Mum's the word.

Mum's the word!

What a week it's been for females!  With International Women's
Day on Thursday and Mothers' Day today (in the UK at least), it seemed only fitting that this week’s blog has a female focus to it.

As a girl, I loved to read (no surprise really!) and I can think of several books with strong female characters that helped me when I was growing up, however, What Katy Did (Susan M. Coolidge) and Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) were by far my favourites, were frequently reread and are books I regularly recommend to my class today.  In fact, the latter was the first book that made me cry (but not the last I hasten to add!).

O and I had originally decided that this week we should review different books with the theme of the strong, female character and I was mulling over what to choose (for we really are spoilt for choice these days) when O brought me in my Mothers' Day present ... it turns out he had dragged his father to Waterstone's in Newcastle yesterday and bought me books (he knows me so very well), one of which was Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girsl 2!  My search was over ... and, it turns out, so was his as he has decided to add his comments on his choice of book for me!

K's review of Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls 2.

Like the first one, this is a beautifully presented book which is dedicated to telling the world all about the wonderful girls and women who have gone about doing life-changing things in their lives.  Everybody has a double page spread, with one side containing an illustration whilst the other page tells the tale, each one told simply and clearly and it is this that I like the most. There's no need for elaborate retellings for what each of these women/girls has done is amazing in its own right. The power comes from their actions and that comes across in every page of this collection.  

I know that the first book was popular in schools across the country and that this one will be equally as popular - my copy will take pride of place on my desk first thing tomorrow morning - however, like the last one, I’ll be encouraging the boys to read this as well (O and I have already curled up together with it this morning) for there are lessons for everybody to learn from these stories:

It doesn't matter who you are, where you're from or what sex you are ... what does matter is that you believe in yourself and your dreams.

O's Opinion on Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls 2.

I chose this book because I think my mum is a strong woman who dares to be different. I know she bought Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls for my cousin for her birthday, having previously read and loved the copy she'd bought for school. I thought she would enjoy this one as a gift for Mother's Day. 

The illustrations go very well with the descriptions of the lives of these women and I loved the fact that women from all kinds of time periods are in this book.  I haven't read all of the stories yet, however, my favourite so far is Billie Jean King because she was told she couldn't play tennis by Bobby Riggs as he said, "A woman's place is in the kitchen, not on the tennis court." She played a match against him (known as the Battle of the Sexes) and beat him in straight sets! I find this very inspirational because she didn't give up trying to do the thing she loved and proved that she was just as good as a man.

We're now heading back to curl up and finish the book but not before mentioning that Stories for Boys Who Dare To Be Different is due to be released next month and we'll be the first in the queue to buy it!
















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