I started this girl power journey with Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women and was positively blown away with the original art work (as were my two daughters), but the collection included so many unknown women and omitted so many more obvious choices, I was left scratching my head in confusion. The book held both of my daughters' interest for about 50% of the time. Show:Look at the table of contents to see who is featured. Talk about what you already know about some of the people. Do any of the names sound familiar, but you aren't sure what they have done?

Sulwe’s skin is the colour of midnight. She’s darker than everyone in her family, and everyone at school. All she wants is to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Connect:Would you be considered brave if you did today what the women in these storiesdid? Talk about the difference between then and now? What has changed, and what must still change? After Reading Connect: History is made up of stories told by the people who were there or those who came after and researched the people and events. When you write in your journal about the events of your day and the world around you, you are telling the story of that day. Look around at thekind and generous acts you see people doing; write about it to document the good in the world. ActivitiesFrom Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o comes a powerful, moving picture book about colourism, self-esteem and learning that true beauty comes from within . Marcus Rashford MBE is famous worldwide for his skills both on and off the pitch – but before he was a Manchester United and England footballer, and long before he started his inspiring campaign to end child food poverty, he was just an ordinary kid from Wythenshawe, South Manchester. Now the nation’s favourite footballer wants to show YOU how to achieve your dreams, in this positive and inspiring guide for life. Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer.

In this heart-stopping adventure, Benjamin Zephaniah shows us what it was like to be a child of the Windrush generation. Ask:What traits of a leader do you have already? What trait of a leader would you like to develop? What does a leader like this do to make the world better? Can you do any of those things? Filled with optimism and joy, yet deeply personal and relevant, young children will follow Floella’s experiences of moving home and making friends. Alongside vibrant illustrations by Diane Ewen, this powerful story shows little people how courage and determination can always overcome adversity. Nathaniel doesn’t want to move to England with his master’s family, leaving behind his mother and sister on the Jamaican plantation. But then he remembers what his mother told him: once a slave sets foot on English soil, they’re free. Perhaps he can earn his fortune and buy his family’s freedom, too.This is my third illustrated girl power read in less than a year, and, even though I'm giving it four stars, I'd also like to have a little moment to bitch.

Tara: 4 stars. Non-fiction. Good information for young readers but I thought the length of the stories would have it be grouped in middle grades. Lyra (11): 4 stars. I love the stories. They're very long for a little kid book, but still, very inspiring. Harry (13): 3.5 stars. I Too long compared to all the other picture books, but I read some of them, and found them inspirational. I have also had the pleasure of studying Zora Neale Hurston, who grew up not far from my university in Florida, and I found her to be one of the most fascinating humans who ever lived. The woman was an absolute enigma! And, again, the text reads blah, blah, blah. Ask: What do you notice about the pictures of the women on the front cover of the book? What questions do you have?The New Orleans school child who famously broke the color line in 1960 while surrounded by federal marshals describes the early days of her experience from a 6-year-old’s perspective. We then moved on to Chelsea Clinton's brainchild She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World and, though the illustrations were not the stunners of the previous book, they were lovely. However, I was once again left scratching my head over the 13 women who were chosen, (why, why must so many of them be so obscure?), and my 7-year-old had no interest in any of the stories, and my 9-year-old was interested for about 20% of the read. Here's my biggest beef with all three of the books: WHO is the target audience? Are we trying to get Mom to buy copies to share with her daughters? If so, then tailor the women's blurbs to inspire the interest of children. Are we hoping that Mom will buy into the premise of buying them for her daughters, but then secretly enjoy them as part of her own library? If so, then spice up these dull stories!