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Almost Astronauts, by Tanya Lee Stone

  • January 18, 2010 2:46 pm

almost astronautsIn the early 1960s, as white male fighter pilots were being tested to be astronauts, a small group of women pilots was also put through the same tests. These women got the chance to take the tests because a NASA doctor, Randolph Lovelace, was curious about how women would perform. He theorized that since women tend to be lighter and smaller than men, it might be cheaper to send them into space.

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.

Women Making America, by Hemming and Savage

  • January 9, 2010 10:16 am

Women Making AmericaWomen Making America tells the fascinating and often overlooked story of women’s lives in the United States from 1770 to the present. The authors, Heidi Hemming and Julie Savage, are two teachers who were motivated to spend five years researching and writing this book because ”we could not find a single book wherein young as well as seasoned readers could gain a comprehensive view of women’s multiple roles and many contributions to America’s past.” 

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: The Girl Who Loved to Draw

  • November 21, 2009 6:40 am

Rose O'NeillI had never heard of Rose O’Neill before picking up this book, although I was familiar with “kewpies,” her most famous creation.

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.

Judy Bolton mystery series

  • September 26, 2009 8:01 am

Vanishing ShadowThe 38 books in the Judy Bolton mystery series, written by Margaret Sutton, sold millions of copies from 1932 to 1967. These books are now being reprinted by Applewood Books. I was curious to read The Vanishing Shadow, the first in the series, because the publisher claims that “Judy is a feminist in the best light — smart, capable, courageous, nurturing, and always unwavering in her true beliefs — a perfect role model.”

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.

Story of Buddha for Children

  • August 28, 2009 10:39 am

Buddha bookPrince Siddhartha: The Story of Buddha is a 143-page chapter book retelling the life story of Buddha in language understandable to elementary-age kids. The book features over 50 vivid, full-color illustrations by Janet Brooke. The author, Jonathan Landaw, has also written Buddhism for Dummies and other Buddhist books.

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.