Bold & Brave: Ten Heroes Who Won Women the Right to Vote

by Kirsten Gillibrand (Author) Maira Kalman (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

From United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand comes an inspiring picture book about ten suffragists who fought for women's right to vote.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was inspired by her own great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother to be bold and brave--to stand up and fight for what she believes in. But who inspired them? The long chain of women before them who spoke out for what's right--women who taught each generation that followed how to be bold and brave.

Here are the stories of ten leaders who strove to win the right to vote for American women--a journey that took more than seventy years of passionate commitment. From well-known figures, such as Susan B. Anthony and Sojourner Truth to lesser known women such as Alice Paul and Mary Church Terrell, these are heroes who dreamed big and never gave up. Senator Gillibrand highlights an important and pithy lesson from each woman's life--from "dare to be different" to "fight together."

On the eve of the one-hundredth anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, which granted women suffrage, Bold & Brave looks both backward and forward. It introduces children to strong women who have raised their voices on behalf of justice--and inspires them to raise their own voices to build our future.

With gorgeous illustrations by renowned artist Maira Kalman, this is a book that will inspire and uplift, a book to be cherished and shared.

The suffragists included are: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Jovita Idár, Alice Paul, Inez Milholland, Ida B. Wells, Lucy Burns, and Mary Church Terrell.

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Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

Making her children's book debut, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand offers a personal history of the strong women in her family (her roller-skating grandmother, her karate black-belt mother), then introduces 10 notable suffragists spanning eras, socioeconomic backgrounds, and professions. Familiar suffragists, abolitionists, and black rights activists include Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Ida B. Wells, as well as more obscure figures like Lucy Burns, Alice Paul, and Jovita Idár. Gillibrand describes the women's contributions clearly and with context, while Kalman illustrates in distinctive thickly layered gouache, a palette of pink tones making their way into each spread. Final spreads focus on today's activists: Kalman paints a sea of women in bright pink hats: "Now it's your turn. You are the suffragists of our time," Gillibrand concludes. End pages mention other significant women: Billie Jean King, Maya Lin, and iconic characters Rosie the Riveter and Wonder Woman. Ages 6-9. (Nov.)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-5--Gillibrand, a U.S. Senator, begins with a quick look back at her great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother--all strong women who bucked the norm, fought for what they believed in, and never backed down. And who inspired these female forebears to be "bold and brave so they could teach me and you?" Blending eye-catching artwork with well-written text, the two-page profiles that follow introduce 10 trailblazing women, touching upon each individual's particular challenges, accomplishments, and legacy. Well-chosen details make the snapshots vivid, as do the short quotations woven into the vignettes (though no citations are provided). Kalman's full-page portraits combine the realism of a photograph with bold color choices that pack in personality and make the images pop off the pages. Featured are figures such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Jovita Idár, and Mary Church Terrell. The book ends on a well-conceived and truly inspirational note with mention of the 2017 Women's March in Washington, DC and a call to readers to "Stand up, speak out, and fight for what you believe in." VERDICT A rousing introduction to 10 fascinating and fearless women. Consider for robust collections.--Joy Fleishhacker, Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"A stroke of genius." —Kirkus Reviews

"Admiration and respect emanate from the pages." —Shelf Awareness
Kirsten Gillibrand
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is one of New York's Senators and a passionate advocate for women's rights--like her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother before her. Senator Gillibrand was born and raised in upstate New York. She lives there with her family: her husband, Jonathan, their sons, Theo and Henry, and their dog, Maple. A New York Times bestselling author, this is her first book for children.

Maira Kalman is the author and illustrator of numerous books for children, including Looking at Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Everything. She is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker, and illustrated Strunk and White's classic The Elements of Style. You can find out more at mairakalman.com.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780593302668
Lexile Measure
1010
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication date
June 02, 2020
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF007110 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Social Activists
JNF043000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Social Science | Politics & Government
JNF023000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Girls & Women
Library of Congress categories
-

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