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5 thrilling historical adventures 23/01/25
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She Persisted Around the World
13 Women Who Changed History
Publisher: Puffin/Philomel Books
From relentless campaigners to pioneering scientists, and from brave schoolgirls to creative geniuses, it's impossible not to feel inspired by the 13 women featured in She Persisted Around the World.
Author Chelsea Clinton and illustrator Alexandra Boiger previously collaborated on a She Persisted book about American women, but Around the World expands their scope to highlight global game changers.
And while there have been plenty of titles in the "herstory" genre recently, this picture book is a welcome addition with glorious illustrations from Boiger alongside fascinating, simply told stories and motivational quotes from the women themselves.
It's great to see household names alongside people that children (and adults) might not have heard about before, so that J K Rowling rubs shoulders with Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee and Marie Curie is featured in the same pages as Brazilian footballer Sisleide 'Sissi' Lima do Amor.
"She persisted" is a running theme throughout, too, with Clinton explaining how each woman overcame adversity to achieve their goals – an exhilarating message for young readers that is brilliantly echoed by the final call to 'speak up, rise up, dream big'.
Note that some American spelling is used in the book.
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Celebrating inspirational women
Whether it's International Women's Day or not, it's always worth pointing out and celebrating the – often forgotten or undervalued – achievements of women, both past and present.
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Books from around the world (older children)
These books range from translated stories from other countries to adventues set in far-flung places. Covering many genres some are great for engaging reluctant readers while others are perfect to entertain those reading above their age.
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Heroines (non-fiction)
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Non-fiction and fact books your child will love (ages 4-8)
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The Girls of the Crescent booklist
American teenagers Mena and Zena were tired of never finding books featuring characters like them, so they started a campaign. Here are some titles they recommend.
