Marching with Aunt Susan: Susan B. Anthony and the Fight for Women's Suffrage

Gr 1-5--This story takes place in San Francisco in 1896 and is told from the point of view of a young girl named Bessie as her mother hosts a tea with the famous suffragist as the guest of honor. Already influenced and irritated by the many things her brothers get to do that she cannot, Bessie is inspired by Anthony's words and joins the movement by marching, making signs, and talking to her best friend whose domineering father makes all decisions about family life. Bessie's supportive father and activist mother help her deal with her disappointments by balancing them with opportunities for making a difference. Schuett's somewhat impressionistic gouache paintings effectively capture the time and place and convey the emotionally charged tenor of the campaign. The endnotes, accompanied by photographs, provide factual material about the real Bessie Keith Pond, Anthony, and the suffrage movement, especially in California.--Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID

This earnest story springs from the life of Bessie Keith Pond, who was 10 years old in 1896 when Susan B. Anthony visited Berkeley, Calif., to rouse women to work for the passage of a state referendum that would give them voting rights. When Bessie complains that girls aren't allowed to do everything that boys are, Anthony invites her to a rally, asserting, "Women's votes can help change the world." While Murphy's (The Children of Alcatraz) prose creates a strong sense of the injustices of the period, it can occasionally feel melodramatic. When Bessie tours a factory and one young female worker wonders aloud if she can go to school if women win the vote, Bessie says, "I couldn't imagine not learning how to read and write. I leaned against the wall and tried to catch my breath." The referendum doesn't pass, underscoring the idea that freedoms aren't won overnight; back matter (which includes biographical sketches of Anthony and Pond) provides a concise history of the suffragist movement. Rendered in thick, forceful strokes, Schuett's (Liberty's Voice) gouache paintings easily convey Bessie's energy and Anthony's conviction. Ages 6-10. (Oct.)