Publishers Weekly
05/15/2017
Foudy, a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and former captain of the U.S. Women’s National soccer team, offers a leadership-focused book aimed at teenage girls. Foudy divides the book into subsections that correspond with five concentric “EmpowerRINGS,” with “self” at the center, followed by “team,” “school,” “community,” and “life.” Excerpts from Foudy’s interviews with 10 women and girls from a range of backgrounds—including Good Morning America cohost Robin Roberts, Lean In founder Sheryl Sandberg, soccer stars Mia Hamm and Alex Morgan, and Afghan teenage activist Fahima Noori—appear throughout, along with activities, writing prompts, and profiles of young leaders. Despite the visually varied format, diverse voices represented, and approachable tone, the book can feel dense and repetitive. But motivated readers will find plenty of ideas for ways to take action in their lives. Ages 12–up. (May)
School Library Journal
12/01/2017
Gr 8 Up—Foudy, two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time World Cup champion, and former captain of the U.S. women's national soccer team, has written a guide to help young women determine their personal leadership style. Foudy gathered a diverse team of women she interviewed in casual conversations she dubbed "#socktalks." The group included Good Morning America cohost Robin Roberts, soccer star Mia Hamm, Irish scientist Sophie Healy-Thow, and Paralympic Games medalist Tatyana McFadden, among others. Chapters unfold with a conversational tone as Foudy leads the listener through developing a positive self-image and various leadership skills. Older teens will most likely roll their eyes at Foudy's corny sense of humor. VERDICT Although the book is intended to help young women find their own style, it skews strongly toward extroverts, and non-athletes may be put off by the abundance of sports analogies. Teams and clubs, though, could benefit from using the audio as a guide for developing confidence and character.—Lisa Hubler, Charles F. Brush High School, Lyndhurst, OH
Kirkus Reviews
2017-03-06
Foudy, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in soccer, channels her connections and unfaltering positivity into a guide geared toward female athletes. With a breezy, conversational tone and lots of cheerful doodles and eye-catching changes in type, Foudy introduces her "empoweRINGs," a set of ideals represented as nested concentric circles. The core of these is "self," followed by "team," "school," "community," and, finally, the largest, outer ring of "life." Each of these areas is then further broken down into chapters, explored, and followed by a short activity for readers. Foudy calls upon an impressive list of successful and notable women, including Robin Roberts, Mia Hamm, and Sheryl Sandberg, and also some lesser-known but equally captivating figures such as teen scientist Sophie Healy-Thow and Taliban survivor Fahima Noori to share their stories, struggles, and personal insights. In addition, Foudy adds an abundant smattering of quotations, personal musings, and peppy slogans (like "So choose to Lead. Because you can" and "Bring it AND sing it") designed to inspire young girls. However, those not involved with sports may have a difficult time relating to both her optimism and anecdotes; for example her portion about school focuses largely on team dynamics in an athletic setting, only superficially examining such weighty issues as bullying, and offers little to help those grappling with other situations. Foudy's unrelenting sunniness may not illuminate everyone, but young athletes may find some empowerment here. (Nonfiction. 12-16)
