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Leading the Way: Women In Power
In this engaging and highly accessible compendium for young readers and aspiring power brokers, Virginia Senator Janet Howell and her daughter-in-law Theresa Howell spotlight the careers of fifty American women in politics -- and inspire readers to make a difference.
Meet some of the most influential leaders in America, including Jeannette Rankin, who, in 1916, became the first woman elected to Congress; Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman elected to Congress; Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court; and Bella Abzug, who famously declared, "This woman's place is in the House . . . the House of Representatives!" This engaging and wide-ranging collection of biographies highlights the actions, struggles, and accomplishments of more than fifty of the most influential leaders in American political history -- leaders who have stood up, blazed trails, and led the way.
Meet some of the most influential leaders in America, including Jeannette Rankin, who, in 1916, became the first woman elected to Congress; Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman elected to Congress; Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court; and Bella Abzug, who famously declared, "This woman's place is in the House . . . the House of Representatives!" This engaging and wide-ranging collection of biographies highlights the actions, struggles, and accomplishments of more than fifty of the most influential leaders in American political history -- leaders who have stood up, blazed trails, and led the way.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2019
3 people are currently reading
1398 people want to read
About the author
Janet Howell
10 books20 followersSenator Janet Howell has been a Virginia state senator since 1992. She is second in seniority in the state senate and the longest-serving female Virginia legislator. Credited with major legal reforms, she was also the first woman to serve on the powerful Senate Finance Committee and the first and only woman so far to be appointed as a senate budget conferee. A civil rights worker in college and a longtime community leader, she has been honored with many awards, including a Child Health Advocate Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics. She lives in northern Virginia with her husband, Hunt.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
November 11, 2019
I really enjoyed this collection of fifty miniature biographies of women in history. There is enough information to teach new facts to history buffs of any age. It would be a great tool to use to jumpstart deeper reasearch for middle-graders. Highly recommended!
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
December 9, 2020
Our family read a biography each night after dinner and had a mini discussion about the leading lady of the evening. It's very well-written, educational and inspirational.
October 9, 2019
Leading the Way: Women in Power teaches us about amazing women who have helped make this world a better place! I absolutely loved the "Power Symbols" in the book! I thought this was such a unique and visually appealing way to show some amazing traits these women have/had! The perfect book to pick up and learn about some powerful women!
April 17, 2021
I won a copy of this book through the Goodreads Giveaway and I took my time reading through this one and VERY much enjoyed this book. I read many of the biographies of the black women featured in this book to my 3rd and 4th grade students during Black History month, which prompted us to learn more about the courageous women featured in this book. This is an important book that is being added to my classroom library! Thank you!
August 3, 2020
This book is amazing and I can't wait to add it to me classroom library. This is so important for all students of different races, genders, and religions to find a representative of themselves in this book. I even learned some new interesting facts. I think this is a must read for all children so they can grow up to become like these adults. I got this book from GoodReads First Reads and I'm so so so grateful (and so are my students!)
December 29, 2019
Brief (2 page) biographies of women who have led the way and pushed boundaries. Simple to follow text and recognition of various character traits each modeled.
July 17, 2020
In the book Leading the Way: Women in Power, Senator Janet Howell, Theresa Howell, Kylie Akia and Alexandra Bye create a beautifully designed and thoughtful book for all young children, and young girls in particular. The illustrated “picture book” style draws a young audience’s attention, and the message it portrays is an important one for anyone to learn, children and adults alike. The book features the stories of women in politics throughout history, with the goal of empowering young girls to follow in these strong women’s footsteps. As part of attaining this goal, the pages are marked with emblems of the attributes that made these women successful in their goals. These qualities: integrity, resourcefulness, community, diligence, courage, empathy, persistence, and communication, are outlined and explained, not only for young readers to gain vocabulary, but also to learn and develop these traits themselves. There is a great range of diversity in the cultural and ethnic backgrounds that these women come from, showing that successful women can come from any culture or background. I will note that while there is a great deal of diversity in one sense, there is little diversity in terms of the worldview and political stance that these women hold. If a future addition is to be published, it would be an opportunity to add more diversity in political opinions and general worldview. This book is beautifully done, and I would encourage the production of other books like it that might focus on the other strong women throughout history who were not involved in politics, but rather were/ are doctors, teachers, caregivers, mothers, and other professions, in order to portray that strong women can be found in any career path or life choice. I think that this book will be beneficial and enjoyable for people of all ages, particularly children from ages six to thirteen years old, and I give it four stars.
Reviewed by Martha C. age 16, Northeast Indiana Mensa
Reviewed by Martha C. age 16, Northeast Indiana Mensa
November 7, 2019
I love introducing a book filled with short biographies of more recent women, some now passed, but who in the past century up to today, continue that fight for women's equal rights, continue to live their lives as examples of how persistence can achieve goals. Illustrations by Kylie Akia and Alexandra Bye carry a patriotic theme. Thanks to Candlewick Press for the copy.
While reading profiles of fifty women, many whom I enjoy hearing speak today, I am both proud of their achievements, but sad at the obstacles they faced and had to overcome. The authors, Virginia State Senator Janet Howell and her daughter, Theresa Howell have identified eight important character traits that "great leaders often develop, along with some suggestions of how those qualities can be expressed." Wouldn't it be terrific to examine each one, to discuss with students how these traits help in achieving life's goals?
In their stories, most of the women's stories showed that they started speaking out early in their lives. Bella Abzug, a Congresswoman eventually, began speaking in front of her father's butcher shop at age twelve about the need for a separate Jewish state. She went on to give speeches at subway stops and then asking for money for the cause. She argued that girls should be able to play in boy's street games! Harvard Law School turned her down saying they do not admit females, so she went on to Columbia Law School. She was a fighter!
The backmatter adds pages that include "How to Stand Up, Speak Out, and Make a Difference: A Take-Action Guide", Additional Women's Names that can be good to research, comprehensive source notes, acknowledgments, short bios of the creators, and an index! The book can be a book to read and enjoy or a springboard for further research about one or more of these women. Thanks to
While reading profiles of fifty women, many whom I enjoy hearing speak today, I am both proud of their achievements, but sad at the obstacles they faced and had to overcome. The authors, Virginia State Senator Janet Howell and her daughter, Theresa Howell have identified eight important character traits that "great leaders often develop, along with some suggestions of how those qualities can be expressed." Wouldn't it be terrific to examine each one, to discuss with students how these traits help in achieving life's goals?
In their stories, most of the women's stories showed that they started speaking out early in their lives. Bella Abzug, a Congresswoman eventually, began speaking in front of her father's butcher shop at age twelve about the need for a separate Jewish state. She went on to give speeches at subway stops and then asking for money for the cause. She argued that girls should be able to play in boy's street games! Harvard Law School turned her down saying they do not admit females, so she went on to Columbia Law School. She was a fighter!
The backmatter adds pages that include "How to Stand Up, Speak Out, and Make a Difference: A Take-Action Guide", Additional Women's Names that can be good to research, comprehensive source notes, acknowledgments, short bios of the creators, and an index! The book can be a book to read and enjoy or a springboard for further research about one or more of these women. Thanks to
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November 18, 2019#partner Thank you to @candlewickpress for this review copy! "Leading the Way: Women in Power" by Senator Janet Howell and Theresa Howell released October 8 and is available now!
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This is a perfect book for Election Tuesday in the United States! Written by Virginia Senator Janet Howell and her daughter-in-law Theresa Howell, this is a fantastic book to share with your children today. In the introduction to the book, our authors explain their agenda for this great book. They say: "This book is not about a specific political party or agenda. It's about powerful women who, despite enormous challenges, have bravely stood up, spoken out, and broken new ground. IT's a call to action and an important introduction to the political role models, across the political spectrum, who have helped pave the way for the future leaders of America--both boys and girls--especially in a time where there is still ground that needs to be broken."
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The book features 50 women from the last 300 years who have worked in politics making changes and changing the political landscape. Featured are women like: Eleanor Roosevelt, Kamala Harris, Betty Ford, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Abigail Adams. I loved learning about women i'd never known before and learning more about those I was more familiar with. At the end of the book is a section where readers can learn more about how they can be more active and make change in their own communities. .
I love including books about strong, powerful, and determined women in my homeschool curriculum for my girls. I want my girls to know these women, and admire these women. I'm excited to begin including this one, also. .
