Book Cover
Justification
I chose Teen Trailblazers as my biography or autobiography selection for this blog. This book covers the lives of 30 teenage girls that managed to shape the world in some way before the age of 20. This book stuck out to me because it sends a strong message about empowering women, and particularly teenage girls, that they can achieve what they want to achieve. I also selected this book because the writing is accessible to readers spanning seventh through twelfth grade. Some of the books selected in this batch of books are more appropriate for older readers, and I wanted to aspire to a blend of reading age levels and interest levels. Teen Trailblazers has also been favorably reviewed by Booklist and Kirkus Reviews.
Evaluation
The first element of great writing exhibited in this book was the accuracy of information. While each biography is only a few pages in length, it is full of accurate and factual information. The use of brevity and precise language has a powerful impact on the reader. The biographies range in subject from young women we all know such as Joan of Arc and Frida Kahlo to those who are more unknown like Nellie Bly and Margaret Knight. The thing that is remarkable is the way that Calvert writes in a way that is concise and informative as well as interesting. Even the biographies of well-known women contain little known facts and comparisons to highlight their impact in their respective fields. The reader leaves each woman’s story feeling like they have learned about an important pioneer in their fields.
The next thing that stood out in this book was the design and layout. The compilation of biographies is full of illustrations and text features to help the reader have a fuller picture of the women highlighted in the text. At the beginning of each new biography, there is a large-scale illustration of the woman as well as her full name, nicknames when applicable, their dates of birth and death, the field they worked in and their contribution to the world. The inclusion of illustrations in the text makes the content more appealing. The illustrations are done in a graphic novel or comic fashion that is whimsical and adds character to the people being described. The text features found throughout the book provide interesting asides that share more information about the women’s lives. These text features range from tables that compare facts, to text boxes with additional information, as well as quotes from the women themselves.
Finally, the over arching theme that stands out in this compilation of biographies is the tenacity and drive of these fearless women. As each biography is told we hear a similar story. Most of the women in the book have been overlooked, overshadowed, or had to overcome a great deal of sexist attitudes before they could achieve their place among those who have an impact on the world. The determination and willingness to fight in the face of adversity is a recurring trait in the women of this book. The reader leaves this book with a sense that these women were truly remarkable, and that there are more women just like these present in our current day lives. We just don’t know about them yet. The theme of determination leaves the reader inspired and ready to encourage the next crop of world changing leaders.
Response
(A) Many of the women highlighted in this book are heroes of mine. Women who went out on a limb to do what they thought was right or achieve despite adversity. Reading this book gave me a renewed sense of admiration for these women and those not mentioned who have had to fight for what they wanted and for their place in the world. (D) As much as this book highlights the strength of these women, unfortunately it also shows the ways that women have been historically overlooked or undervalued. For example, Mary Shelley published her great work Frankenstein anonymously for fear of backlash that a woman would write such a dark tale. While the prevailing message of the book is one of conquering stereotypes and speaking your mind, the historical difficulties many of these woman had to face cannot be overlooked. The book shows the progress we are making as a society to empower women to achieve, but it also shows we have more ground to cover. Having books like these in our libraries shows male and female students alike how capable they truly are. It also shows how we can support one another to impact our communities and the world around us. (E) I felt that this book was done exceptionally well. The writing was clear, correct, and concise. It held my attention and taught me many new things I did not know before reading about these women. Many of the names in the book were new to me altogether and it was a treat to learn about such impressive young women. Calvert’s writing was impactful and empowering. The accompanying illustrations by Vesna Asanovic added an element of whimsy and depth to each of the women discussed. The illustrations were welcoming and pleasing to look at while still providing factual information about each woman’s story.
Conclusion
Teen Trailblazers was excellently done. It is a collection of biographies that will leave you inspired and empowered to impact your corner of the world. This set of biographies is appropriate for students in seventh grade and higher. The content of the book highlights the power of the human spirit and the way that we can make a difference in the world around us.
APA Citation
Calvert, J. (2018). Teen trailblazers: 30 Fearless girls who changed the world before they were 20. New York: Castle Point Books.
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