitable lesson for our time. Author Boxer and illustrator Mildenberger offer a concise look at a lesser-known player who contributed to a significant part of American history.—Gloria Koster, formerly at West School, New Canaan, CT

School Library Journal

2019-12-08
Sometimes the decision of an individual can make all the difference.

Febb Burns knew what she wanted, and what she wanted was the right to vote. A college-educated white woman, she yearned to do what her white male neighbors in East Tennessee did every election day. But while she did not have that right, her son, Harry, did—not just as a citizen, but as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives. The last to vote on ratification of the 19th Amendment, the body was closely divided between "yea" and "nay." Even though Harry wore a red rose signifying opposition, he also carried with him a letter from his mother urging him to support the amendment. Listening to his mother and his conscience, vote "yea" he did, knowingly risking his seat. Boxer tells the story succinctly, clearly drawing the political lines so that young readers will understand the dynamics. Mildenberger's inclusion of a few black women among those demonstrating for the vote reflects the historical reality that black women were part of the suffrage movement, but it also implies greater equality than truly existed, compounding Boxer's elision of the fact that Jim Crow laws denied African Americans, both male and female, the vote. Irritatingly, though an illustration includes part of what is presumably Febb's letter, that those were her words is never confirmed.

An inspiring though incomplete look at a critical historical moment. (author's note, timeline) (Informational picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews