Rabble Rousers: Twenty Women Who Made a Difference
Grade 4-7-The focus here is on American feminists from the pre-Revolutionary War period to the present. Following in loose chronological order, the book opens with Ann Lee, the "Mother of the American Shakers" (1736-1784), and ends with government reformer Doris Haddock (born 1910). Each of the 20 profiles is handled uniformly over spreads packed with more information than is immediately apparent. About half of the women will be familiar to students. Some (Frances Wright, Mary Edwards Walker, Mary E. Lease) will be new. Each chapter has a portrait of the subject, a quote by that person, and important dates. Four time lines cover abolition, women's, labor, and civil rights movements. One poignant spread shows women carrying a banner that reads "August 18, 1920," the day women got the vote. Cartoon-style action shots illustrate the text, and colorful borders and adequate white space add to the appeal. Appended sections include places to visit as well as civil action tips. Kathleen Krull's amusing Lives of Extraordinary Women (Harcourt, 2000) includes both national and international figures. (Eleanor Roosevelt is the only figure featured in both.)-Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WICopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.