Little Lov'n Monday

It's Monday. It's a day we give a little lov'n. Comments let bloggers know you're reading them. "I like this" in the comment section says plenty. Commit to reading and commenting to 5 blogs this week. Stop by the following links and drop a few links of your choice, too.

Getting Hatemail From Custer at Last Woman: Political & Cultural Snapshots
How often do we ask young people to work with our Tribal Communities and to work on behalf of the next seven generations?

Arc & Hue by Tara Betts reviewed at Feminist Review
Rich in vivid images and musicality, this collection is an authentic portal into the very pulse of life. With the use of repetitive forms like sestina and canzone and the smooth lyrical flow of her free verse, Betts’ poems are imbued with hope, strength, and beauty amid trauma, violence, and the isolation of otherness.

Black Writers Respond to the Environmental Crisis at If you Want Kin, You must plant kin

Sunday Salon: Health Care Reform at Color Online
Has your family been affected by the absence of national health care? Should we have national health care? Tell us why or why not.

"Did I Teach Them That?" at The Daddy Life
One of the joys of parenting comes when you see your child use some skill you’ve taught them. During these moments a parent realizes that their work of imparting life-lessons to their children has not been wasted.

It's Monday: What Are You Reading?

Each week readers share what they are reading for the week. I joined because there is no way I can review every book I read.

Read:
Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate. Verse novel for younger end of YA. Familiar immigrant story told in a fresh an intimate way. Fits my YA and POC challenge.


Wait For Me by An Na. I am biased. I love poetry and Na's prose reads like poetry. This is romantic, lyrical and hopeful. Everything you hope young love will be. Fits my YA, POC and Women Unbound Challenges.

Bound by Donna Jo Napoli. Love the intimate look at culture and history of the Ming Dynasty period. Far more impressed with this take on a classic fairy tale. Fits my YA, POC, Women Unbound challenges.

Picked up several titles I had on hold at the library. I sorely need to get to some adult titles and nonfiction so we'll see how it goes this week. In the queue:

The Pistachio Seller by Reem Bassiouney. Translated by Osman Nusairi. Saw this at Feminist Review. Fits my Women Unbound and POC challenge.
A devout Muslim, Wafaa desires Ashraf, but hates herself for lusting. Her desire is driven by imagination, prejudice, and the unachievable. This is where the beauty of Bassiouney’s complex characters shines. No character is singularly blameless or nefarious. Do I love Wafaa for being honest and passionate, or hate her for being judgmental and dogmatic?

Naming Maya by Uma Krishnawami. Reading this for YA, Women Unbound, South Asian and POC challenge. First saw this title at Reading In Color.
“Language can make you a stranger in many places, but only if you let it,” Maya observes in a place where Hindi, English, and Tamil all compete for her attention. How does Kamala Mami bring Maya’s family together in spite of their differing languages and customs? Read full review at Papertigers.org.


Babyji by Abha Dawesar. Reading this for YA, Women Unbound, South Asian and POC, LBGT challenge. Don't know much about it but I've learned it fits several challenges so I'm giving it a go.
To my knowledge,this is the first book by an Indian author,esp a female which has so explicitly dealt with lesbianism. See review by Abha Deveshar.

Feminsita by Erica Kennedy. Heard nothing but good things about this book and I sorely need an adult read. Reading this for Women Unbound and POC. My most recent review read was at Doret's.
Kennedy created an honest, take no crap, flawed, strong, smart, vulnerable, funny character in Sydney. Whenever Sydney is asked about her heritage she quickly responds with Afro Cuban, Portuguese, French and Irish. Feminista is as diverse as a novel set in the city of Manhattan should be. Kennedy's writing is seamless, everything from Sydney's inner monologues to the dialogue is spot on good.

An Ocean Apart, a World Away by Lensey Namioka. Fits my Women Unbound, YA and POC Challenge
Yanyan is not a girl who bows down to conformity. She is fascinated by science, the treating of wounds and health improvement. That’s why she wants to study medicine so she can become a doctor and save other people’s lives. Lucky for her, her father fully supports her decision considering it’s 1921 in China where women rarely attend university. See full review at Books Love Me.

Also got several books in the mail for Color Online. See my New Crayons post here and the one at Color Online.

I tend to read in binges and multiples books in a similar vein and that's how I like to talk about them. I think this year I'm really ready to let go of my guilt about individual book reviews. I love reading reviews, but I neither have the time nor the interest to review every book I read. I'm in oh, seven book challenges. I do however want to promote and support writers so for me I have to find other ways to engage readers here in book chat.

