School Library Journal
Prominent women in the fields of politics, sports, STEM, and the arts are featured in these four volumes. Represented are such diverse figures as British suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst and actress Laverne Cox. Readers learn interesting facts such as Hatshepsut was a female pharaoh in Ancient Egypt, Candace Cable was the first Paralympic athlete to win medals in both summer and winter games, Tu Youyou discovered a cure for malaria, and Edmonia Lewis created sculptures of famous abolitionists. The volumes are informative, but the information is scant; it is mostly limited to names, dates, and a brief synopsis of their contributions. The title Women in Politics might mislead those looking for information on elected female office holders but instead focuses on movement leaders such as Harriet Tubman and Greta Thunberg. Drawings and small photographs are included to complement the text. Overall, these volumes succeed in introducing middle grade readers to women of note, but the targeted audience will require more facts than are presented here. VERDICT Readers will require more for their reports and general curiosity than provided by these titles and will find more information elsewhere.
