Suffragette: The Battle for Equality

by David Roberts (Author) David Roberts (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

A New York Times best-selling illustrator turns his talents to a lavish history of the women's suffrage movement in the U.K. and the U.S. just in time for the hundredth anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment.

Imprisonment, hunger strikes, suffrajitsu -- the decades-long fight for women's right to vote was at times a ferocious one. Acclaimed artist David Roberts gives these important, socially transformative times their due in a colorfully illustrated history that includes many of the important faces of the movement in portraiture and scenes that both dignify and enliven. He has created a timely and thoroughly engaging resource in his first turn as nonfiction author-illustrator. Suffragette: The Battle for Equality follows the trajectory of the movement in the U.K. and visits some key figures and moments in the United States as it presents the stories of Millicent Garrett Fawcett, Emmeline Pankhurst, Ida B. Wells, Susan B. Anthony, and many more heroic women and men -- making it a perfect gift for young readers of today. Dr. Crystal Feimster of Yale's Department of African American Studies contributes a foreword that speaks to the relationship and differences between the British and American suffrage efforts.

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Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

Roberts's (Rosie Revere, Engineer) handsomely illustrated history of the battle for women's suffrage in the U.K. and the U.S. makes its American debut in time for the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. Though heavily tilted toward events and key figures in the U.K., the detailed chronological account covers the multipronged fight for the vote on both sides of the Atlantic. Many of the diverse activists, such as journalist Ida B. Wells, are featured on pages of yearbook-style captioned portraits. Others, such as Britain's Millicent Garrett Fawcett, the leader of Britain's largest suffrage society, receive longer treatment, as do pivotal protests. Interest-piquing titles headline each double spread ("1910: Suffrajitsu"), while a conversational narrative, aesthetically pleasing page design, and stunning visuals keep the complex topic accessible. Lively scenes depict law-abiding suffragists (and more militant suffragettes) engaging in all manner of protest, often clad in lavish, ruffled Edwardian-period dress. Roberts hasn't shied from depicting the harsh realities of a struggle that also involved racism, classism, vandalism, and violence; one graphic scene, for example, depicts the forced tube feeding of a female prisoner on a hunger strike. Vignettes of female suffragists from around the world and a bibliography wrap up this engaging, stirring chronicle. Ages 7-10. (Oct.)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

This cleareyed, evenhanded presentation gives the overall story a veracity that lets shine the bravery of all the women (and men) who were ridiculed, imprisoned, force-fed, and beaten for their determination to win the franchise. This compelling story of determination and persistence can't help but inspire today's readers.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Roberts's (Rosie Revere, Engineer) handsomely illustrated history of the battle for women's suffrage in the U.K. and the U.S. makes its American debut in time for the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment...Vignettes of female suffragists from around the world and a bibliography wrap up this engaging, stirring chronicle.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
David Roberts
David Roberts is the illustrator of The Dunderheads by Paul Fleischman, The Dumpster Diver by Janet S. Wong, and His Royal Highness, King Baby by Sally Lloyd-Jones. He also illustrated the New York Times best-selling Rosie Revere, Engineer and the other books in the Questioners series by Andrea Beaty. David Roberts has held a lifelong interest in the women's suffrage movement. He lives in London.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781536208412
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Walker Books Us
Publication date
October 08, 2019
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF025210 - Juvenile Nonfiction | History | United States/20th Century
JNF043000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Social Science | Politics & Government
JNF023000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Girls & Women
Library of Congress categories
-

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