What did you read this week? What's next on your tbr? Find more posts at One Person's Journey. WAYR is hosted by Sheila.

New Crayons: What's New On Our Shelves

Remember when you were a kid and getting new crayons was a big deal? Getting new books holds the same kind of magic for some of us big kids. Every week on Sunday, I post what's new in our box. I think crayons is a pretty cool metaphor for multicultural lit. Every week we receive a booka t Color Online is a good week.

We received so many books that this week I'm blogging here and at Color Online about the wonderful donations we received. Check these out:

Michelle and First Family by Deborah Hopkins, illustrated by AG Ford. Mr. Ford is featured during the celebrated 28 Days series hosted by The Brown Book Shelf. Friend and illustrator, Don Tate sent us a box full of titles that I will be sharing with parents, educators and young readers. Thanks to all the authors and illustrators who shared with Don who in turn was generous to us.


The Adventures of Sili Page: The Case of Benjamin Laire by Dew Platt
Silli Page is no ordinary teenager with her sleepwalking and lucid daydreams. But when fifteen year old Benjamin Laire drops dead after a lab accident, she begins a new adventure in reality.

Legacy: The Becoming by Dew Platt. Eighteen-year-old Tutu Bade has it all going for her: a bright future, a loving family, and great friends. But what she inherits from her grandmother sends her life into a different direction. With a new supernatural awareness, when her best friend's cousin's death is labeled a suicide and the dead sixteen year old cries foul, she is thrown into an investigation.
Saw these at Reading In Color. I confess I was jealous. Listen, it helps to know Ari. Thanks Ari and Dew for sending us copies. Will be sharing these with the community.

Retaliation: What Would You Do If.... by Yasmin Shiraz. Saw an interview with the author at The Brown Bookshelf and wanted the book then. Thanks to the folks at Rolling Hills Press for sending us two copies. We will be connecting readers with Ms. Shiraz' work.
My novel Retaliation aims to shed light on how no one really wins when retaliation against others is the focus. I don’t think the general public realizes how violent girls and young women have become. The number of women incarcerated continues to grow annually at an alarming rate.

Crossing by Andrew Xia Fukuda. I've heard about this novel and I was psyched to get an ARC in the mail. I've been working on reading more titles with male leads and this looks like something this is going to be a satisfying read.
One of the great joys of this novel is in trying to figure out if Xing is a “reliable” narrator (in the grand tradition of Ishiguro and Highsmith), piecing together clues from what is said, or, more importantly, what is left unsaid. It’s a tricky, subtle high-wire act that Fukuda pulls off with the skill and élan of a seasoned novelist. Terry Goodman (Senior Acquisition Editor, AmazonEncore).

What did you get this week in the mail, at the book store or from the library this week? Drop a link at New Crayons at Color Online and you'll be entered in a monthly drawing for a book of your choice from the Prize Bucket.

Movie Night: Desert Flower

Remember my rambling about other passions? Tonight I'm looking forward to seeing this film. It's silly for me to say that I'm into films by and about women's issues, right? Closing out a great month with this film and you can expect to see more to follow.

Oh, this is based on a book. :-) Will report back next week.

Desert Flower Plot:
Based on the world best-selling book DESERT FLOWER by Waris Dirie - the autobiography of a Somalian nomad circumcised at 5, sold in marriage at 13, who became an American supermodel and is now at the age of 38, the UN spokeswoman against circumcision.
Runtime: 2 hours 00 minutes
Language: English
Director: Sherry Horman
Cast: Liya Kebede, Sally Hawkins, Craig Parkinson, Meera Syal

Derrick Barnes at Color Online

Color Online is asking readers to check out Mr. Derrick Barnes , author of the wonderful children's book series, Ruby Booker. Powers that be don't think Ruby is bringing in enough sales (maybe if there was serious promotion behind the books more readers would be buying and reading) so for those who don't know Ruby or Barnes, Doret took some time to chat with the author. Show some love, friends.

Who is Ruby Booker?
Ruby Marigold Booker is my fictional 8 and a half year old daughter. We have three boys and no daughter. Its funny, I always spend the first ten minutes of presentations answering questions on how that occurred. After failing to land a deal about three African American boys (the Booker boys), my agent suggested that I make the little sister the protagonist, and thats what I did. Within months we had landed a four book (plus an additional two) deal with Scholastic in 2007.

Read more here. Join Ruby's fanpage at Facebook.

Confession Tuesday

It's Tuesday and I'm in a funk. That means this could be an interesting Confession Tuesday except I'm on serious time crunch. The kidlet is running track this season so I have a parent meeting. Oh, joy. Yes, that is dripping with sarcasm.

I'm also on the rag and yes, I said on the rag. I did say I was in a funk, remember. Unlike some of my peers, I find nothing even remotely affirming about having my period. I was going to write a long rant about periods, pads and tampons but I don't have time. Do check out some very cool discussions about the new book Flow at A Striped Armchair and Feminist Review, and the talk about the Diva Cup. I'm so serious about giving the cup a go.

Lastly, I have to leave Bedrock. Really. If I hear one more idiot talk about healthcare reform and their argument is clearly something they've pulled out of their backside because if they actually did any reading they'd know this plan is not about raising our taxes to support more welfare babies (Yes, someone actually said this today), I think I'll lose it for real. 2018, people. That's a eight years away and we know how our leaders can muck things up so before you get your panties in wad, remember the private sector and our leaders have plenty of time to either get it right or more likely fail to meet either camp's expectations.

May I make a ridiculously simple and obvious suggestion? Before you weigh in on a political debate, read, people. Read. Don't rely solely on talk radio or your favorite sports announcer, READ. You'll have a far better chance of saying something intelligent- okay for some of you, you'll have a better chance of saying something based on a modicum of facts instead of the dung that is multiplying everywhere you step.

*I might come back and edit this. LOL

Little Lov'n Monday

It's Monday. It's a day we give a little lov'n. Comments let bloggers know you're reading them. "I like this" in the comment section says plenty. Commit to reading and commenting to 5 blogs this week. Stop by the following links and drop a few links of your choice, too.

Rest in Peace, Ai @ Poefrika
Ai, who has described herself as 1/2 Japanese, Choctaw-Chickasaw, Black, Irish, Southern Cheyenne, and Comanche, was born in Albany, Texas, in 1947. She grew up in Tucson, Arizona.

Shine, Coconut Moon book discussion at Color Online
Did you read about or experience incidents like what happened to Uncle Sandeep in your community? What was it like in your community after 9/11?

Bayou discussion @ The Bottom of Heaven
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the parallel world of “Dixie” and the way it imposes itself on the material world of the 1930s South.

Judge Puts Rape Victims on Trial,Orders Lie Detector Test @ Change.org
an Ohio judge ordered that four teenage sexual assault victims get wired up to take polygraph (lie detector) tests -- paid for out of their own pockets.

Small Projects, Big Difference @My World-My Mundo
I must say, the visual learner in me is just as happy as can be. The kinesthetic learner in me loves to manipulate these clipboards while I read.

It's Monday: What Are You Reading?

Each week readers share what they are reading for the week. I joined because there is no way I can review every book I read.

Read:
Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan. This has been on my tbr for a while. I needed to change things up. I started this last night and finished it on my commute coming home. Blake is funny. Marissa and Shannon are believable and make a good argument that guys are not attracted to one kind of girl.

Love the humor, realism, the pacing and the author's writing style. I plowed through this almost like hurtlers (you have to read the book to know what hurtle means).

Still Reading:
Bitter Sweets by Roopa Farooki. Fits my South Asian and Women Unbound challenges. I almost always love Doret's recommendations but this one is just okay for me. There is nothing wrong with the writing. The problem for me is that nothing about the storyline or writing stands out. The characters aren't that complexed, the writing is competent and the book is moving at a good pace. I think my lackluster interest is that the story holds no surprises. Maybe something will happen to change my mind.

Yes, still reading Last Night I Sang To The Monster. Great writing and it was only this week that I figured out why I'm dragging on this. This resonates with me. The darkness of the book is a little too close to home. Zach, the main character has serious issues to work out and this work is hard. I know what that is like so this is no easy read.

Picked up several titles from the library that I have wanted to read so maybe this week will be better. Next up:
Bound by Donna Jo Napoli
After Xing Xing's beloved father dies, she is left to the custody of his second wife, her cruel stepmother. Stepmother has just one goal: to help her only daughter Wei Ping marry well. Although Wei Ping is already fifteen years old, Stepmother decides to bind her feet, a process that was usually begun in early childhood. Stepmother is convinced that this horrific process, which her late husband frowned upon, will make Wei Ping more attractive to potential suitors. Instead, it gives the girl debilitating pain and a life-threatening infection.

Wait For Me by An Na. I loved A Step From Heaven so I have high hopes for this one.
The pack of lies about her academic achievement that Mina has told to satisfy her mother's high expectations (she has her heart set on her daughter going to Harvard) is unraveling as her senior year approaches. Jonathon Kim, a Stanford-bound teen and the son of her mother's best friend, has helped with the deception by forging Mina's report cards and backing up her many fictions. He asks too much of her, though, while Ysrael, the attractive new employee in the family cleaning business, encourages her to follow her own dreams–and him–to San Francisco.

Find more WAYR hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey.

Celebrating Women's History Month: Wagari Maathai

April 1, 1940
Ihithe village, Tetu division, Nyeri District of Kenya

Environmental and political activist

In a few decades, the relationship between the environment, resources and conflict may seem almost as obvious as the connection we see today between human rights, democracy and peace. ~Wangari Maathai


The first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree. [She]obtained a degree in Biological Sciences from Mount St. Scholastica College in Atchison, Kansas (1964)

Books
Seeds of change

Girl Power List: Celebrating Women's History Month

For me, it's about girl power 365 a year and during March my fanaticism- eh, my passion is deemed appropriate. I wanted to put this up earlier but life with a female teen is uh, well, let's say, requires spending less time here.

With the exception of the adult sisters in the first title, the others have girl leads. Some show how girls from different cultures find a way to affect their own destinies within the culture they live in and the beliefs they hold while other main characters are openly rebels. Many of these books I have talked about previously and likely will be talking about again. Each title is followed by a brief annotation with the main genre identified. I've link to reviews when I readily knew who and where.

In The Time of The Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. Three sisters rebel against a corrupt and oppressive regime. The fictional account of the real Mirable sisters is told in alternating voices of the sisters. The sisters were brave, flawed and committed to what they believed in. I recommend this book every chance I get. It made that kind of impression on me. Historical fiction.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. A young woman leads a small group out of a dystopian community to build a new one based on a new religion she reluctantly accepts as her destiny. Lauren is fifteen. To lead any group is a daunting task for any leader. Imagine being fifteen, the world is pretty close to hell on Earth and then you get visions that you are to start a new way of life in the middle of chaos. Butler is brilliant in how she challenges the reader with her critiques of our society. Science Fiction

Down To The Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole. A young woman grapples with her sexual orientation and identity.Laura is funny, honest and authentic. Her denial and missteps are frustrating but they also make her believable. Soli is kickass. And the food references- I was always hungry, wishing I was at their table. YA. GLBT. My review.

M+O 4EVR by Tonya Hegamin. Opal and Miriam have been friends forever. Marianne spins out of control while Opal attaches her dreams and hopes on a future life with Marianne. Interwoven is the story of Hannah, a runaway slave who chooses to risk her life for freedom, unexpectedly falls in love and ultimately loses her life on her own terms. YA. GLBT


A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott. Genna is fifteen. Life at home is rough. She's not happy with her looks or place in any group. Then she meet Judah and things are looking up. Life isn't suddenly perfect and that's why she makes a wish. She couldn't have thought a wish could transport to 1863 Brooklyn. Historical/sci-fi. YA. Read Neesha's review at Cynical, Ornery and Sublime.

Does My Head Look Big In this? by Randa Abdel-Fattah. Amal is Muslim. Home is Australia. When she decides to wear the hijab she has to contend with a variety of reactions. Amal is a teen and like most teen girls, she's concerned about her looks, how she is perceived and boys. Now balance all that and religion. YA. Multicultural. Read Allison's review at Read Into This.

Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman. 15-year-old Vidya has plans: college and a career. Her progressive father supports her. Her family is very different from her father's conservative, tradition family in Madras. When tragedy strikes, Vidya's family has to move to Madras. It's 1941, the war is on everyone's mind and Vidya is determined to still realize her dreams even in a house where girls aren't allowed upstairs. YA. Multicultural. Read Natasha's review at Maw's books.

Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qamar. Nazia is pulled from school to help her mother find work when her father doesn't return to work after an accident. Cleaning houses compromises Nazia's marriage prospects. The setting is modern Pakistan. Ultimately, Nazia chooses a life for herself on her own terms. Highly recommend reading this and Wanting Mor. Both are modern stories with young girls who do not romanticize the West or its culture. Read review at Regular Rumination.


