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Summary
Summary
Once books kick-start their brains, girls change history. Discover the foundation of reading that empowered some of the world's most influential women in this informative and inspirational illustrated middle grade collection of twenty biographies.
What do Cleopatra, Audre Lorde, and Taylor Swift have in common? They're all influential women who grew up doing one very important thing: reading.
This collection of short-form biographies tells the story of twenty groundbreaking women and how their childhood reading habits empowered them to change the world. From Cleopatra to Sally Ride to Amanda Gorman, the women featured in this collection are from all throughout history and all kinds of backgrounds. They are women who have and who continue to change the game in STEM, literature, politics, sports, and more. Most importantly, they are women who were born to read.
For some, reading was forbidden, but they taught themselves to read anyway. For some, reading was a struggle, but they practiced and grew to love it. For some, reading was an escape from difficult realities. For all, reading was empowering.
Author Notes
Kathleen Krull (1952-2021) was the author of over 100 books, including No Truth Without Ruth: The Life of Ruth Bader ; A Woman for President: The Story of Victoria Woodhull ; Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, Rebels (and What the Neighbors Thought) ; The Only Woman in the Photo ; and other acclaimed biographies for young readers. Visit her website at KathleenKrull.com.
Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan has written over 400 books, including A is for Asian American and Popo's Lucky Chinese New Year . She is a former elementary school teacher and currently teaches at San Diego State University where she directs the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Center. She writes about many topics, but especially likes to write about powerful women and her Asian American heritage. She lives in San Diego with her family and two dogs.
Aura Lewis studied design at Parsons School of Design as well as illustration at the School of Visual Arts. She is inspired by fashion, playful color, vintage design, and popular culture, and her work is featured on stationery, in ad campaigns and editorial publications, and in books for adults and children, including A Curious Mind and A Very Big Heart , The Illustrated Feminist , and We the People . Aura loves to travel the world, and so far, she has lived on four continents. You can find her work at AuraLewis.com.
Reviews (2)
Kirkus Review
"Girls who read have become women who lead." From Cleopatra to Marley Dias, these entries, organized by birthdate, focus on a wide variety of women who stood out because they were empowered by a love of reading. The accounts emphasize the subjects' childhood reading and learning. Scholar, feminist, and nun Juana Inez de la Cruz snuck out of her house to go to school with her older sister, while Indira Gandhi, India's first female prime minister, discussed books in regular letters with her father, Jawaharlal Nehru. Scientist Temple Grandin, who has pioneered humane methods of animal slaughter, loved Black Beauty and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Each three-to-four-page biography begins with the subject's name, dates, and a short quotation and features a cheery digital illustration of the subject as an adult. Smooth, engaging text illuminates these women's achievements as adults. A final profile is devoted to co-author Krull, who died in 2021, leaving several unfinished manuscripts, including this one, which was completed by longtime friend Loh-Hagan. The work concludes with thorough backmatter, including feminist fun facts about the subjects, information on other women who didn't make the cut, suggested activities to encourage kids to "spread the joy of reading along," and extensive references organized by subject. A refreshingly original approach to exploring the lives of famous women. (resources, index) (Collective biography. 10-15) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
The chronologically presented women in this book start with Cleopatra and include Chinese American physicist Chien-Shiung Wu, Shirley Chisholm, and Taylor Swift. Each woman's coverage opens with Lewis' large, brightly colored, digital portrait of the figure. The three pages of text that follow describe the woman's life circumstances as they relate to reading--Mexican writer Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, for example, was born outside marriage and was socially ostracized, leading her to take solace in reading. Krull and Loh-Hagan also describe the subject's milieu and the attitude toward women reading then (hint: mostly against). The authors then go on to discuss how the women used their love of books to seize agency--the first African American to publish a book, for example, Phillis Wheatley Peters, used her talent to argue for the abolition of slavery. The "Feminist Fun Facts," a lengthy resource list, and other back matter are welcome additions. This lively collective biography deserves a place on library and classroom shelves for its global coverage, accessible and absorbing writing, and unusual focus.
Excerpts
Excerpts
1. Cleopatra Lives in the Library: Cleopatra (69-30 BC) Excerpted from Born Reading: 20 Stories of Women Reading Their Way into History by Kathleen Krull, Virginia Loh-Hagan All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
Table of Contents
| Introduction | 1 |
| Cleopatra Lives in the Library: Cleopatra (69-30 BC)* | 3 |
| Wu Gets Ahead: Wu Zetian (624-705) | 7 |
| Elizabeth Rules the Day: Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) | 11 |
| Juana Reads in Secret: Sor (Sister) Juana Ines de la Cruz (1651-1695) | 15 |
| Phillis Uses Her Voice: Phillis Wheatley Peters (1753-1784) | 21 |
| E. Pauline Takes the Stage: E. Pauline Johnson (1861-1913) | 25 |
| Chien-Shiung Breaks Barriers: Chien-Shiung Wu (1912-1997) | 31 |
| Indira Learns from Letters: Indira Gandhi (1917-1984) | 35 |
| Shirley Blazes Trails: Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005) | 41 |
| Patsy Pushes Back: Patsy Mink (1927-2002) | 45 |
| Audre Refuses to Be Silent: Audre Lorde (1934-1992) | 51 |
| Temple Thinks in Pictures: Temple Grandin (1947- ) | 55 |
| Sally Reaches for the Stars: Sally Ride (1951-2012) | 59 |
| Oprah Influences America: Oprah Winfrey (1954- ) | 63 |
| Sonia Solves Mysteries: Sonia Sotomayor (1954- ) | 69 |
| Serena Rises Up: Serena Williams (1981- ) | 73 |
| Taylor Shakes It Off: Taylor Swift (1989- ) | 77 |
| Malala Doesn't Back Down: Malala Yousafzai (1997- ) | 81 |
| Amanda Climbs Hills: Amanda Gorman (1998- ) | 85 |
| Marley Gets It Done: Marley Dias (2005- ) | 89 |
| Epilogue: Kathy Reads on the Job: Kathleen Krull (1952-2021) | 93 |
| Feminist Fun Facts | 97 |
| More Girls with Books | 101 |
| Activities to Keep Reading | 110 |
| Resources | 111 |
| References | 116 |
| Index | 134 |
