Volume five of the best-selling and highly popular Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls series focuses its attention on young change makers of the modern era. Each young woman is given a double page spread, with her story told on one page and her portrait illustrated on the other page.
Better known names in this volume include Greta Thunberg and Billie Eilish, but the book contains the stories of young women from across the globe who have excelled in different areas. The stories tell of the various challenges the subjects faced in their journeys and quests, and of how they overcame them. One thing that has made this series stand out all along is that the stories are only two or three paragraphs long – enough to be memorable without losing the reader’s attention.
Various illustrators have contributed to this volume and the picture styles are carefully matched to the characters they are representing. It is clear from the illustrations which area the subject excels in and this adds to the ‘flickability’ of the book – that is to say that the reader can flick through the volume and select the stories they are interested in or those that catch their imaginations. The illustrations would make wonderful posters and this only serves to make them more motivational to young readers.
A glossary defines words that young readers may not have come across. Many of these words educate readers about the challenges of social injustice as well as serving to aspire children to explore new areas of knowledge and skill.
Books like this one are important. News stories of hatred towards females still make news headlines and it is important for readers everywhere to understand the injustices that women face around the world. Rights are hard won and easily lost – and this series reminds us that the key is to rebel against injustice and to educate ourselves.
I would strongly recommend this book to teachers, librarians and young readers.
- Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls – 100 Inspirational Young Changemakers is available now from Rebel Girls. RRP. £25.00 (Provided for review)