Mare's War by Tanita Smith. Octavia and Tali take a road trip with their colorful grandmother, Mare. Just before turning 18, Mare joined the Women's Army Corps during World War II. Told in alternating points of view from Mare, Talia and Octavia. YA. Read Ari's review at Color Online.

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith. Ida Mae has to make tough decisions like choosing to pass for white in order serve in Women Airforce Service Pilots. See Akilah's review at the Englishist.

Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan. A young woman in the wake of the conflict in Afghanistan has to grow quickly when her mother dies unexpectedly and her irresponsible father moves her to Khabul so he can find his opportunity to improve his lifestyle. He marries a widow and Jameela's life becomes even bleeker. Jameela, a conservative, religious girl learns to be less judgmental while remaining true to the religion and beliefs she shared with her mother. YA. Multicultural. Read Edi's review at Crazy Quilts.

What's on your girl power list?

Little Lov'n Monday

Little Lov'n Monday is a day we celebrate the work of fellow bloggers and other sites of note. Post a link to anything you think deserves a little lov'n. Leave a link. Today, we celebrate International Women's Day. Read and comment. Your goal: Read and comment to 5 blogs this week.

Give a little lovin'. This week's links:


Retrieving Women's History @ Writers of Color 50 Book Challenge.
Imam reviews historical writing on African women, discussing areas which have been studied, areas which haven't, and approaches taken towards African women in historical writing. I found the last bit most interesting.

Diversity Roll Call: Celebrating Women's History at Color Online
March is Women's History Month. To celebrate I am asking you to provide a short annotated bibliography of reference or history titles.

Cheryl Dorsey: A Woman Making History at Women's Media Center.
She has served as a White House Fellow, Special Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Labor, Special Assistant to the Director of the Women’s Bureau of the U.S. Labor Department, and most recently Vice-Chair of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, after serving as a team member on the Obama Presidential Transition’s Technology, Innovation, and Government Reform Policy Working Group.

Social Justice Challenge:Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
A HUGE subject matter and sadly, one you won’t have any trouble finding any books, fiction or non-fiction, that address this awful plague. Take some time and look around the page set up with book, media and website recommendations.

Environmental issues in children's literature at Literacy, families and learning
2. The relationship of people to the environment This sub-category includes books that tell of the fine balance between man and his environment and the disastrous consequences when we get this balance wrong. In these stories it is not a matter of deliberate action, but rather ignorance and failure to plan effectively, which leads to the destruction of environments whose beauty was once a lure to people.

Round up of Middle Grade and YA Science Fiction/fantasy at Charlotte's Library
Lee and Low books has acquired Tu Publishing! Tu started as an independent imprint dedicated to multi-cultural middle grade and YA sff; in its new home, its mission will be unchanged. Why this acquisition is a good thing--the number of books Tu can publish in its first year will be larger, and the books will more easily find their way to book stores.

It's Monday: What Are You Reading?

Each week readers share what they are reading for the week. I joined because there is no way I can review every book I read.

Just finished:
Sweet Hereafter by Angela Johnson. My review is here. I loved this. Counts towards my YA and POC challenges
Flower Girl Butterflies by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard. Lovely book. Great illustrations. Fits my POC challenge.

Still Reading:
Iran Awakening by Shirin Ebadi. Solid read but heavy topic. I did write a short fiction piece for 3 Word Wednesday for it. The fiction gives you a good sense of the book. Reading this for Women Unbound, POC and Social Justice: Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
Challenge.

Don’t know when I’m going to finish Last Night I Sang to the Monster. Ever read a book that you enjoy but it takes you forever to finish? This fits my YA and POC challenge.

The Big Book of Soul by Stephanie Rose Bird. Nonfiction, complex topic. Won’t be finishing this anytime soon.

Next up:
Lena by Jacqueline Woodson. Fits my YA, Social Justice: Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
Bitter Sweets by Roopa Farooki. Fits my YA, South Asian and Women Unbound challenges.
On their wedding night Rashid who goes Ricky when at the University, discovers that his new wife is not 17 and well educated but 13 and illiterate. Henna agreed to help her baba deceive the Karim's in hopes of avoiding school and moving to Calcutta to become a movie star. This is a family saga that begins with a lie. Sometimes family sagas can be a little tedious and slow moving. This however moves at a nice pace and the language is beautiful, smart and funny. I highly recommend Bitter Sweets, you won't be disappointed. Published in 2007 this is Farooki debut novel. From Happy Nappy Bookseller.

