Book Review: She Takes a Stand By Michael Elsohn Ross

We're into the first month of school here in Chicago. It's now time for book reports and research projects to become due. One of the biggest challenges to many kids is where to start. Who to write a biographical essay on? And the idea of reading through a mountain of biographies can be daunting.   

She Takes a Stand: 16 Fearless Activists Who Have Changed the World By Michael Elsohn Ross is a must have for your kid's library at home and at school. In the same vein as Women Aviators: 26 Stories of Pioneer Flights, daring Missions, and Record-Setting Journeys, this collection of short, accessible and fact-packed essays about 16 inspiring women.

My 12-year-old daughter read the book for her current book report project. She reports that the essays are easy to read and finds the women profiled interesting. Her favorite? Mother Jones. BE STILL MY HEART!! Why? Because she felt that essay read more like a story than a series of facts.

I read the essay on Rigoberta Menchu and thought it summed up her life and struggle well. These essays are short, so they touch on highlights of each woman's life. As I said with Women Aviator, this is an excellent book to jump start larger biographical projects or perfect for those mini-projects.

To continue learning about Mother Jones and fellow activists, please purchase a copy (and support VLF) from Powells or Indiebound.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from a publicist.