Great Women Leaders. (The Women’s Hall of Fame Series). Heather Ball. Toronto, ON: Second Story Press, 2004. 100 pp., pbk., $10.95. ISBN 1-896764-81-9. Subject Headings: Women-Biography. Leadership in Women. Grades 4-7 / Ages 9-12. Review by Ann Ketcheson. *** /4

excerpt:

If you have ever thought to yourself, "I can't do it, one person can't make a difference," then I hope you will be inspired by these ten stories. Whether you want to start a club for others who share your interests, run for class president, or get people together to fight for a cause you truly believe in - you can do it! There is sill a long way to go in the area of gender equality, but progress in being made every day. These women are proof of that. All of them show that women can do great things, can make the world a better place for everyone.

Great women leaders have emerged at various times in history and in many places on the planet. They have dealt with different circumstances and embraced many causes, but all were able to meet and conquer the challenges they faced and in so doing inspire and empower generations of other women.

     In her small book, Heather Ball includes the stories of ten female leaders. Each story is only 8 - 10 pages in length, and Ball's writing style is straightforward and easy to understand. Any terms or ideas which might need explanation are clarified either in the text itself or in highlighted boxes. Six of the women are North American, while four represent other parts of the world. Thus, the balance isn't absolute. However, the North Americans include Blacks, a French-Canadian and a Native, and so it seems that Ball has made an effort to be inclusive.

     The women leaders are presented in chronological order, beginning in ancient and Egypt and continuing to the present. They include:

     Hatshepsut - who brought years of peace and prosperity in Egypt during her reign as Pharaoh, the top "male" position in her country.

     Elizabeth Cody Stanton - who worked towards a goal of suffrage for women and for acceptance of the Women's Property Act (the right to do business, sign contracts and so on without a man's permission).

     Mary Ann Shad Cary - a committed teacher and feminist who was the first black woman to edit a newspaper.

     Emily Murphy - who became the first female judge in the British Empire and fought for the right of Canadian women to be considered persons under the law.

     Thérèse Casgrain - who led the CCF party and was an activist for better social conditions, world peace, and the eradication of poverty.

     Golda Meir - who held many political offices and eventually became the first female prime minister of Israel.

     Rosa Parks - who was arrested for not giving up her bus seat to a white person and who subsequently became known as the "mother of American civil rights."

     Wangari Maathai - a Kenyan environmentalist and politician who spearheaded the Green Belt Movement of reforestation and sustainable development.

     Aung San Suu Kyi - who led a democratic movement in Burma in an attempt to stop that government's military violence.

     Roberta Jamieson - the first Canadian native woman to obtain a law degree and whose skills of negotiation and mediation led her to the position of Ontario Ombudsman and later to the position as first woman chief of her First Nations community.

     All 10 biographical profiles include details which make them human and very readable. Obviously the achievements of each woman are stressed, but readers also see times when the women face struggles, difficulties, and even failures. This side of each story engages readers and makes the women seem more realistic.

     The book includes several black and white photographs and a comprehensive list of both print and electronic sources for students who desire more detail. Each succinct biography could be read on its own as part of a study of that particular woman, or the book could also be used as a whole to give a sense of the many and varied achievements of its subjects.

     Second Story Press in an acknowledged feminist publisher, and this book is a celebration of just how much women can do and what a difference they can make in so many facets of society.

Recommended.

Ann Ketcheson, a former teacher of high school English and French, is currently the teacher-librarian at Peterborough Collegiate in Peterborough, ON.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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