International Women's Day (Intermediate & Older)

(3) YA Translated by Montana Kane. French artist Bagieu's brief vignettes of sequential comics art expose readers to brazen women of all fields, times, and places, both famous and little-known. Each entry gives just enough information about each heroine to know who she was and why she was important; many readers will dig deeper from here. Occasional humor makes even the most tragic stories approachable.

Reviewer: Jessica Costello

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Sarah Walsh. On double-page spreads, Halligan tells the stories of fifty global women who've made a historical difference whether through leadership, art, healing, STEM, or heroism. Profiles include discussion of each individual's early years, inspirational quotes, and a nuanced and thoughtful explanation as to how the individual "shook up the world." Flowery and feminine, Walsh's gouache, colored-pencil, and Photoshop illustrations and page decorations add visual appeal. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(2) YA Introduction by Alison Bechdel. This well-researched comics-format biography depicts key moments from Brontë's studies at austere boarding schools, her later teaching jobs, and her travels abroad. Fawkes highlights Brontë's bleak childhood; her creativity inventing imaginary worlds with her siblings; and the difficulties she faced as a woman writer in the nineteenth century. Although panel layouts are unvaried and text-heavy, the bluish-purple palette nicely captures setting; intricate line work focuses on characters' expressive faces. Bib.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(3) 4-6 In 2016, fourteen-year-old Hameister embarked on a multi-year quest to become the youngest person to accomplish the "Polar Hat Trick"--skiing to the North Pole, across Greenland, and finally to the South Pole. Her inspiring memoir is filled with adventure, perseverance, and gratitude, showcasing her indomitable spirit. Two color photo sections from before and during the expeditions are included plus a few black-and-white photographs.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 In a short and poignant narrative, Ho tells how, at age four, she was left behind in Vietnam while her family fled to Canada in 1981. Decidedly anti-communist, the tale is filled with details about school, hard work, hunger, and the sorrow Ho felt until being reunited with her family when she was eight. Appended are family photos, a coauthor's note, and interviews with Ho and her parents.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) YA Foreword by Firoozeh Dumas. Born to a French mother and Iranian father, Homayoonfarar moved from the U.S. to Iran in 1976 at age five. Short chapters follow the author's coming of age amid the abrupt cultural changes and turbulent historical backdrop of the Iranian Revolution and war with Iraq. Temporal shifts are sometimes hard to follow in this otherwise moving and relatable memoir. Includes an insert of family snapshots. Timeline.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam

(2) 4-6 Author-illustrator Kantorovitz's (Zig and the Magic Umbrella, rev. 5/15) graphic memoir is an engaging and thoughtful story of an observant child who grows into a young adult eager to pursue teaching and art. Kantorovitz and her siblings lived at a teacher-training college in France where her father was the principal. They had the run of the campus, and Sylvie eventually moved into her own private room, a "kingdom" separate from her family's apartment. Her childhood was marked by her mother's moods and her high academic expectations for Sylvie--"it doesn't count if the others also got As." With relatively few words, Kantorovitz describes her parents' difficult marriage and the support she received from her father; it was he who encouraged Sylvie's love of and talent for art. The book's design is open and friendly. Large cartoon-style illustrations, sometimes just one to a page, are uncluttered and attractive, making them inviting even while they explore difficult themes, including Sylvie's fear that her Jewish faith will set her apart from her friends and classmates. Even at a hefty 350-plus pages, the book looks so approachable that it will likely attract a wide range of readers who will discover a strong story about navigating family, school, and friendships while finding one's purpose.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(2) 4-6 Translated by Sylvia Notini. Illustrated by Jess Mason. In a direct, first-person account (adapted from her adult book Una bambina e basta), Levi relates what happened to her and her family under the rule of Mussolini and during World War II. Brief chapters, short sentences, and a simple vocabulary give this the air of a child's voice, but the quick, deft storytelling is that of a gifted, experienced narrator. The story starts in Turin, but when restrictions are imposed on Jewish Italians, Lia's family moves first to Milan and then to Rome, where Papa finds work. When the Germans occupy Rome, Lia and her sisters are hidden at a Catholic boarding school, and Papa and Mama go into hiding. Lia's impressions of her different schools, new friendships, and the conditions war brings about ("One egg for three people: that's just one of the little tricks that war can play on you") speak to children's interests, and the author's conversational style has just the right tone to make readers feel the narrator is addressing them personally. The main narrative is occasionally interrupted by "dear reader" notes--explanations and reassurances to soften the suspense of a terrifying time. Mason's soft black-and-white illustrations make these switches clear and meaningful, as she moves from images of the youthful Lia to Lia as a grandmother, a testament of survival and Jewish cultural continuity.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(3) 4-6 French realist painter of animals Rosa Bonheur forged a unique career in the nineteenth-century art world, despite the obstacle of being a woman. Painting from life, Bonheur kept many animals at her home. Vignettes of her life and work are set in the context of her artistic contemporaries. A handsome volume of great interest to budding art historians as well as to animal lovers. Extensive notes and resources appended. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(2) YA Ada Byron Lovelace followed nineteenth-century conventions by marrying and bearing children yet still pursued scientific interests. Her friend Charles Babbage produced a mechanical tabulation machine, which Lovelace defined as a computer prototype; her resulting algorithm is often considered the first computer program. McCully clearly and systematically outlines mathematical concepts while painting Lovelace's life as one characterized both by spurts of brilliance and many challenges. Archival illustrations and photographs appear throughout. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(3) 4-6 This chronological collection begins with seventeenth-century Mexican writer and philosopher Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and concludes with American Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez (born in 2000). Readers meet educators, artists, a spy, politicians, scientists, activists, and more. Menéndez introduces each subject with a full-page stylized image in rich earth tones and a page of conversational text that highlights achievements, challenges, and a bit of personal information. The profiles offer glimpses into the women's lives; select sources for each entry are appended and offer opportunities for further research. Ten additional figures are mentioned at book's end.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) YA This absorbing and well-paced biography of Austrian-born trailblazing physicist Lise Meitner begins by exploring ­Meitner's path from college student to struggling laboratory scientist (prevented, as a woman, from gaining employment as a university professor in Berlin). With the coming of WWII, the narrative kicks into high gear as Moss depicts the Jewish Meitner's delayed ­decision to finally flee Germany and the dramatic escape that follows. It is in the ­relative safety of neighboring Sweden that Meitner makes her most significant ­discovery, ­concluding that atoms can be split and that the resulting "fission" releases massive amounts of energy. The implications of this discovery would emerge shortly thereafter with the Manhattan Project. Moss provides readers with comprehensible descriptions of her subject's scientific work; equally important to ­Meitner's story is the depiction of the conditions under which she finds herself working during Hitler's rise to power. Chapters are preceded by single-page ­comics showing significant moments in the unfolding narrative. These welcome breaks serve many functions, including moving Meitner's story along, depicting ­scientists at work in their labs, and helping readers ­better understand the many ­pressures Meitner was under. Extensive back matter includes a timeline, profiles of the various scientists mentioned in the ­narrative, a glossary, an index, and chapter-by-chapter source notes. A perfect accompaniment to Sheinkin's Bomb (rev. 3/17); see also Atkins's Hidden Powers: Lise Meitner's Call to Science (rev. 5/22).

