Leading the Way: Women in Power

by Janet Howell, Theresa Howell, Hillary Rodham Clinton (Foreword by), Kylie Akia (Illustrator), Alexandra Bye (Illustrator)

Overview

In this engaging and highly accessible compendium for young readers and aspiring power brokers, Virginia Senator Janet Howell and her daughter-in-law Theresa Howell spotlight the careers of fifty American women in politics — and inspire readers to make a difference. With foreword by Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Meet some of the most influential leaders in America, including Jeannette Rankin, who, in 1916, became the first woman elected to Congress; Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman elected to Congress; Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court; and Bella Abzug, who famously declared, “This woman’s place is in the House . . . the House of Representatives!” This engaging and wide-ranging collection of biographies highlights the actions, struggles, and accomplishments of more than fifty of the most influential leaders in American political history — leaders who have stood up, blazed trails, and led the way.

Features:
Bella Abzug
Abigail Adams
Madeleine Albright
Tammy Baldwin
Mary McLeod Bethune
Hattie Wyatt Caraway
Soledad Chávez Chacón
Shirley Chisholm
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Elizabeth Dole
Tammy Duckworth
Crystal Bird Fauset
Dianne Feinstein
Geraldine Ferraro
Betty Ford
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ella T. Grasso
Nikki Haley
Fannie Lou Hamer
Kamala Harris
Patricia Roberts Harris
Carla Hayden
Mazie Hirono
Diane Humetewa
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Barbara Jordan
Clare Boothe Luce
Wilma Mankiller
Susana Martinez
Patsy Takemoto Mink
Carol Moseley Braun
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Sandra Day O’Connor
Nancy Pelosi
Frances Perkins
Jeannette Rankin
Condoleezza Rice
Eleanor Roosevelt
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Nellie Tayloe Ross
Susanna Madora Salter
Lottie Shackelford
Margaret Chase Smith
Sonia Sotomayor
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Mary Church Terrell
Elizabeth Warren
Ida B. Wells-Barnett
Edith Wilson
Victoria Woodhull

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536208467
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	10/08/2019
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	755,046
Product dimensions:	9.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	1070L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Senator Janet Howell has been a Virginia state senator since 1992. She is second in seniority in the state senate and the longest-serving female Virginia legislator. Credited with major legal reforms, she was also the first woman to serve on the powerful Senate Finance Committee and the first and only woman so far to be appointed as a senate budget conferee. A civil rights worker in college and a longtime community leader, she has been honored with many awards, including a Child Health Advocate Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics. She lives in northern Virginia with her husband Hunt.

Theresa Howell is the coauthor of the award-winning Maybe Something Beautiful with F. Isabel Campoy, illustrated by Rafael López. She is also the author of the picture book series Scout Moore, Junior Ranger. She lives in Colorado with her two daughters and husband, Brian.

Kylie Akia is a digital illustrator and painter. Her work creates a narrative of juxtaposition through the use of color, subject, and content. Leading the Way: Women in Power is her picture book debut. Kylie Akia lives in Chicago.

Alexandra Bye is an illustrator specializing in fun, colorful illustrations for a variety of media, such as editorial and children’s publications. She lives in New Hampshire, where she enjoys backpacking, cross-country skiing, and mountain biking with her dog.

Editorial Reviews

11/04/2019

Virginia senator Janet Howell and her daughter, Theresa Howell (Maybe Something Beautiful), offer a hearty tribute to American women leaders in this handsomely designed anthology published to coincide with the centennial anniversary of the passage of national women’s suffrage in the U.S. Hillary Rodham Clinton contributes a motivational foreword, urging girls to “dream big, work hard, and be persistent” while emphasizing that “sometimes it’s the little things you do that can make a big difference.” Both tenets are exemplified by the 50 women featured in this compilation of taut, fact-filled biographical profiles peppered with first-person quotations. Visionaries, politicians, and activists throughout history are represented, including Abigail Adams, Soledad Chávez Chacón, Barbara Jordan, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, as well as a robust roster of luminaries in today’s headlines, among them Dianne Feinstein, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi, and Elizabeth Warren. Superfluous “Power Symbols” denoting specific character attributes (diligence, courage, empathy) appear within each profile; more effective visuals are the illustrators’ expressive, lifelike portraits of each leader. A concise “Take-Action Guide” rounds up tips for readers inspired to act on their beliefs. Ages 10–up. Agent: Adriana Dominguez, Full Circle Literary. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