Thank you again to @candlewickpress!!
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This is a perfect book for Election Tuesday in the United States! Written by Virginia Senator Janet Howell and her daughter-in-law Theresa Howell, this is a fantastic book to share with your children today. In the introduction to the book, our authors explain their agenda for this great book. They say: "This book is not about a specific political party or agenda. It's about powerful women who, despite enormous challenges, have bravely stood up, spoken out, and broken new ground. IT's a call to action and an important introduction to the political role models, across the political spectrum, who have helped pave the way for the future leaders of America--both boys and girls--especially in a time where there is still ground that needs to be broken."
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The book features 50 women from the last 300 years who have worked in politics making changes and changing the political landscape. Featured are women like: Eleanor Roosevelt, Kamala Harris, Betty Ford, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Abigail Adams. I loved learning about women i'd never known before and learning more about those I was more familiar with. At the end of the book is a section where readers can learn more about how they can be more active and make change in their own communities. .
I love including books about strong, powerful, and determined women in my homeschool curriculum for my girls. I want my girls to know these women, and admire these women. I'm excited to begin including this one, also. .
Thank you again to @candlewickpress!!
October 30, 2019
I received a free advanced copy of this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
Highest recommendations for this book! I wish it was around when I was a kid. “Leading the Way” features short profiles of 50 women from past and present that are important political role models. These are truly inspiring leaders, heroines and role models from all walks of life. Some of these important women I had never heard of before and their work inspired me as an adult! The best part of the book is that there’s no political agenda or focus on a specific political party so there’s biographies of women from all ends of the spectrum including high profile women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Hillary Clinton to Native American chiefs like Wilma Mankiller, present day Latina representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and many other diverse women leaders. There’s also a set of “power symbols” that accompany each woman showing personal qualities that set them apart and young women can aspire to, like Integrity, Resourcefulness, Persistence and Empathy. Each short profile also has an illustration of the woman and some of their well known quotes. Very inspiring book!
Highest recommendations for this book! I wish it was around when I was a kid. “Leading the Way” features short profiles of 50 women from past and present that are important political role models. These are truly inspiring leaders, heroines and role models from all walks of life. Some of these important women I had never heard of before and their work inspired me as an adult! The best part of the book is that there’s no political agenda or focus on a specific political party so there’s biographies of women from all ends of the spectrum including high profile women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Hillary Clinton to Native American chiefs like Wilma Mankiller, present day Latina representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and many other diverse women leaders. There’s also a set of “power symbols” that accompany each woman showing personal qualities that set them apart and young women can aspire to, like Integrity, Resourcefulness, Persistence and Empathy. Each short profile also has an illustration of the woman and some of their well known quotes. Very inspiring book!
November 14, 2019
This is a comprehensive collection of WOMEN in th USA who took a stand, who demonstrated public leadership for causes close to their hearts. In some cases these are familiar names, in familiar places (Supreme Court, Congress, state government) but others are lesser known, faded into history, or associated with singular public causes.
Each brief biography is a double page spread in this solid, over-sized picture book, which includes valuable nonfiction organizational elements: Table of Contents and extensive back matter, including practical advice on becoming a leader, additional women leaders to research, full citations for quotes throughout, and an index of leaders and topics.
Valuable for quick research or comparison (and for verifying/contrasting with online information) for use in libraries, classrooms, and for individual future leaders.
Each brief biography is a double page spread in this solid, over-sized picture book, which includes valuable nonfiction organizational elements: Table of Contents and extensive back matter, including practical advice on becoming a leader, additional women leaders to research, full citations for quotes throughout, and an index of leaders and topics.
Valuable for quick research or comparison (and for verifying/contrasting with online information) for use in libraries, classrooms, and for individual future leaders.
July 14, 2021
"Leading the Way" could refer to many things but this book only refers to American women who were active in politics in some way like serving in public office or fighting for the right to vote. The alphabetical order of these mini biographies confused the flow of the book as it jumped around chronologically. I wish they had been grouped in chapters. I liked the inclusion of the women's actual statements, but disliked the facial sketches that took up so much space forcing the biographies to be so short. The author did an excellent job covering each woman's background but didn't discuss their beliefs and focus in any depth. An example was Elizabeth Warren, who seemingly only got one or two sentences to describe her work. Sadly, the book focused more on positions and titles than their passion. I struggled with the apparent thought that women leaders are only women in politics.
November 28, 2019
A dense volume of 2- large page biographies of 50 women leaders published as a 100 year anniversary on women's right to vote. This volume is big and large, done on beautiful glossy pages with illustrated images of the woman leader's profile on one side of the page followed by a brief biography of her work. A bold quote line from each of the leaders is highlighted and a few key attributes such as "perseverance","integrity" and "courage" to capture different traits of each of the leader is symbolized.
Overall a great volume to own and gift. Well done for women of all ages.
Overall a great volume to own and gift. Well done for women of all ages.
March 24, 2020
This is the perfect book for children to learn about the amazing women who have made a huge difference for women in politics. They showcase 15 women from different generations who all had different upbringings and beliefs. They fought for women equality and if they were turned away or not successful they would get back up and try again. If you see an injustice you need to stand up and join the forces to make a difference. Equality among women and men is very important. Let's stand up for equal rights.
July 25, 2019
I am giving this 4 stars only because I have not seen the finished product-the uncorrected partial proof I reviewed is full of promise. An interesting and informational look at 50 influential women in American history, the narratives are compelling, as is the Take-Action Guide at the back. I look forward to seeing this in its completed form.
October 27, 2019
Delightful introduction to extraordinary, inspiring women who have made and are still making a difference in US politics. I want to share that one with all my friends with children. I want to give a copy of that one to my library. I didn't have to give it to my 12 year-old daughter, as she grabbed it the moment she saw it. This is a wonderful, meaningful gift in a beautiful, appealing package.
November 6, 2019
This is a great book that introduces young readers to influential women from all walks of life. I am going to be using this in my classroom, as I feel it is well written and that my students will enjoy it!
Want to read
June 28, 2019Note: I received an ARC sample from the publisher at ALA Annual 2019.
October 6, 2019
Great book for learning about women who have made a difference.
October 25, 2019
It was a good read.
October 27, 2019
So I didn't know there were ten influential women in politics, much less 50. Needless to say, this book has earned a permanent space on my bookshelf.
November 15, 2019
WHAT A GREAT TITLE.
November 22, 2019
Readers of all ages will enjoy diving into this fascinating look at some of the most powerful and significant female leaders in history and politics. Through accessible, engaging information and lovely illustrations, readers will go on an inspiring and captivating journey, meeting some of history's most amazing women!
November 24, 2019
A really excellent collection of biographies that every child should own! Perfect for a classroom gift as well. I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.
December 3, 2019
Excellent book!!!
January 7, 2020
Just do not let the power go to your head.
January 1, 2022
Loved this one about different women. Great introduction to younger readers. I liked learning about women I had not heard about before. A mix of some I knew and some I did not.
September 8, 2024
What an exhausting conclusion - but at the same time, I like the artwork.
October 7, 2019
Thank you to Candlewick Press for the advanced copy at the Spring 2020 Boston Librarian preview! Beautiful biographical writeups of some of the most determined and ground breaking women in American history. Lovely illustrations and overall a hopeful, important book that is sure to inspire leaders of all genders.
October 3, 2019
Leading the Way is a celebration of women in power on the eve of the 100 year anniversary of women receiving the right to vote in 1920. The collective biography of 50 women is organized by alphabetical order and highlighted with character traits of leaders including integrity, resourcefulness, courage, empathy, persistence and more. Each biography is written on two large format pages with an illustration of the woman’s face, an enlarged inspiring quote, and three to four power symbols of the aforementioned character traits. Interesting details abound in their biographies such as that Abigail Adams was an early adopter of vaccinations for her children, that RBG does 20 pushups a day, and that Carla Hayden met the Obamas long before they were politically active. Women from all racial and economic backgrounds are included. Back pages include a list of other important female leaders, a “take action guide” that encourages students to “start with your community,” and extensive source notes. Throughout the biography, students are reminded that there are many ways to be involved in making change and that there’s a place for everyone. This large format biography is attractive, well-organized and easy to browse.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews