Girls Resist!: A Guide to Activism, Leadership, and Starting a Revolution

by KaeLyn Rich, Giulia Sagramola (Illustrator)

An activism handbook for teen girls ready to fight for change, social justice, and equality.Take on the world and make some serious change with this handbook to everything activism, social justice, and resistance. With in-depth guides to everything from picking a cause, planning a protest, and raising money to running dispute-free meetings, promoting awareness on social media, and being an effective ally, Girls Resist! will show you how to go from “mad as heck about the way the world is going” to “effective leader who gets stuff done.” Veteran feminist organizer KaeLyn Rich shares tons of expertise that’ll inspire you as much as it teaches you the ropes. Plus, quotes and tips from fellow teen girl activists show how they stood up for change in their communities. Grab this handbook to crush inequality, start a revolution, and resist!

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Middle Grade, Social Justice, Activism, LGBT, Politics

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 7, 2018

Reviews

[Jaie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book out loud to my 10yo daughter. It is full of good tips. Sometimes reading the lists aloud wasn't the most fun, but she never wanted me to stop. It opened up a lot of conversation topics. And at the end, my daughter got out of bed to get some paper to make her self-care list.

I was disappointed that there were typos! But that's my only fault with the book.

I would recommend this to girls, parents, youth leaders, and young activists!

[Jessica C · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a super helpful guide for girls all around the world looking to make a change! I learned a lot from this book, even at 18 years old and already actively involved in feminism/activism.

I learned a lot of tips for creating and getting started on campaigns. I really enjoyed this book and I know I will continue to look back at it from time to time to refocus my goals.

Highly recommend it !!

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good manual I teach high school students, but this is definitely something that girls of all ages can benefit from. Excellent job to the writer and there was so much good advice given in this book. All women and girls should read this.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever wanted to change something in the world around you?  Have you ever been mad about how you are being treated?  Have you wanted to do something about it but didn't know where to start?  Girls Resist! is the perfect place to start.  Girls Resist!  is a step-by-step guide to activism providing a realistic and broken down approach that anyone can follow so that activism is a reachable goal. KaeLyn artfully guides you through the activism process from empowerment through campaign plans, demonstrations and rallies to phone banking, fundraising and being a successful ally and preventing burnout.  Using practical approaches, down to earth language and practical tips, Girls Resist!  makes creating change feel possible.  

Broken up into eight sections, Girls Resist! not only offers how-to knowledge, but breaks down important information on privilege, bias, equity, inclusion, diversity, and intersectionality.  Understanding these roles in your own life are key to creating effective change.  I found these sections particularly insightful, even as an adult in helping me to understand where I stand in the world and how to help others where I am.  Girls Resist! is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to find the power within themselves to resist.

[Cee · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own*
Absolutely 100% will be recommending this book to everyone.

This is the perfect resource for someone looking to become an ally, help out with issues, or build their own campaigns. Anyone looking to advocate or help with advocating should totally read this.

The information is told is an easy to read format and organized in a way that makes sense. The beginning has some little activities or thinking devices which will help people think about privilege and how to pick an issue to fight for. I love how at the end of a section there is a Takeaway which summarizes key information-- for those who need a refresher or are flipping through for the right section.

This book does a good job of not alienating anyone, addressing all types of people and mentioning accessibility when setting up meetings or finding the best location for other things. I really think it reaches everyone. AND then talks about self-care and how people need to make time for themselves so they don't breakdown.

An amazing resource, which mentions even more resources, and one I feel will empower readers instead of overwhelm them.

[Paya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naprawdę super pozycja poradnikowo-przewodnikowa po aktywizmie, feminizmie, inkluzywności. Książka jest naprawdę inkluzywna, wyczerpująca w miarę dobrze poszczególne tematy dostosowując przekaz do młodszych czytelniczek (ale ja też miło spędziłam z nią czas i znalazłam tam trochę nowinek dla siebie). Zadaniowa, konkretna, a do tego fajnie opatrzona przypisami objaśniającymi jak to wygląda w Polsce.

[Hâf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woah, this book is POWERFUL! This is the kind of non-fiction we should be showing and reading to/with girls of any age. This book is overflowing with girl power.

Even at my age (25) I wouldn't know the first thing about being an activist, I've seen protests and signed petitions. This book is full of interesting as well as educational information about all sorts of ways to make a difference. I found it fascinating to read about how to plan a protest and the different kinds of protests and petitions. Inundating someone with one hundred post cards with varying messages about a cause?! What a brilliant yet simple idea.

I would recommend this book to any one who wants to make a change. It's a detailed plan of action with helpful tips and inspiring ideas. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

[✰ Alexandra ✰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Girls Resist!
5 out of 5 stars

I received this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to both the author and NetGalley for this opportunity!

"ACTIVISM MEANS TAKING ACTION TO SUPPORT OR OPPOSE A CAUSE AND BRING ABOUT CHANGE."

If you ever need a place to start learning about protesting, why girls are angry and striving for change, or even just the plain and simple facts ranging from wage gaps to debunking gender norms, look no further.

This handbook accesses the cold hard facts while providing a relatable and clear guideline on how to speak up about being a woman and taking action. KaeLyn Rich utilizes her voice to speak about her struggles growing up as a bi, Korean woman living in a mostly white town to bring to light the millions of other girls around the world who are going through something similar in their own way. Not only do I think this book is imperative for young girls growing into themselves and learning about how to be their most powerful beings, but this book is necessary for absolutely everyone, regardless of who you are. We can all learn. We can all grow. We can all become better and make a change, and Rich provides “Girl’s Resist!” so that we can map out our next move to conquer the world.

[Chelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the Advanced copy.

[A. J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book more than lived up to my expectations! I decided to give this book a try when I found it at my library earlier this year. I wanted it to see if it would be both helpful for myself but also for my future children, or younger cousins. 

From the first chapter I really liked Girls Resist. Rich has a great writing style and lays out issues and ideas in an easy to read and relatable way. I really enjoyed hearing about activist work that Rich herself had done. 

This book is very accessible, it seemed like there was ways to resist for everyone. I particularly liked that each form of campaigning was rated by difficulty level. It felt like there was something for everyone to do.  Rich breaks down what campaigning and resisting is very well, and has great tips on all forms. I especially liked her tips on fundraising. 

In the end I felt like this book is super important for all teens to read, especially female identifying. It's a great tool and I recommend it to you all. I gave it four stars on Goodreads.  

[Sarah :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a quick sample copy of this and really enjoyed it! It's a bit more of a reference book than a read-right-through type of thing, but it was still super nice.

[Anamaria]

Camila recommends (I do, too!).

[rey]

dnfing this, not bc i don’t like it but bc i know almost everything already and i’m just not in the mood for instructional books rn. but it seemed pretty cool from what i read!

[Angelika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do biblioteczki każdej młodej osoby.

[Richard Towne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read an abridged preview - Well written / practical guide. Realistic step-by-step. Would have liked to read the section on burn-out

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

[WERBUNG]*

TITEL: Girls Resist!
AUTOR: KaeLyn Rich
VERLAG: Quirk Books
ERSCHIENEN am 7. August 2018
EINZELBAND
GENRE: Sachbuch
240 SEITEN
PREIS: 13, 83 € [D]
ISBN: 978-1683690597

Klappentext:
An activism handbook for teen girls ready to fight for change, social justice, and equality.

Take on the world and make some serious change with this handbook to everything activism, social justice, and resistance. With in-depth guides to everything from picking a cause, planning a protest, and raising money to running dispute-free meetings, promoting awareness on social media, and being an effective ally, Girls Resist! will show you how to go from “mad as heck about the way the world is going” to “effective leader who gets stuff done.” Veteran feminist organizer KaeLyn Rich shares tons of expertise that’ll inspire you as much as it teaches you the ropes. Plus, quotes and tips from fellow teen girl activists show how they stood up for change in their communities. Grab this handbook to crush inequality, start a revolution, and resist!

Zitat:
»Girls' activism matters because girls are often told they don't matter.«
("Girls Resist!" (c) KaeLyn Rich/Quirk Books)

Kaufgrund:
Ich habe dieses wundervolle Buch als E-Book von NetGalley.com zur Verfügung gestellt bekommen und bin sehr, sehr dankbar dafür! Ich interessiere mich schon immer sehr für Aktivismus und Feminismus, weshalb ich dieses Buch unbedingt haben wollte. Ich war mir zwar zuerst nicht ganz sicher, was mich in "Girls Resist!" erwartet, aber KaeLyn Rich hat mich von der ersten Seite an begeistert.

Cover/Ausstattung:
Ich finde das Cover sehr süß und einladend. Außerdem passt es perfekt zu den Illustrationen im Buch. Schon allein wegen den kleinen Zeichnungen, die sich auf fast jeder Seite befinden, möchte ich mir das Buch unbedingt als Print-Ausgabe kaufen <3

Titel:
Kurz und aussagekräftig - der Titel bringt die Message des Buchs perfekt rüber. Allerdings sollte man sich vom Titel auch nicht täuschen lassen, denn das Buch ist auf keinen Fall nur für Mädchen geeignet, sondern für alle Geschlechter.

Schreibstil:
KaeLyn Rich's Schreibstil ist unglaublich motivierend und aufmunternd. Sie macht ihren Leser*innen Mut und bringt einen dazu, über sich selbst und über aktuelle Probleme nachzudenken. Besonders mag ich, dass sie wichtige Begriffe klar und einfach definiert und viele Tipps gibt, wie man feministische Projekte kreativ umsetzen kann.

Inhalt:
KaeLyn Rich begleitet ihre Leser*innen von der ersten Idee einer Aktion bis hin zum fertigen Projekt und erklärt dabei alle wichtigen Themen, die man als Feminist*in und Aktivist*in braucht. Egal ob es um Finanzierung, Mitstreiter*innen oder Werbung für die eigene Kampagne geht - "Girls Resist!" hat für alles Ideen und Hinweise parat. Besonders toll finde ich, dass das Buch sehr LGBTQ+ positiv ist und dabei nicht nur die bekannteren Labels wie lesbisch, schwul, bi, trans etc. anspricht, sondern auch weniger bekannte (z.B. nonbinary und das asexuelle und aromantische Spektrum). Außerdem gibt es ein komplettes Kapitel über marginalisierte Identitäten und Tipps, wie man Minderheiten am besten unterstützen kann. Dazu gibt es auch noch viele Ideen zum Thema Selbstliebe, da Aktivismus extrem anstrengend sein kann.

Stimmung beim Lesen:
Das Buch hat mich mit jeder Seite mehr dazu motiviert, über Dinge nachzudenken, die mir wichtig sind, und meine eigenen Projekte zu starten. Es hat es mir Mut und Kraft gegeben und mich daran erinnert, warum mir Feminismus und Aktivismus so viel bedeuten. Jetzt habe ich richtig Lust, endlich mein eigenes Projekt zu starten!

Fazit:
"Girls Resist!" ist eines der wichtigsten Bücher, die ich im Jahr 2018 gelesen habe und ich werde es sicherlich noch oft zur Hand nehmen, damit ich mich für die Dinge einsetzen kann, die mir wichtig sind. Ein Muss für alle Feminist*innen und Aktivist*innen!
5 von 5 Sternen!

Danke an Quirk Books und NetGalley für das Vorabexemplar, dass ich im Austausch gegen eine ehrliche Rezension erhalten habe.

*Bei diesem Buch handelt es sich um ein Rezensionsexemplar. Aus diesem Grund kennzeichne ich diesen Beitrag mit [Werbung]. Für meine Beiträge werde ich grundsätzlich nicht bezahlt.

[Cristy Emmnm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent for the young person in your life. Essentially a YA-level primer on activism and progressive political action, topical social issues, and grassroots organizing. Has workbook elements that work best in print format (versus ebook/audio formats). Would recommend for summer camps, 6-8/Highschool grade groups, chapters of GSAs and similar orgs, etc. Will be gifting to my goddaughters and to parents of young people who want to get a jump on taking over the world.

