Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World

Halligan tells the stories of 55 "herstorical" women across the globe with notable personal and professional accomplishments. They include artists and writers, political and social leaders, health care workers and healers, scientific innovators, and activists and visionaries. The duo devotes each bustling, scrapbook collage-style spread to a different subject, layering biographical details against expressive portraits, photographs, and ephemera. Halligan makes little distinction between figures of the distant past and those more contemporary, underscoring how change makers throughout time share a common bond. Alongside Empress Wu Zetian of China are scientist Dian Fossey and artists Frida Kahlo, Coco Chanel, and Billie Holiday. Activists include Malala Yousafzai, Indian secret agent Noor Inayat Khan, and Mayan human rights activist Rigoberta Menchú. Halligan and Walsh offer approachable educational content about lesser-known subjects in a warm and vibrant visual presentation. Ages 8-up. (Sept.)

Gr 5-8--From its oversize dimensions to its fantastic use of color, this volume draws readers into the life of each woman it profiles. Spread-length biographical introductions offer basic facts and also convey the significance of each subject's life in the larger sphere of women's history. The artwork that accompanies each personal history is a combination of photographs, folk art-style illustrations and embellishments, and quintessential quotes, rendered in calligraphy, from each subject. The result evokes a treasured, hand-crafted scrapbook rather than a dry, biographical dictionary. The vignettes are organized into five aphoristic categories: "Believe & Lead," "Imagine & Create," "Help & Heal," "Think & Solve," "Hope & Overcome." Several of the essays cover popular and expected choices, but the authors also include a diverse selection in this compendium. For example, Elizabeth I, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Helen Keller appear along with Theresa Kachindamoto, Mary Seacole, and Noor Inayat Khan. The sketches are written at an upper elementary level, with no birth or death dates highlighted in the entries, but a "When They Were Born" appendix covers that information, followed by a basic glossary and index. The only things missing from this charming work are suggestions for further inquiry. VERDICT This joyful introduction to significant women throughout history is highly recommended for upper elementary and middle school nonfiction collections.--Kelly Kingrey-Edwards, Blinn Junior College, Brenham, TX