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I Am a Royal Rulebreaker: Women Who Shaped History
Forget wilting wallflowers and doting daughters – these royal women rocked the world with their skills and smarts, saying a firm NO to social conventions.
Think the past was only full of dull, uptight royals? Then strap right in for stories of wilful women who defied expectations, changed the course of history, and sometimes were just downright badass! From fearless fighters who rallied spectacular armies to no-nonsense negotiators who fought for independence, each woman in this book turned norms on their head and smashed gender stereotypes.
Get ready for pages and pages of monarchial mayhem as you meet the rebels, revolutionaries, and all-round righteous gals who weren’t afraid to break the rules and make their mark.
Think the past was only full of dull, uptight royals? Then strap right in for stories of wilful women who defied expectations, changed the course of history, and sometimes were just downright badass! From fearless fighters who rallied spectacular armies to no-nonsense negotiators who fought for independence, each woman in this book turned norms on their head and smashed gender stereotypes.
Get ready for pages and pages of monarchial mayhem as you meet the rebels, revolutionaries, and all-round righteous gals who weren’t afraid to break the rules and make their mark.
80 pages, Hardcover
Published April 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you so much to DK Children’s Books and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
No matter how many of these types of books I read about empowering women of history, I always meet new ones women that I’d never heard of and manage learn so many new things, including about ones that I actually thought I knew a fair amount about before reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the way it was laid out was so simple but incredibly effective, with big illustrations of each of the women, the writing done in topical sections about the women, the illustrations of something to do with each one, it was so incredibly well laid out and designed.
I loved meeting these women, it’s so eye opening seeing the things these women did in era’s that basically told women to shut up and sit down. None of these women did that and I’m all here for that. I loved gaining new facts about each of them and it was such a variety too, each having lived in a different country, era, way of ruling, and the ways in which they ruled was incredible to read about.
A perfect educational book for young readers, I absolutely recommend this book. You’ll learn literally so much and have a great time learning about them all, so many powerful independent and strong willed women who didn’t let anyone dictate what they did or didn’t do.
No matter how many of these types of books I read about empowering women of history, I always meet new ones women that I’d never heard of and manage learn so many new things, including about ones that I actually thought I knew a fair amount about before reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the way it was laid out was so simple but incredibly effective, with big illustrations of each of the women, the writing done in topical sections about the women, the illustrations of something to do with each one, it was so incredibly well laid out and designed.
I loved meeting these women, it’s so eye opening seeing the things these women did in era’s that basically told women to shut up and sit down. None of these women did that and I’m all here for that. I loved gaining new facts about each of them and it was such a variety too, each having lived in a different country, era, way of ruling, and the ways in which they ruled was incredible to read about.
A perfect educational book for young readers, I absolutely recommend this book. You’ll learn literally so much and have a great time learning about them all, so many powerful independent and strong willed women who didn’t let anyone dictate what they did or didn’t do.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I Am a Royal Rulebreaker: Women Who Shaped History by Fern Riddell and illustrated by Taylor Dolan is an engaging and accessible nonfiction book that introduces children to inspiring royal women from across history. It focuses on queens and leaders who challenged expectations, broke the rules, and made a lasting impact on the world. With bright, eye-catching illustrations and short, easy-to-digest profiles, it’s a great choice for upper primary-aged children, especially those who enjoy history, strong female role models, or dipping in and out of factual books independently. What I particularly liked was that it doesn't look like a typical history book - which my daughter has little interest in right now. The bold colour palette and the very 'arty' feel of the book meant it really grabbed her attention and she didn't even realise she was learning about history! I received an eARC.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews