Reporting Under Fire
16 Daring Women War Correspondents and Photojournalists
Part of the Women of Action series
The tremendous struggles women have faced as war correspondents and photojournalists, a profile of 16 courageous women, Reporting under Fire tells the story of journalists who risked their lives to bring back scoops from the front lines. Each woman including Sigrid Schultz, who broadcast news via radio from Berlin on the eve of the Second World War; Margaret Bourke-White, who rode with General George Patton's Third Army and brought back the first horrific photos of the Buchenwald concentration camp; and Marguerite Higgins, who typed stories while riding in the front seat of an American jeep that was fleeing the North Korean Army experiences her own journey, both personally and professionally, and each draws her own conclusions. Yet without exception, these war correspondents share a singular ambition: to answer an inner call driving them to witness war firsthand, and to share what they learn via words or images.
Women in Blue
16 Brave Officers, Forensics Experts, Police Chiefs, and More
Part of the Women of Action series
A Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People 2017
They were called sleuths in skirts, guardian mothers, copettes, and police in petticoats. It would be a long time-well over 150 years-before women in law enforcement were known simply as police officers.
Balancing the stories of trailblazers from the past with those of today's dedicated officers, chiefs, FBI agents, and forensics experts, this collection of riveting biographies traces the evolution of women in policing. Women in Blue inspires readers to value those who broke through barriers-often enduring ridicule and discrimination as they fought for equality-while original interviews shed light on the daily challenges, rewards, and life on the job of various women currently in the trenches of law enforcement. The chronological progression puts hot-button issues like police brutality, race relations, and the treatment of suspects and prisoners into historic context and shows how many women in law enforcement are working to challenge and improve their field.
This rich, authoritative history is packed with colorful anecdotes, excerpts from primary sources, and sidebars on related topics and includes photos, a bibliography, source notes, and a list of organizations interested teens can explore to learn more about the world of law enforcement, making it an indispensable resource for aspiring sleuths, officers, agents, crime scene investigators, and more.
She Takes a Stand
16 Fearless Activists Who Have Changed the World
Part of the Women of Action series
In an age of "slacktivism" and fleeting social media fame, She Takes a Stand offers a realistic look at the game-changing decisions, high stakes, and bold actions of women and girls around the world working to improve their personal situations and the lives of others. This inspiring collection of short biographies features the stories of extraordinary figures past and present who have dedicated their lives to fighting for human rights, civil rights, workers' rights, reproductive rights, and world peace. Budding activists will be inspired by antilynching crusader and writer Ida B. Wells, birth control educator and activist Margaret Sanger, girls-education activist Malala Yousafzai, Gulabi Gang founder Sampat Pal Devi, who fights violence against Indian women, Dana Edell, who works against the sexualization of women and girls in the media, and many others. Including related sidebars, a bibliography, source notes, and a list of activist organizations readers can explore in person or online, She Takes a Stand is an essential resource for classroom reports or for any young person passionate about making a difference.
This Noble Woman
Myrtilla Miner and Her Fight to Establish a School for African American Girls in the Slaveholding So
Part of the Women of Action series
Frederick Douglass dismissed Myrtilla's plan to open a school for African American girls in the slaveholding South as "reckless, almost to the point of madness." But Myrtilla Miner, the daughter of poor white farmers in Madison County, New York, was relentless. Fueled by an unyielding feminist conviction, and against a tide of hostility, on December 3, 1851, the fiery educator and abolitionist opened the School for Colored Girls-the only school in Washington D.C. dedicated to training African American students to be teachers. Although often in poor health, Myrtilla was a fierce advocate for her school, fending off numerous attacks including stonings, arson, and physical threats, and discouraged local "rowdies" by brandishing her revolver with open displays of target practice. The school would gradually gain national fame and stimulate a nationwide debate on the education of black people. Myrtilla's School for Colored Girls would slowly flourish through the years and exists even today as part of the University of the District of Columbia. The first modern biography of Myrtilla Miner for young adults, This Noble Woman, includes historic photos, source notes, a bibliography, and a list of resources for further exploration, making it an invaluable resource for any student's or history buff's bookshelf.