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle

Walking through the aisles of the library, I was intrigued by the title of this book and decided to check it out. So glad I did. This book was fantastic.

Seemingly geared toward high school (possibly middle school) and college-aged girls and women, this book is honestly helpful for women in all stages of life. It gives basic how-tos on activism, as well as leadership skills and how to keep intersectionality in mind.

Really great book. I loved the focus on diversity. It doesn't just cover race, sexuality, and gender, but also class, "disabilities", and body type. Rich discusses privilege as well as other helpful concepts in making sure one's activism is inclusive and beneficial.

The only flaw for me personally was that the book gets a little dull to read straight through. Perfect as a reference guide to use as needed, but reading each chapter back to back took me quite a while for a relatively small book.

Great illustrations and helpful charts. I especially liked the section on inclusivity and being an ally. It was also helpful to read about ways to confront microaggressions and constructive ways to deal within being called out.

This is such a wonderful little guide on how to be a better activist, leader, and feminist.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that this book was very informative and gave practical ideas and suggestions to help girls become activists for any cause.

[Isabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a little jealous that so many of these accessible primers on activism are available to today's youth. I did not become politically aware or active until I was in college, but books such as Girls Resist encourage young people to see themselves as change agents. This book contains helpful step-by-step guides to organizing successful campaigns within a school or community, and also has practical advice, such as how to eliminate gender binary language from our daily conversations. I highly recommend this to all youth and educators!

[Amanda Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great simple guide to becoming an activist. Perfect gift for young resisters.

[Fikri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love that this book doesn’t prescribe limits to girls’ activism. Start your own non-profit? Lead a protest march? Sure! Here’s what you need. I mean, I haven’t been a girl in a long time and I still felt intimidated by the vast possibilities of grassroots work described in this book — and reassured that folks like KaeLyn are leading the way. US-centric (this is a strength, not a weakness, because detailed and locally contextualised info is exactly what teens need) so not for everyone, but plenty in here for the rest of us nonetheless.

[Kat O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! Great manual for tweens and teens who are ready to be active in their communities. Can't wait to see her book talk this one.

[Amanda Brenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can read all of my reviews on my blog -> Cover2CoverMom Blog

What I Liked...
» This was a wonderful field guide for teens (and adults) to become involved in activism. I found the information to be very practical, informative, and accessible.

» The organization of the book was easy to follow & made a lot of sense. I was impressed with the level of detail that Rich includes in each step of the process. You can definitely tell she is sharing many tips that she herself has learned over the years. I also liked how the author summarizes each chapter with key takeaway points at the end, which makes it easy to go back through later.

» While I read this book straight through, you could flip around to whichever sections apply to your agenda. This book should be used as a tool to refer to over and over again throughout the process of rallying for a cause.

» The author did a wonderful job of being as inclusive as possible. She gives tips on how to make participation in your cause accessible to all different types of people.

Overall...
These are the types of books we should be sharing with young people to inspire them to make change in the world.

› Recommended to ⇒ those looking into getting involved in social activism

› If you liked this book, try ⇒ Watch Us Rise by Renée Watson

[Jacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Girls Resist! Is a great book for younger people interested in or learning about activism. The author explains terms and doesn't assume everyone reading knows every activist related word. MY FAVORITE PART is the author doesn't talk down to the reader and uses language to lift them up. Instead of saying something like 'you must be confident when you speak' the author says 'your confidence when talking about something your passionate about and have put the time into learning will show through' (not direct quotes).

The book is organized nicely and goes over the many ways a person - especially a young person - can get involved on their own or in large groups, through social media or in person, how to work with leaders or government officials, and more. Definitely recommend!

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this guide to taking action for young women! Specific strategies are provided, the author proffers much consideration for overcoming potential barriers, and important terms are explicitly defined. Offers a glossary and index in the back. Empowering resource. Highly recommended for all young feminists!

[Mare · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really well done! If there's a teenager in your life that has been activated by the horrors of the Trump administration but doesn't know how to go further than events like the Women's March, this is the book.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Rach · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Zully Pardo chacón · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encantó, pero es muy local.