LIVES OF EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN - RULES, REBELS (AND WHAT THE NEIGHBORS THOUGHT)

Rating:
Summary: Love it
Review: A friend brought LIVES OF EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN to a huge Thanksgiving feast; the book was never put down, it was constantly being read by one or another parent, teenager, or was being read to a younger daughter. I was surprised by the vehemently negative review posted here, and it made me delay my order by one day. But in the end, I ordered it -- actually, I ordered two. I find this book to be a good starting-point, the bios are 2-3 pages and well-written, and the drawings are engaging. It's a good overview book to get girls interested in these women, and they can go from there if they want more information. I don't think the author intended it to be a comprehensive encyclopedia, so judging it by that standard is unfair. I bought the book for my daughter, 9, and a niece, 6. It's perfectly written for that sort of age range. I hope the author writes more of these books -- this one only includes women who became rulers of their country (queens, presidents, prime ministers, etc. -- the majority seem to be from Britain, but also extending to Israel, China, Africa). I'd love more books of this kind that focus on women writers, women artists, and other extraordinary women.

Rating:
Summary: Author does what she criticizes
Review: Criticizing the treatment women usually get from authors, Krull writes, "Traditionally, historians have talked most often about what powerful women looked like." Unfortunately, she then proceeds to share with us that Cleopatra wore pastel robes of filmy silk, Isabella took only two baths in her life, Elizabeth was a flirt, Catherine the Great rubbed her face with an ice cube, Marie Antoinette was passionate about feathered headdresses... Each chapter, about one woman of significance in history, is broken into the main section that gives very little insight into the woman's character or why the author considers her significant; the meatiest information is in smaller type at the end of a chapter, whimsically titled "Ever After." The author does take care to present women from more cultures than most authors do. But overall, I was disappointed in this book.

Rating:
Summary: Fun caricatures and other colorful illustrations.
Review: Not just for girls, this oversize readable volume presents an overview of the biographies of 20 remarkable women throughout history, from Cleopatra to women still living today. Listed for "ages 8-12," it's up to you whether you want your 8-year-old reading the one or two questionable -- and reallay unnecessary -- passages I found referring to their more intimate proclivities. But this is an important book for kids who need to find heroes (and who doesn't) and go on to read more about them. The reading list in the back is disappointingly short -- but hey! Thank goodness for amazon.com and its incredible "search" program! I must admit, there were a couple of women here I knew nothing or next to nothing about. So I was pleasantly surprised to learn about them. Therefore, it's not just for kids.