Women In Space
23 Stories of First Flights, Scientific Missions, and Gravity-Breaking Adventures
Part of the Women of Action series
Twenty-three women from 10 different countries whose careers span a half century of human spaceflight are profiled in this educational book for young readers. Women in Space features such figures as Sally Ride, the first American woman to orbit the earth; Peggy Whitson, who logged more than a year in orbit while aboard the International Space Station; Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space; and astronauts from Japan, Canada, Italy, South Korea, and France. Additional attention is paid to the women of Mercury 13, a program that trained women in the same screening tests administered to the men who became the first astronauts at NASA. Space pioneer Valentina Tereshkova, who in 1963 became the first woman to rocket into space, is also profiled. The stories of the pilots, physicists, and doctors who broke the stratospheric ceiling demonstrate the vital role women have played in the history of space exploration.
Double Victory
How African American Women Broke Race and Gender Barriers to Help Win World War II
Part of the Women of Action series
Allow all black nurses to enlist, and the draft will not be necessary…If nurses are needed so desperately, why isn't the Army using colored nurses? My arm gets a little sore slinging a shovel or a pick, but then I forget about it when I think about all those boys over in the Solomons. Double Victory tells the stories of African American women who did extraordinary things to help their country during World War II. In these pages, young readers meet a range of remarkable women: war workers, political activists, military women, volunteers, and entertainers. Some, such as Mary McLeod Bethune and Lena Horne, were celebrated in their lifetimes and are well known today. Nevertheless, many others fought discrimination at home and abroad in order to contribute to the war effort yet were overlooked during those years and forgotten by later generations. Double Victory recovers the stories of these courageous women, such as Hazel Dixon Payne, the only woman to serve on the remote Alaska-Canadian Highway; Deverne Calloway, a Red Cross worker who led a protest at an army base in India; and Betty Murphy Phillips, the only black female overseas war correspondent. Offering a new and diverse perspective on the war and including source notes and a bibliography, Double Victory is an invaluable addition to any students or history buffs bookshelf.
The Many Faces of Josephine Baker
Dancer, Singer, Activist, Spy
Part of the Women of Action series
A complete biographical look at the complex life of a world-famous entertainer. With determination and audacity, Josephine Baker turned her comic and musical abilities into becoming a worldwide icon of the Jazz Age. The Many Faces of Josephine Baker, dancer, singer, activist, spy, provides the first in-depth portrait of this remarkable woman for young adults. Author Peggy Caravantes follows Baker's life from her childhood in the depths of poverty to her comedic rise in vaudeville and fame in Europe. This lively biography covers her outspoken participation in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, espionage work for the French Resistance during World War II, and adoption of 12 children, her rainbow tribe. Also included are informative sidebars on relevant topics such as the 1917 East St. Louis riot, Pullman railway porters, the Charleston, and more. The lush photographs, appendix updating readers on the lives of the rainbow tribe, source notes, and bibliography make this is a must-have resource for any student, Baker fan, or history buff.
Women Heroes of the US Army
Remarkable Soldiers from the American Revolution to Today
Part of the Women of Action series
Though early laws prohibited women from becoming soldiers, they still found ways to serve, even disguising themselves as men in order to participate in active battle. Women Heroes of the US Army chronicles the critical role women have played in strengthening the US Army from the birth of the nation to today. These smart, brave, and determined women led the way for their sisters to enter, grow and prosper in the forces defending the United States. Through the profiles highlighting the achievements of these trailblazers throughout history, young women today can envision an equitable future.
Courageous Women of the Vietnam War
Medics, Journalists, Survivors, and More
Part of the Women of Action series
Australian Kate Webb was one of the first reporters to reach the US Embassy in Saigon during the Tet offensive and became UPI bureau chief for Cambodia in 1970, before being captured by North Vietnamese troops. Le Ly Hayslip enjoyed a peaceful early childhood in the Vietnamese farming village of Ky La before war changed her life forever. Brutalized by all sides, she escaped to the United States, where she eventually founded two humanitarian organizations. Lynda Van Devanter was an idealistic young nurse in 1969 when a plane carrying her and 350 men landed into South Vietnam. Her harrowing and often disillusioning experiences working in an emergency hospital there would later serve as inspiration for the TV series China Beach. In Courageous Women of the Vietnam War, readers meet these and other courageous women and girls who risked their lives through their involvement in the conflict in Vietnam. These women served in dangerous roles as medics, journalists, resisters, and revolutionaries. Through their varied experiences and perspectives, young readers gain insight into the many facets of this tragic and complex conflict. Author Kathryn J. Atwood provides appropriate context and framing for teens to grapple with the harsh realities of war.
Women of Colonial America
13 Stories of Courage and Survival in the New World
Part of the Women of Action series
An authentic, rich tapestry of women's lives in colonial America Using a host of primary sources, author Brandon Marie Miller recounts the roles, hardships, and daily lives of Native American, European, and African women in 17th- and 18th-century colonial America. Hard work proved a constant for most women-they ensured their family's survival through their skills while others sold their labor or lived in bondage as indentured servants and slaves. Elizabeth Ashbridge survived an abusive indenture to become a Quaker preacher, Anne Bradstreet penned epic poetry while raising eight children in the wilderness, Anne Hutchinson went toe-to-toe with Puritan authorities, Margaret Hardenbroeck Philipse built a trade empire in New Amsterdam, and Martha Corey lost her life in the vortex of Salem's witch hunt. With strength, courage, resilience, and resourcefulness, these women and many others played a vital role in the mosaic of life in colonial America.
Women Heroes of the American Revolution
20 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Defiance, and Rescue
Part of the Women of Action series
A commemoration of the brave yet largely forgotten women who served in America's War of Independence. Every schoolchild knows about Paul Reveres 20-mile ride to warn that the British were coming. Far fewer know that 16-year-old Sybil Ludington rode twice as far on her horse Star in order to help her father, Colonel Ludington, muster his scattered troops to fight a marauding enemy. Few know about Martha Bratton, who blew up a supply of gunpowder to keep it from approaching British troops and boldly claimed, It was I who did it! Susan Casey gives Ludington, Bratton, and 18 other remarkable girls and women the spotlight they deserve in this lively collection of biographical profiles. These women took action in many ways, as spies, soldiers, nurses, water carriers, fundraisers, writers, couriers, and more. Women Heroes of the American Revolution brings a fresh new perspective to their stories resulting from interviews with historians and with descendants of participants of the Revolution and features ample excerpts from primary source documents. Also included are contextualizing sidebars, images, source notes, and a bibliography, making this an invaluable resource for any students or history buffs bookshelf.
Women Of The Frontier
16 Tales of Trailblazing Homesteaders, Entrepreneurs, and Rabble-Rousers
Part of the Women of Action series
Using journal entries, letters home, and song lyrics, the women of the West speak for themselves in these tales of courage, enduring spirit, and adventure. Women such as Amelia Stewart Knight traveling on the Oregon Trail, homesteader Miriam Colt, entrepreneur Clara Brown, army wife Frances Grummond, actress Adah Isaacs Menken, naturalist Martha Maxwell, missionary Narcissa Whitman, and political activist Mary Lease are introduced to readers through their harrowing stories of journeying across the plains and mountains to unknown land. Recounting the impact pioneers had on those who were already living in the region as well as how they adapted to their new lives and the rugged, often dangerous landscape, this exploration also offers resources for further study and reveals how these influential women tamed the Wild West.
Women Heroes of World War II
32 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue
Part of the Women of Action series
In this expanded edition, readers will encounter six new profiles of amazing women, as well as a new section on the Soviet Union. Zoya Matveyevna Smirnova-Medvedeva, for instance, was a machine-gunner who served in the trenches of the 25th Chapeyev Division, defending Stalingrad, who kept a detailed diary of life on the Eastern Front. Noor Inayat Khan was the first female radio operator sent into occupied France and transferred crucial messages to the Resistance. Johtje Vos, a Dutch housewife, hid Jews in her home and repeatedly outsmarted the Gestapo. Law student Hannie Schaft became involved in the most dangerous resistance work--sabotage, weapons transference, and assassinations. In these pages, young readers will meet these and many other similarly courageous women and girls who risked their lives to help defeat the Nazis.
Thirty-two engaging and suspense-filled stories unfold from across Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Denmark, Great Britain, and the United States and, in this expanded edition, the Soviet Union, providing an inspiring reminder of women and girls' refusal to sit on the sidelines around the world and throughout history.
An overview of World War II and summaries of each country's entrance and involvement in the war provide a framework for better understanding each woman's unique circumstances, and resources for further learning follow each profile. Women Heroes of World War II is an invaluable addition to any student's or history buff's bookshelf.