Find more WAYR hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey.

Diversity Roll Call: WHM Reference Titles

March is Women's History Month. To celebrate I am asking you to provide a short annotated bibliography of reference or history titles.

If you don't own or haven't read any reference titles, what memoirs, autobiographies or biographies do you recommend? What women's book impacted you in an indelible way? Do you have any favorite books by women about women?

Okay, I really want you to know the strengths of each title so I've cheated. I've relied heavily on book descriptions. I refer these sources often. With the exception of the first two titles, these references are geared towards young girls. Don't be fooled though. These are great sources to start with. What I like most about these print sources is that the material is organized in a single source and the organization of each of book makes them easy to use and quick access to jumping off points.

Please do ask questions. These are well used resources, and I only wish I could find new edition or new references like them geared towards high schoolers and adults with the same ease of use.

I Dream A World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America. Brian Lanker. Stewart Tabori & Chang .1999
"No matter what your race or gender, give this book to anyone who needs encouragement. I especially enjoy recommending this book to young women who can learn a lot from the women within its pages."~Rebecca Bergfield
I wrote about this previously here.

Jewels: 50 Phenomenal Black Women Over 50. Michael Cunningham and Connie Briscoe. Little, Brown and Company. 2007
Each striking black-and-white portrait accompanies a personal essay as the women often recall the people who came before them, inspiring them to achieve… The women also recall many firsts: the first black woman to achieve some status in the nation to the first black woman (or person) in her family to get a college degree…Among the jewels are Ruby Dee, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Marian Wright Edelman, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Briscoe herself.
Recently bought this and it is becoming a new favorite. Beautiful images and quotes and the essays are just the right length.

33 things every girl should know about women’s history: From Suffragettes to Skirt Lengths To the E.RA. Edited by Tonya Bolden. Crown Publishers. 2002
[I]impressive, chronologically organized... begins with Abigail Adams's 1776 letter to her husband, "Remember the Ladies," proceeds through Charlotte Perkins Gilman's groundbreaking "The Yellow Wallpaper" (excerpted) and includes thoughtful reflections on other leading women, such as Patricia McKissack's fictional essay narrated by Charlotte Woodward (the only woman in attendance at the Seneca Falls convention still alive to exercise her right to vote). Period photographs, quotes, timelines, bios and varied typography give the volume an attractive, accessible feel.
I had already bought and read the first 33 things edited by Tonya Bolden so when I saw this, it was no-brainer. Love the organization and diversity of type of content and the women covered.

Prominent Women of the 20th Century, Editor Peggy Saari. UXL, Gale Imprint. 1996
Profiles range in length from five to eight pages. Each gives date of birth and the reason for inclusion (e.g., Benazir Bhutto is "first woman prime minister of a Muslim country" ). Almost all include a photograph of the biographee. A brief quotation in the margin indicates the woman's philosophy; …The primary attraction of this set is that it brings together the biographies of a group of women who are enormously diverse and, in many cases, little known despite their achievements. Especially useful will be the biographies of women scientists for whom biographies simply do not exist at this reading level.
One of the perks of my former life in publishing. Every time works like these became available, I grabbed them. I love what's available to students online and in databases, but print is still my preferred first stop.

Women’s Voices: A Documentary of History of Women in America. Editor Lori Jenkins, Mcleroy, U*X*L, an Imprint of Gale. 1997
· 32 primary documents, including excerpts from letters, speeches, poems and interviews
· Biographical information about speakers
· Historical overviews
· Six subject chapters offering thematic coverage
· More than 100 black-and-white illustrations
· Topic and people boxes that highlight interesting information
· Glossary, index and timeline
When this series and the other similar ones released, there was a demand for these titles. Girls and boys don't know how fortunate they were to have accessible, fun reference resources like these.

Women’s Firsts: Milestone In Women’s History. Peggy, Tim and Susan Gall, Editors, U*X*L, an Imprint of Gale. 1998
ABrief paragraphs introduce women of achievement in 10 areas: activism, the arts, business, education, government, media, a miscellaneous mix of professions (architecture, law enforcement, law, medicine and health, and the military), religion, science and technology, and sports... and the entries are arranged chronologically within each category. Each "first" is summarized and a few biographical facts about the pioneer involved are provided. .. Because the focus is on firsts, this book looks at some interesting but somewhat obscure figures…
My only complaint is that there aren't updated editions.

Find more entries at Color Online. Drop us a link to your response.