School Library Journal Review

Gr 5 Up-Eye-catching layouts with good use of color, photographs, and informative sidebars, many of which use primary-source quotations, are the highlights of these appealing volumes. Each one consists of a brief introduction and eight topical chapters. After a succinct overview of contemporary events, the chapters describe women's lives at home, at work, in education, in politics, in the arts, and their role in the general culture. Women of color are included, often in a separate chapter. Women at War explores the changing role of women during the Progressive Era, the impact of World War I on their lives, and the struggle for voting rights. The Great Depression surveys an era after women won the right to vote and when the nation's economic crash placed new hardships on families. New opportunities for women were a part of the New Deal and World War II and together changed American culture-these topics are explored in the volume covering the years 1938-1960. The Modern Feminist Movement delves into the years of protest and quest for equal rights. The final volume, Women of Today, highlights women's achievements, including U.S. Supreme Court justices, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and presidential candidates. These volumes are rapid reads and introduce a wide range of political, economic, social, and cultural history. Readers are sure to linger over the excellent selection of photographs. Worthy additions for all history collections.-Patricia Ann Owens, Illinois Eastern Community Colleges (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.