We learn and become inspired by example, and what better examples for girls than the brave and barrier-breaking women in Leading the Way: Women in Power? The women profiled here were once girls who not only dreamed big but went big. These women from different backgrounds, in different circumstances, chose to lead, and I hope the young readers of this book do the same!
—Former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano

Inspiring more young women to be politically active makes this book important to our future!
—U.S. Senator Tim Kaine

It is so important that we inspire young people to become active in politics. The fifty women in this book are groundbreaking role models for our kids.
—U.S. Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton

Focusing more on each woman's achievements and major areas of interest than party affiliation or political lean, the authors offer a good mix of players on state and local as well as national stages, with a conscious eye to diversity...younger activists and public servants in search of courageous, tough-minded role models will be spoiled for choice even before they get to the concluding list of 30 "more leaders to discover." Makes a strong case that where "she persisted," others really can follow.
—Kirkus Reviews

A book that deserves to be read front to back. Girls will feel inspired by this diverse and accomplished group who made their voices heard in order to incite real change. Researchers will find a variety of heroes to study and admire.
—School Library Journal

There are many books today that deal with women's history, and this one...stands out for the breadth of its coverage, its attractive format, and the "power symbols" that accompany each two-page feature on each subject....the strong portraits of each woman, the crisp page layouts, and the wealth of information will draw in readers. The foreword by Hillary Clinton, which discusses "forging change and leading the way," makes for a strong entry to this inspiring book.
—Booklist

Virginia senator Janet Howell and...Theresa Howell offer a hearty tribute to American women leaders in this handsomely designed anthology published to coincide with the centennial anniversary of the passage of national women’s suffrage in the U.S....effective visuals are the illustrators’ expressive, lifelike portraits of each leader. A concise “Take-Action Guide” rounds up tips for readers inspired to act on their beliefs.
—Publishers Weekly Online

From the Publisher

11/01/2019

Gr 5 Up—This book provides brief biographies of 50 women who made a difference as leaders, advisors to presidents, political trailblazers, or congresswomen. A few acted outside of government but advocated for those with less power, such as Wilma Mankiller, the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett, who reported on lynching. The book is organized in alphabetical order; each woman receives two pages that feature an oversize illustration and quote. Readers may recognize some of the women, like the five first ladies, Elizabeth Warren, and Kamala Harris. Most interesting are less familiar subjects, such as Crystal Bird Fauset, the first African American woman elected to the state legislature in the United States. Back matter provides names of additional women who might have been included, and sources from speeches and the press. There is an instruction guide on how to stand up, speak out, and make a difference. VERDICT A book that deserves to be read front to back. Girls will feel inspired by this diverse and accomplished group who made their voices heard in order to incite real change. Researchers will find a variety of heroes to study and admire.—Patricia Aakre, P.S. 89, New York

School Library Journal

2019-09-15
Inspirational profiles of 50 women who threw their hats into the U.S. political arena.

Flanked by various combinations of "power symbols" representing positive values or character traits, the alphabetically arranged entries include both current presidential hopefuls Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren and the iconic likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, "Battling Bella" Abzug, Barbara Jordan, Abigail Adams, and deep state chief executive Edith Wilson, "the first woman to act as president of the United States" while her husband was incapacitated. Focusing more on each woman's achievements and major areas of interest than party affiliation or political lean, the authors offer a good mix of players on state and local as well as national stages, with a conscious eye to diversity: Nonwhite women make up just under half the roster. The profiles all come in at a little more than a page in length, and, along with the selected symbols, each features two quotes and a career resume (to date). Each also comes decorated with a smiling painted portrait so staid that even Shirley Chisholm and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (who in real life had, and have, world-class game faces) look constipated. Nonetheless, younger activists and public servants in search of courageous, tough-minded role models will be spoiled for choice even before they get to the concluding list of 30 "more leaders to discover."

Makes a strong case that where "she persisted," others really can follow. (index, endnotes) (Collective biography. 10-13)

Kirkus Reviews

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