Courageous Women of the Civil War
Soldiers, Spies, Medics, and More
Part of the Women of Action series
These women took action in many ways: disguised as soldiers, working as field medics, as spies risking death to secure or pass along information, and more. Contextualizing sidebars and Civil War history are woven seamlessly throughout, giving students a clear overview of the war in addition to the spotlight on often overlooked women's roles. Also included are numerous historic photos, source notes, and a bibliography, making this an invaluable resource for any student's or history buff's bookshelf.
Women Aviators
26 Stories of Pioneer Flights, Daring Missions, and Record-Setting Journeys
Part of the Women of Action series
Detailing the role of women in aviation, from the very first days of flight to the present, this rich exploration of the subject profiles 26 women pilots who sought out and met challenges both in the sky and on the ground. Divided into six chronologically arranged sections, this book composes a mini history of aviation. Learn about pioneers such as Katherine Wright, called by many the "Third Wright Brother," and Baroness Raymonde de Laroche of France, the first woman awarded a license to fly. Read about barnstormers like Bessie Coleman and racers like Louise Thaden, who bested Amelia Earhart to win the 1929 Women's Air Derby. Additional short biography sidebars for other key figures and lists of supplemental resources for delving deeper into the history of the subject are also included.
Women Heroes of World War II-The Pacific Theater
15 Stories of Resistance, Rescue, Sabotage, and Survival
Part of the Women of Action series
After glamorous American singer Claire Phillips opened her own night club in Manila, using the proceeds to secretly feed starving American POWs, she also began working as a spy, chatting up Japanese military men and passing their secrets along to local guerilla resistance fighters. Australian Army nurse Vivian Bullwinkel, stationed in Singapore then shipwrecked in the Dutch East Indies, became the sole survivor of a horrible massacre by Japanese soldiers. She hid for days, tending to a seriously wounded British soldier while wounded herself. Humanitarian Elizabeth Choy lived the rest of her life hating only war, not her tormentors, after enduring six months of starvation and torture by the Japanese military police. In these pages, readers will meet these and other courageous women and girls who risked their lives through their involvement in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. Fifteen suspense-filled stories unfold across China, Japan, Mayala, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, and the Philippines, providing an inspiring reminder of women and girls' refusal to sit on the sidelines around the world and throughout history. These women-whose stories span from 1932 through 1945, the last year of the war, when U.S. Marines landed on Iwo Jima-served in dangerous roles as spies, medics, journalists, resisters, and saboteurs. Nine of the women were American; seven were captured and imprisoned by the Japanese, enduring brutal conditions. Author Kathryn J. Atwood provides appropriate context and framing for teens 14 and up to grapple with these harsh realities of war. Discussion questions and a guide for further study assist readers and educators in learning about this important and often neglected period of history.
Women Of Steel And Stone
22 Inspirational Architects, Engineers, and Landscape Designers
Part of the Women of Action series
Reporting on a range of historical and contemporary female builders and designers, this educational book strives to inspire a new generation of girls in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and math. With many of the profiles set against the backdrop of such landmark events as the women's suffrage and civil rights movements and the Industrial Revolution, and with original interviews from a number of current architects and engineers, this book provides inspiration and advice directly to young women by highlighting positive examples of how a strong work ethic, perseverance, and creativity can overcome life's obstacles. Each profile focuses on the strengths, passions, and interests each woman had growing up; where those traits took them; and what they achieved. Sidebars on related topics, source notes, and a bibliography make this an invaluable resource for further study.
A World of Her Own
24 Amazing Women Explorers and Adventurers
Part of the Women of Action series
The stories of two dozen fascinating female explorers, from a wide range of eras, cultures, races, and economic backgrounds, are profiled in this entertaining and educational resource. Each of the women profiled overcame many obstacles to satisfy her curiosity and passions, including Eleanor Creesy, who was a ship's navigator in the 1800s, Kate Jackson, an insatiable investigator of venomous snakes whose work has led her to remote Africa and Latin America, and Constanza Ceruti, the world's only female high-elevation archaeologist, who carries out excavations on the Earths highest peaks in dangerously thin air and subzero temperatures. Offering not only important historical context but also original interviews with many intriguing modern explorers, this whos who of women explorers will provide inspiration to todays young women interested in nature, science, and a physical challenge.