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(3) 4-6 This timely nonfiction book focuses on the biographies of ten Black Canadian women whose stories are often overlooked or untold. Written for middle-grade readers, the biographies are brief but informative, and the powerful collage illustrations depict the women as warriors. This text can easily be a springboard for deeper discussion around African enslavement and racial oppression outside the U.S.

Reviewer: Monique Harris

(3) YA The seventeenth-century entomologist, ecologist, and artist fully comes to life in this absorbing biography. Richly illustrated with over a hundred images, including those by Merian, her daughters, and their contemporaries, this comprehensive book presents Merian's personality and unique contributions while also providing ample insight into the era in which she worked. The authors' scholarly backgrounds are on display in the depth and detail of coverage. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(1) YA Illustrated by Zeke Peña. Photographer Iturbide's story is told in comic-panel format, with striking black-and-white illustrations, high-quality reproductions of her own photographs, and spare first-person narration drawing upon her writing and interviews; interspersed are section introductions in a more conversational third-person, direct-address text. A powerful homage to the five-decade evolution of an artist still working--and still evolving--today. Additional biographical information is appended. Reading list.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2018

(3) YA Shelley's reputation as the author of the classic novel Frankenstein--written when she was just twenty years old--has eclipsed the scandal and heartbreak that accompanied her romance, marriage, and childbearing with Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Reef (Jane Austen; The Brontë Sisters) chronicles Shelley's life capably, including commentary, primary source quotes, and black-and-white paintings and photographs throughout. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt

(2) YA Illustrated by Julie Morstad. The author best known for Anne of Green Gables left behind extensive letters and journals; Rosenberg has gathered information from these and other sources to create a detailed narrative that allows Montgomery's personality to come through. Morstad's ink line drawings would be right at home in an Anne book. It's a well-balanced biography that offers tidbits for fans without overly romanticizing the author's own story. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(3) 4-6 The trajectory of the French fashion designer's life and successful career is outlined in a well-researched, highly readable biography. Rubin addresses the darker parts of Chanel's history--her childhood in an orphanage, her relationship with a Nazi intelligence officer--as well as her iconic industry "firsts," including women's suits and the little black dress. The elegantly designed volume includes plenty of photographs. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(2) YA This suspenseful memoir, set between 1992 and 1998, opens just before the author's northwestern Bosnian town of Bihać is changed by war. Serbians (who've had warning) evacuate overnight, schools and businesses abruptly close, and the town's remaining Muslim population is under siege by Serbian soldiers. Amidst this turmoil, a stray calico cat follows sixteen-year-old Amra home. Amra calls the stray Maci, the Bosnian word for cat, and the cat comforts and even, in a sense, protects Amra: for instance, because she chases Maci on the way home from school, Amra avoids a sniper attack. Amra comes to believe the cat is a guardian angel or benevolent spirit. She details her family's gradual decline, as they endure poverty and malnutrition under siege for three years, and finally her own move to the U.S. on an academic scholarship. Though she never shies away from difficult topics such as the threat of rape, feeling forgotten by the international community, or post-war corruption, she always brings the story back to Maci, a metaphor for love that "never dies" and "withstands distance and time." This fast-paced, touching memoir reminds readers of the significance of the Balkan ethnic war and places it into a larger conversation about the ways in which ethnically and religiously diverse societies are under threat from extremism and bigotry. An author's note and resource list encourage further engagement.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(3) YA Illustrated by T. S. Abe. Sarkeesian and Adams succinctly profile twenty-five influential women across a wide range of fields, ethnicities, time periods, and countries. Each of the five sections ("Rebels," "Scholars," "Villains," "Artists," and "Amazons") includes prominent figures such as Ida B. Wells and Margaret Thatcher, but the focus is on lesser-known women, including eleventh-century Japanese novelist Murasaki Shikibu and nineteenth-century Chinese pirate captain Ching Shih. Graphite portraits accompany the fascinating stories. Bib.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Miriam Klein Stahl. The team behind Rad American Women A–Z and others offers another collective biography introducing females who've made a difference, here before age twenty. From the singer Lorde to Malala Yousafzai, this volume covers a refreshing and inclusive mix of girls' achievement stories, written in engaging, tween-appropriate prose and illustrated with Stahl's hip cut-paper portraits. Tips for becoming a "rad girl" and resources are appended. Ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(1) 4-6 Excellent reproductions of seventeenth-century German naturalist Merian's gorgeous--and groundbreaking--illustrations of butterflies and moths let readers appreciate their accurate scientific detail and artistry. Merian's biography is told in twelve chapters titled with butterfly life-cycle stages, and Sidman's accompanying photographs illustrate each stage. The book includes numerous excerpts from Merian's journals, historical illustrations, and maps. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(3) 4-6 Beginning in the fourteenth century BCE with Egyptian ruler Nefertiti, Tarnowska introduces notable figures from Middle Eastern history through modern times. Each four-page biography opens with a full-page portrait (in different styles; five illustrators are mentioned at book's end). Subjects include artists, activists, an astronaut, a soldier, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, scientists, and "the first figure skater...to compete internationally in a hijab." Along the way, the impressionistic text provides insight into what life is like for women in this region and how their lives have changed. A map and glossary are included; no sources are provided.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. This updated collection profiles fifteen female inventors, eliminates three outdated chapters, and spotlights seven new inventions. There's a laudable increase in subjects' diversity and a more contemporary focus. Many "personal interviews...employ[ing] a conversational tone" (per the original Horn Book Magazine review) remain, as does emphasis on "accomplishments over personality." Sweet has added more vibrant collages to new and old chapters of this informative, empowering resource. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(3) 4-6 First Names series. Illustrated by Tom Knight. This illustrated chapter-book biography traces the life of young Greta Thunberg from outraged eight-year-old to powerhouse teen activist while also introducing the politics, history, and science surrounding her impassioned cause of slowing global climate change. Thunberg's life story captures the significant physical and emotional toll that global warming enacted on her childhood, as well as her success in harnessing her personal strengths to influence global decision-makers. Ample comic-style line drawings lighten the tone and clarify complex concepts. When cartoon Greta speaks directly--through speech bubbles and with Thunberg's signature intense gaze--readers will feel the urgency for both understanding and immediate action. A timeline of important dates in Thunberg's life (so far), glossary, bibliography, and index are appended.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(2) YA This well-researched biography of German Jewish artist Charlotte Salomon (1917–1943) constructs many of its episodes around her autobiographical paintings, allowing not only for analysis of her art but also for an intimate focus on particular moments in her life. That life was a difficult and complicated one, and Wider is frank about Salomon's intense relationships and obsession with her family's history of suicide, as well as her alleged poisoning of her grandfather (the book is inconclusive as to her motivations: assisted suicide, or escape from his abuse?). The specter of the Holocaust looms large over Salomon's story: she created her Life? or Theater? series of paintings while in hiding, and was eventually captured and killed in the gas chamber. Two closing chapters focus on her legacy. Black-and-white photos are interspersed throughout the narrative, as are reproductions of Salomon's colorful and often melancholic paintings. Back matter includes a family tree, a map, a timeline, source notes, a bibliography, and an index (unseen).

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(3) YA Nobel Peace Prize–winner Yousafzai re-frames her experience as one of displacement and retells stories of refugee girls from diverse geographical locations. Particularly poignant are stories of families whose members chose different migratory paths and the long-term consequences of those choices. Appended bios of the featured refugees and a photo insert add depth to the reading experience.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam