Maggie, a 9-year-old girl living in Victoria, British Columbia, wants to buy a chocolate bar for her friend’s birthday. She’s saving money from her job as a delivery girl for her dad’s grocery store. World War II is over, and food rationing is a thing of the past, but now the price of food is going up.  Maggie doesn’t pay much attention to the price of butter and bread, but when the price of chocolate goes up, she worries that she won’t have enough money saved in time for Josephine’s birthday.

Then she and her friends find out about strikes being held by kids in other parts of the country. They make signs and begin protesting outside of stores. Although Maggie feels bad that her actions are decreasing customers to her father’s store, she is encouraged by her mother, who has joined with other women to protest the price of food.

Finally, the kids’ actions convince several local shopkeepers to lower the price to 5 cents again.

The book is illustrated with photos of the real protests, and pictures of actual newspaper clippings covering the marches and protests. I found it fascinating to look at the photos and read about the real history behind this novel. Readers will also be immersed in the details of daily life from 1947.

This 90-page novel is part of the Kids’ Power series. I have included this book on my girls list.

Dear Diary features 10 teenaged girls who talk about how they decided to keep their baby; give the baby up for adoption; or choose an abortion. They also talk about the consequences of those decisions: their feelings, their lives after giving birth or having an abortion, and their advice to other teens facing a similar situation.

Interestingly, no matter what their own personal decision, all the young women in this book expressed the belief that women should have a choice in this situation–that no one else should force them to make one choice over another.

The interviews are presented without any judgment, and with very little editorial commentary. The young women talk about failed birth control; lack of birth control; drugs and drinking; being homeless; religious beliefs; boyfriends; parents; their love for their baby; and more.  Many of the girls said they wanted to participate in the interviews to help other teens. “I just want other people to know that they’re not alone,” said Rose. “Having a baby isn’t going to end your life.”

Some of the teens also remarked that the inteview was the first time they’d ever talked about these issues with anyone else, and that the interview process itself was helpful and therapeutic.

To find pregnant teens to interview, Englander posted flyers at health clinics, high schools, hospitals, and homeless shelters. She conducted 40 interviews, 10 of which ended up in this book. Although the young women came from a variety of backgrounds, all of them had endured traumatic, troubled lives, including poverty, single-parent families, and abuse. Englander points out that although teen pregnancy happens in all parts of society, none of the girls who contacted her were from financially stable, two-parent  families in which there was no abuse.

First published in 1997, the book was updated in 2010 with a new resources section, including emergency hotlines, resources for finding a health clinic, and resources for abortion and adoption.

A nonjudgmental book like this one can help teens sort out their own feelings and needs from the demands and opinions of society and family members. I have included this book on my girls list.

Wisdom and compassion win over cheating and violence in this hilarious book. Rabbi Harvey of Elk Spring, Colorado is challenged by the new (and, as it turns out, evil) Rabbi Ruben (also known as “the wisdom kid.”) Rabbi Ruben and his accomplices (including his mother, “Bad Bubbe”) attempt to imprison Rabbi Harvey, all the while filching money from innocent townspeople in exchange for shoddy advice.

With the help of his own learning and some quick action on the part of his friend Abigail (former gold miner and current schoolteacher), Rabbi Harvey foils the plans, shows up Rabbi Ruben for the cheater he is, and runs him out of town.

Each episode features authentic Jewish folktales, including silliness from the people of “Helms Falls” (the Wild West counterpart to the traditional “Chelm,” the Polish town of fools in Jewish folklore).

The drawings in this book at first appear crude. In fact, the art is dubbed “strange” in one of the blurbs on the back cover! However, as I read the book, the art came to seem perfect for this funny book that brings traditional wisdom to life in unexpected ways.

Other books in this series include: The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey, and Rabbi Harvey Rides Again.

I’ve included these books on my Boys list. Highly recommended!

Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story, by Paula Yoo and Lin Wang

Anna May Wong was one of the earliest Chinese-American movie stars. She was born in Los Angeles in 1905, and started working as an actress in the 1920s, during a time when movies portrayed Chinese people in a demeaning way. Because her family was poor and relied on her earnings, she played these kinds of parts for many years and became a successful actress. In 1936, Anna May visited China and learned as much about the culture as she could. While there, she vowed never again to act in a movie that portrayed the Chinese in a negative light. Starting in 1937, Anna May Wong accepted only roles that showed her character in a positive light. These movies include Daughter of  Shanghai (1937), The Lady from Chungking (1942), and Bombs Over Burma (1943). This picture book relates Anna’s ambitions and struggles using text and pictures appropriate for children six years and older.

Mighty Mountain and the Three Strong Women, by Irene Hedlund

Folktale, ages 5 and up. A Japanese tale about a wrestler who, on his way to the capital to compete in the Emperor’s wrestling match, encounters three women stronger than he! They help him train for the competition, he wins, and then he returns to marry one of the women.  A funny story with beautiful color illustrations.

Shower of Gold: Girls and Women in the Stories of India,  by Uma Krishnaswami

Folktales, ages 5 and up. Eighteen folk tales from India, including the story of Chitrangada, who chooses to rule her kingdom rather than remain the wife of a handsome prince; and Supriya, who teaches adults about compassion. Told in a simple, engaging style.

 
Tofu Quilt,  by Ching Yeung Russell

Poetry, ages 8 and up. I’ve never seen a book quite like Tofu Quilt. It is a collection of 38 free-verse poems about the author’s childhood in Hong Kong during the 1950s and 1960s, and her desire to become a writer, despite the fact that she is a girl and is not expected to have a career. The poems are simple, story-like, and heartfelt.

Aruna’s Journeys, by Jyotsna Sreenivasan

Fiction, ages 8-12. Aruna was born in the U.S. and her parents are from India. Aruna hates looking “different.” Just when she finally finds a best friend at her new school, her parents take her to India for the whole summer. There she meets her feminist aunt Vandana who is on a hunger strike to avoid an arranged marriage. Vandana’s example and words encourage Aruna to hold on to her dreams and enjoy being different. Filled with details of urban life in India, and one of only a very few available novels about Indian-Americans. Winner of the 1998 Skipping Stones Magazine Award for multicultural books.

Ela Bhatt: Uniting Women in India, by Jyotsna Sreenivasan

Biography, ages 10-14. Ela Bhatt overcame her shyness and her stuttering to start a union for the poorest women in India. By really listening to the women and helping them implement their own ideas, Ela helped the women start a bank, worker cooperatives, and child care cooperatives. This inspiring book is part of the Women Changing the World series published by the Feminist Press, which also includes Aung San Suu Kyi: Standing Up for Democracy in Burma, by Bettina Ling.

Watch Out for Clever Women, by Joe Hayes

Five traditional Hispanic tales featuring clever women, including “The Day it Snowed Tortillas,” about a woman who prevents robbers from claiming three gold bags her husband found, and “In the Days of King Adobe,” in which an old woman tricks two rogues who try to steal her ham. English and Spanish on the same page.

Pajaro Verde, by Joe Hayes

A magical tale based on New Mexican folklore. Mirabel falls in love with a green bird (Pajaro Verde) and marries him despite her sisters’ and mother’s jeering. He is of course a prince in disguise, and when he is injured, she must rescue him. Another twist in the story is that Mirabel’s sisters have various numbers of eyes, from nine to one. The illustrations are gorgeous. English and Spanish text.

Mighty Mountain and the Three Strong Women, by Irene Hedlund

A Japanese tale about a wrestler who, on his way to the capital to compete in the Emperor’s wrestling match, encounters three women stronger than he! They help him train for the competition, he wins, and then he returns to marry one of the women. A funny story with beautiful color illustrations.

Shower of Gold: Girls and Women in the Stories of India, by Uma Krishnaswami

Eighteen folk tales from India, including the story of Chitrangada, who chooses to rule her kingdom rather than remain the wife of a handsome prince; and Supriya, who teaches adults  about compassion. Told in a simple, engaging style.

Tatterhood and Other Tales, by Ethel Johnston Phelps

Twenty-six fun, absorbing tales featuring strong, brave and/or clever girls and women, including stories from from Norway, southern Africa, England, Sudan, Scotland, Native Americans, Japan, India, Ivory Coast, Ireland, China, Wales, and Ecuador.  A rich treasury for family reading. The same author has also written Maid of the North, featuring more tales of strong and clever women from around the world.

Mother Scorpion Country, by Rohmer and Wilson

In this tale from the Miskito Indians of Nicaragua, Naklili loves his wife Kati so much that when she dies, he follows her to Mother Scorpion Country, the land of the dead. Kati protects both of them from dangers along the way, and when Naklili realizes he doesn’t belong with Mother Scorpion, Kati sends him back to the living. Beautiful color pictures add to this memorable, slightly spooky story. English and Spanish text.

Clever Rachel, by Debby Waldman and Cindy Revell

In this retelling of a Jewish folk-tale, Clever Rachel is a girl who loves riddles. A smart boy, Jacob, hears about her and decides to challenge her. He is astonished when she answers his best riddles in no time flat. But when a desperate woman visits Rachel needing answers to some riddles, Rachel and Jacob realize they must work together to help solve the riddles.

The Woman Who Outshone the Sun, by Zubizaretta, Rohmer, and Schecter

Lucia Zenteno arrives in a village and the animals and plants immediately love her. But the people are suspicious and drive her away. When she leaves, the village’s river goes with her. Humbled, the people ask her forgiveness. She returns the river and reminds the villagers to treat even strangers with kindness. This story is part of the oral tradition of the Zapotec Indians of Mexico. Color pictures, English and Spanish text.

Thirteen women passed the tests, including Jerrie Cobb, a record-breaking pilot and the first woman to go through the grueling tests. Her results were even stronger than the men who were eventually selected to be astronauts. However, these women were not permitted to be astronauts.

President Lyndon Johnson told Jerrie Cobb in 1962: “If we let you or other women into the space program, we’d have to let blacks in. We’d have to let Mexican Americans in, and Chinese Americans. We’d have to let every minority in, and we just can’t do it.” So in other words, although these women had what it took to be astronauts, they were kept out in order to maintain the status quo of privilege for white males.

This is an eye-opening, gripping 130-page book about a group of women who had already broken gender barriers in flight, and who showed they were capable of going into space — but were denied that dream. Interwoven with the women’s stories is the social and political history of the era: how women were portrayed in the media; attitudes towards women pilots; and even the story of one jealous woman pilot who testified before Congress against women in space.

In the course of her research, author Tanya Lee Stone developed personal relationships with the women she was writing about. In fact, she became so involved with this project that she took flying lessons herself. Stone’s passion for her subject really comes through in this book.

Although the “Mercury 13″ women did not have a chance to go into space, their stories inspired women who did — including Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space (from Russia), and Eileen Collins, the first American woman to command a space shuttle.

This is a fantastic book to get girls (and boys) interested in science and flight. You can buy this book from my girls list.

This 360-page book is filled with photos, illustrations, and snippets of  information about the everyday lives of women, including African-American women, Native American women, and other ethnic minorities.

This history book comes alive with the stories of individual women: “In 1780 a slave woman named Mumbet heard the Declaration of Independence read in the public square of Sheffield, Massachusetts. . . .   The day after the reading in the square, she and another slave stepped into the law office of Theodore Sedgwick, one of her master’s friends. She asked him if all were born equal, did that not mean her as well. Sedgwick agreed to represent her case. Surprisingly, the ensuing lawsuit was found in favor of the two slaves. Mumbet, now a free woman, chose to be called Elizabeth Freeman.”

I highly recommend Women Making America for girls and boys ages 12 and up. You can buy this book from my girls list.

Rose O’Neill was a commercial illustrator and comic artist in the early 1900s, at a time when most commercial illustrators were men.

This children’s biography of Rose O’Neill concentrates on her childhood. Her father was a bookseller who had difficulty supporting his growing family, so Rose and her siblings moved often and lived in small, cramped homes in Nebraska and Missouri. However, the family was happy together. Rose never had formal art lessons: she taught herself to draw by copying illustrations from the stacks of books always around the house. 

When she was 13, one of her drawings won a prize from an Omaha newspaper. At the age of 19, she went to New York City to begin her career as a freelance illustrator for magazines and books. In 1909, when she was 35, she created the first kewpie character for Ladies Home Journal. This character proved so popular that Rose wrote and illustrated weekly kewpie stories and cartoons, and oversaw the manufacture of a kewpie doll.

Rose’s wealth allowed her to support her parents and siblings. Rose worked for the right of women to vote, and she mentored young artists.

This 68-page biography is in an oversized 10″ x 12″ format. It is lavishly illustrated with over 100 drawings and photographs. The author, Linda Brewster, skillfully pairs Rose’s adult drawings with the childhood events that may have inspired them. The book is based on Rose’s unpublished memoirs, so the writing comes alive with dialogue and Rose’s memories.

You can buy this book from my girls list.

All of the Judy Bolton books are based on actual events. The Vanishing Shadow involves a new dam in a small Pennsylvania town. Judy, a high school girl, overhears some suspicious remarks regarding the dam construction, and she is kidnapped early in the book in an attempt to prevent her from revealing what she knows. The plot moves along briskly, with plenty of suspense.

I also enjoyed the varied and complex characters in this book. Judy is indeed fearless and intelligent. Yet she is also fallible. For example, she dares her meek brother to ride a dangerous horse, and when he takes her up on the dare and ends up lost when the dam breaks and floods the town, she experiences remorse at her rash words.

I don’t want to reveal too many of the plot features, because this really is a fun book, and I don’t want to ruin anyone’s enjoyment. Readers will also learn something about the social life and culture of small-town America in the 1930s.

The Judy Bolton mysteries are apparently the longest lasting juvenile series written by one author. There is even a web site for Judy Bolton fans.

You can buy this book from my girls list.

Although this is about a spiritual figure, the book is suitable for children of any religion, because it is told as the mythical story of an ancient wise man. Buddha can be a wonderful role model of peace and gentleness for boys as well as for girls.

Shortly after Prince Siddhartha’s birth, a holy man prophesied that Siddhartha would either become the greatest king in history, or a great teacher of the path of peace and love.

Prince Siddhartha’s father wanted his son to become a king, and so he did everything in his power to prevent Siddhartha from ever coming into contact with suffering. After his marriage, Siddhartha was provided with three pleasure palaces, and the best food, music, and gardens.

Yet the prince yearned to know about life outside the palace grounds. He took three trips outside and encountered an ill man, an old man, and a dead man. These sights caused him to leave the palace permanently in a quest to find a way to end all suffering.

Siddhartha experimented with depriving his body of food and sleep, and sitting very still for hours on end. After some years, however, he decided that this kind of harsh treatment was no better than the constant pleasure he experienced in his palaces. He began to search for a middle path, between pleasure and deprivation.

Sitting under a tree, he awakened to the realization that suffering is caused by running after pleasure and away from pain. He realized that suffering could be ended by overcoming selfishness and hatred. Siddhartha had become a “buddha” — a fully awakened being.

After Buddha’s awakening, the book continues with the story of his teachings, including several parables told by Buddha that will be appealing to children.

I am not a Buddhist (although I am Hindu, a religion which has been influenced by Buddhism), and I have sometimes found other Buddhist writings to be difficult to understand. This book brings the story of Buddha to life in a way that is easy for children and adults to grasp. Both of my sons have thoroughly enjoyed this story. You can buy this book from my Boys list.