Code Name Pauline
Memoirs of a World War II Special Agent
by Pearl Witherington Cornioley
Part of the Women of Action series
Pearl Witherington Cornioley, one of the most celebrated female World War II resistance fighters, shares her remarkable story in this firsthand account of her experience as a special agent for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE). Told through a series of reminiscences from a difficult childhood spent in the shadow of World War I and her family's harrowing escape from France as the Germans approached in 1940 to her recruitment and training as a special agent and the logistics of parachuting into a remote rural area of occupied France and hiding in a wheat field from enemy fire each chapter also includes helpful opening remarks to provide context and background on the SOE and the French Resistance. With an annotated list of key figures, an appendix of original unedited interview extracts including Pearls fiancé Henri's story and fascinating photographs and documents from Pearls personal collection, this memoir will captivate World War II buffs of any age.
Women Heroes Of World War I
16 Remarkable Resisters, Soldiers, Spies, and Medics
Part of the Women of Action series
A commemoration of brave yet largely forgotten women who served in the First World War in time for the 2014 centennial of the start of the Great War, this book brings to life the brave and often surprising exploits of 16 fascinating women from around the world who served their countries at a time when most of them didn't even have the right to vote. Readers meet 17-year-old Frenchwoman Emilienne Moreau, who assisted the Allies as a guide and set up a first-aid post in her home to attend to the wounded; Russian peasant Maria Bochkareva, who joined the Imperial Russian Army by securing the personal permission of Tsar Nicholas II, was twice wounded in battle and decorated for bravery, and created and led the all-women combat unit the Women's Battalion of Death on the eastern front; and American journalist Madeleine Zabriskie Doty, who risked her life to travel twice to Germany during the war in order to report back the truth, whatever the cost. These and other suspense-filled stories of brave girls and women are told through the use of engaging narrative, dialogue, direct quotes, and document and diary excerpts to lend authenticity and immediacy. Introductory material opens each section to provide solid historical context, and each profile includes informative sidebars and Learn More lists of relevant books and websites, making this a fabulous resource for students, teachers, parents, libraries, and homeschoolers.
Marooned in the Arctic
The True Story of Ada Blackjack, the "Female Robinson Crusoe"
Part of the Women of Action series
The first and only young adult book about Ada Blackjack and her remarkable, true-life survival story In 1921, four men ventured into the Arctic for a top-secret expedition-an attempt to claim the remote, uninhabited Wrangel Island in northern Siberia for Canada. With the men was a 23-year-old Inuit woman named Ada Blackjack, who had signed on as a cook and seamstress to earn money to care for her sick son, left at home. Conditions soon turned dire for the team when, after rations ran out, they were unable to kill enough game to survive. Three of the men tried to cross the frozen Chukchi Sea for help but were never seen again, leaving Ada with one remaining, ill team member whom she cared for but who soon died of scurvy. Determined to be reunited with her son, Ada learned to survive alone in the icy world by trapping foxes, catching seals, and avoiding polar bears. She taught herself to shoot a shotgun and a rifle. After Ada was finally rescued in August 1923, after two years total on the island, she became an instant celebrity, with newspapers calling her a real "female Robinson Crusoe." The first and only young adult book about Ada Blackjack and her remarkable story, Marooned in the Arctic includes sidebars on relevant topics of interest to teens, such as the uses of cats on sailing ships, the phenomenon known as Arctic hysteria, and various aspects of Inuit culture and beliefs.
Seized by the Sun
The Life and Disappearance of World War II Pilot Gertrude Tompkins
Part of the Women of Action series
Seized by the Sun introduces teens to the remarkable life of Gertrude "Tommy" Tompkins, who overcame many challenges to find her passion in flying. She became one of 126 elite women chosen to pilot World War II fighter planes for the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs). Her disappearance remains a mystery and no crash site was ever found. The result of sixteen years of research and interviews, Seized by the Sun is an invaluable addition to any student's or history buff's bookshelf.
Bold Women of Medicine
21 Stories of Astounding Discoveries, Daring Surgeries, and Healing Breakthroughs
Part of the Women of Action series
Stories of twenty-one courageous women from the 1800's to the present focused on finding cures, tending the sick and wounded, and healing with science and compassion. Readers meet groundbreakers such as Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States; Mary Carson Breckinridge, the "nurse on horseback" who delivered babies in the Appalachian Mountains; and heart surgeon Kathy Magliato, one of the few women trained in heart transplant surgeries. Packed with photos, informative sidebars, and including source notes and a bibliography, this collection is an invaluable addition to any reader's bookshelf.