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“50 Amazing Americans: Women Who Changed the World”

February 9, 2017 - Children's Books, Reviews
Author: Laurie Calkhoven
Publisher: Scholastic
“50 Amazing Americans: Women Who Changed the World”

Laurie Calkhoven writes non-fiction profiles for fifty American women who changed United States history. With illustrations by Patricia Castelao, “Women Who Changed the World” provides the role each woman played in the making of history including date of birth and death (if applicable), spouse, children, important and fun facts, stories, and honors and/or awards. Next to each illustration is there is also a picture of the woman for comparison.

This non-fiction fact file provides readers with a glimpse into the world of each woman. Calkhoven chose women dating from Pocahontas in 1595 to present-day Michelle Obama. The women she chose came from diverse backgrounds and different walks of life. In the introduction, Calkhoven provides the reader with a general overview of what to expect in this book: “Some women fought for equal rights for all people, or for women’s rights to vote. And some proved to everyone that women could do anything that men could do.” The diverse leaders represented in this book provides young girls, and boys, with role models who may look or have similar experiences to their own.

As a future educator, I would use this book in my classroom to show to the essentiality of women throughout history, despite the lack of documentation in history books. Calkhoven depicts the stories of these women in an exciting and intriguing way that will make all students, regardless of gender, interested in learning about how these women shaped the America we live in today.

Reviewed by: Grace Rowan

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