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

(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

(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

(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

(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) 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