History Smashers: Women's Right to Vote

History Smashers #2

by Kate Messner, Dylan Meconis (illustrator )

In 1920, Susan B. Anthony passed a law that gave voting rights to women in the United States. RIGHT?

WRONG! Susan B. Anthony wasn't even alive when the Nineteeth Amendment was ratified. Plus, it takes a lot more than one person to amend the constitution.

Did you know that when women's rights activists picketed President Wilson to get his support for voting rights, some men beat them up, tore down their banners, and stole from them? And then it was the women who got arrested! No joke.

Through illustrations, graphic panels, photographs, sidebars, and more, author Kate Messner smashes history by exploring the little-known details behind the fight for women's suffrage.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Middle Grade, Historical, Childrens, Feminism, Graphic Novels

224 pages, Library Binding

First published July 7, 2020

About the author

Kate Messner is an award-winning author, TED 2012 speaker, and former middle school English teacher. Her books for kids include THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z.,SUGAR AND ICE, and EYE OF THE STORM (Walker/Bloomsbury Dec. 2010) the MARTY MCGUIRE series (Scholastic), SEA MONSTER'S FIRST DAY, and OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW (Chronicle, Books). Kate also wrote SPITFIRE and CHAMPLAIN AND THE SILENT ONE, both Lake Champlain historical novels published by North Country Books.

Kate lives with her family on Lake Champlain, where she loves to read, write, hike, swing on birch trees, and eat chocolate. She also hangs out in various places online.
Visit Kate's website: http://www.katemessner.com

Find Kate on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/KateMessner

...or follow her on Twitter - @katemessner

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Messner’s Women’s Right to Vote (published in 2020 simultaneously with The Mayflower as the first two instalments of her History Smashers series, conceptualised for an early middle grade readership, but in my opinion also more than suitable for older readers as well) strives and in my humble opinion also delightfully, gloriously manages to succeed with shattering many common misconceptions regarding how women achieved the right to vote in the United States (but that well and personally speaking, I do kind of wish that Messner would also provide in Women’s Right to Vote a bit more detail about the women’s suffrage movement in the United Kingdom and also briefly point out how women obtained voting rights in Canada, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, and especially so since in New Zealand women were supposedly permitted to vote in 1896 and thus twenty four years earlier than in the USA).

Showing that the fight for women’s rights started much earlier than the Seneca Falls, New York convention of 1848, with Women’s Right to Vote Kate Messner focuses on much concerning the women’s suffrage movement (in the United States) that is often overlooked or just mentioned as asides, showcases that there actually were many American suffragists aside from Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and that unfortunately, that sadly, far far too many Caucasian American women’s voting rights champions generally seemed to consider that being legally allowed to vote should only be granted to educated White and especially not to African American women. And indeed, I do very much appreciate how Women’s Right to Vote does not shy away from pointing out that many of the most famous and most respected heroines of the battle for women gaining the right to vote in the USA (including the mentioned above Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton) could and likely should be considered as being racially intolerant regarding who, regarding which women should be allowed suffrage (albeit fortunately, Kate Messner also in my humble opinion never loses track in Women’s Right to Vote of the fact that racism notwithstanding, it still needs be celebrated and honoured how Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Anna Howard Shaw, Alice Paul, Carrie Chapmam Catt, Lucy Burns et al struggled and relentlessly fought for women’s rights and for women’s suffrage, but yes, also with no annoying and problematic whitewashing being engaged in and used to make excuses by the author, and while I am glad that Messner textually shows how African American suffragists started their own clubs and also fought long and hard for women’s rights, including the right to vote, it sure makes me personally livid how little support from the majority of Caucasian American feminists they seem to have received and it thus also makes me extremely happy that in Women’s Right to Vote Kate Messner points this out and also very specifically drops names and with criticism and condemnation shames).

With a readable and appealingly approachable narrative accompanied by Dylan Meconis’ graphic novel interludes and fun, engaging illustrations, with included photographs as well as sidebars presenting various additional points of interest, all this, combined with the detailed bibliographic sources and suggestions of books and websites for further reading and study Messner is providing, it certainly and definitely makes Women’s Right to Vote solidly five stars for me and also very highly and warmly recommended for both at home and classroom use. But sadly, the book title itself and that Kate Messner even if very much justifiably so points out and includes issues of racism in Women’s Right to Vote and that in the United States, fighting for women’s voting rights was even by many of the suffragists themselves originally not at all meant for African American, Native American and other ethnic women, this unfortunately could and likely even will cause Women’s Voting Rights to be banned and considered as being Critical Race Theory by Social Conservative politicians (by extremist right wing morons and ignoramuses) in states like Texas, Florida, Alabama, Iowa, Missouri, Pennsylvania etc.

[Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a "history smasher" and SMASH hit! Messner draws readers into a conversation that unpacks the complexities (messiness and all) of this movement. While highlighting the powerful work of activists like Lucretia Mott and Susan B. Anthony, Messner does not shy away from harder conversations about how some activists wanted voting rights for ALL Americans and some activists believed new voting rights should be reserved for educated white women. (And this harder conversation is not a sidebar in the book; instead it is a theme throughout the book. Thank you, Kate!)

Messner makes clear how this multi-decade endeavor clearly was difficult for all involved. And it became more dangerous towards the end when activists were jailed and beaten but kept showing up to picket in front of the White House for what must have seemed like forever to President Wilson (who finally capitulated). Then after the amendment

Middle grade readers will be drawn to Messner's voice. Take a listen -

--It seems like such a good idea, doesn't it? How could anyone argue with that? But... p. 38

--That may seem hard to understand. Why would anybody argue against their own right to vote? But in those days, the idea of women being involved in politics was new and scary to people. p. 58

--Black women who wanted to attend were told they should march in their own group, in the back. As you can imagine, Black women thought that was a pretty crummy invitation. p. 97

While developing a narrative with juicy details, Messner also finds a way to clearly explain procedures like getting an amendment added to the constitution or calculating just how many senators present had to vote "yes" to win a two-thirds majority.

The layout and design is super student-friendly. Chapters are broken up with photographs from that period, funny cartoons illustrating a point, sidebars on interesting sub-topics like the demise of the pantaloon, and comic strips that are actually part of the narrative. There are also helpful graphics like one that illustrates the process for getting an amendment gets added to the constitution. All of these features support student readers in making sense of the complex times and process.

WITH STUDENTS I'd book talk this by reading aloud a few excerpts and projecting a few of the comic strips with a doc camera. Students who love history and others will surely grab this up to read.

I'd PUT THIS IN A TEXT SET WITH -
*Nancy Kennedy's Women Win the Vote!: 19 for the 19th Amendment (2020). This is an anthology of short high interest bios of suffragettes (that also includes the hard conversations). I read this prior to Messner's book and felt more prepared to make sense of the faster moving, longer narrative in History Smashers: Women's Right to Vote.
*Finish the Fight by Veronica Chambers; Chambers introduces the women of the Native American nation Haudenosaunee in which women were the leaders, making important decisions for their peoples. Many of the suffragettes visited this group before they began the movement at Seneca Falls!

[Sierra Dertinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic installment in the History Smashers series! What I thoroughly enjoy is that this series teaches our students/children that everything we read in history books is not always as it seems, or necessarily true. History isn't just easy facts to remember. I mean, think about reality. You don't just accomplish a goal in a single day. There are ups-and-downs, times where we need to revise/rework/redo... sometimes from scratch. This book teaches kids that Susan B. Anthony wasn't the only one to help amend the constitution in favor of women's rights. In fact, there were MANY women, and even men, who helped do so. It took a lot longer than one may think, too.

Other than the fact that this book debunks many of the half-truths we come to know nowadays, it shows the truth about racism, intersectionality, and clearly the differences of views many people had during this era. This is not what you read in textbooks now, so I appreciate that this is depicted in the History Smasher series.

Again, there are wonderful illustrations, comics, side panels, artifacts, and more embedded throughout this book that makes it even more engaging for young readers. I cannot wait to share this with my students and our school.

[Keena Presnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book in one day. I can’t believe how many heroes have gone largely unnoticed by history. I am so grateful for the reexamination of women’s suffrage in tandem with black women’s suffrage, it’s heartbreaking and I can only hope white America has learned it’s lesson. I see so many similarities between the Black Lives Matter movement and this historical account that it makes me see the urgency of today and the violence and passion of yesterday

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's/Random House Books for Young Readers for sharing an eARC with me in exchange for an honest review. My sixth graders love history books and I am so glad that more nonfiction books are being written with their audience in mind. Kate Messner tells the history of women's fight for the right to vote in a very understanding manner. She states what has been taught, what has been left out, and what to do to make sure you get the full story in history. I liked the illustrations and I know my students will be drawn to those as well. I look forward to reading the other History Smashers books.

[Chan Fry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was pretty impressive. First, my 11-year-old daughter read it, and liked it so much that she asked me to read it. I liked it so much that I’ll recommend it to anyone. Though clearly aimed at children (I think the phrasing and word choices makes this obvious), plenty of adults could benefit from it to. It isn’t “dumbed down”, and is in fact quite a thorough look at the women’s suffrage movement in the United States.

(A somewhat longer review is on my website.)

[Cara (Wilde Book Garden) · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most intersectional, inclusive, and clear sources on the American women’s suffrage movement I’ve come across - proving once again the wonderful quality of books for younger readers!

CW: Racism, misogyny, incarceration, hunger strikes, references to: lynching, abuse, violence

[Summer Meyers · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited about this book. I am a huge fan of Kate Messner, and when I saw her History Smashers series it was a no brainer to pick it up and figure out which kid would read it for homeschooling next year. I'm putting together our personal reading list and it is a process.

I had quite a few problems with this book. First, the writing was not as spectacular as I am use to for Messner's books. It read disjointed, had a lot of intro to main players only to drop them after a paragraph or two, and it was rather dry. The cartoons are fun and engaging, but it was not enough to carry the writing.
There is also a lot of subtle narrative in here that I did not appreciate. The police are out to get you if you shake the norm really bothered me, because it does the absolute opposite of encouraging trust and community development. Something that police departments across the United States do as part of outreach programs in schools. This is an important effort and books like this undermine that effort.
And also not so subtle narrative. Racism absolutely played a role in the suffragist movement, but it could be argued that racism played in pretty much every part of American history. Should it be written out? Absolutely not, but to brand all these women as racists in a children's narrative is not right either. As a middle schooler and high schooler you are familiar enough with history to have an intelligent dialogue about race and the nuances to it. You cannot do that when you are an 8 year old third grader which is the targeted audience for this book. I know Messner is a better writer then this. I think it was rather heavy handed and could have been approached better.

ALSO. There is, in almost the exact center of the book, a two page mention of romantic relationships some of the women had with each other. I am a dyed blue liberal democrat, and I have conversations with all my children about different family units and relationships. I am not squeamish when it comes to LGBTQ+. The thing is, I know families who approach teaching their children differently and are constantly harping at me about the "liberal agenda". Usually I can roll my eyes at this, but this book proves their point. If she had something mentioned in the table of contents, or mention in the glossary OR SOMETHING, than it wouldn't bother me. The fact that it is hidden, and that as a parent you have to read it closely to find it, makes it look like it was done intentionally. This drives me up the wall. Either you are trying to make a point, or you are trying to sell books, take your pick.

Ugh, after writing this review I am even more disgusted. Just irritated. I went looking at other reviews and this book is pretty much all four and five stars. From what I could see, no one else had the problems I am having. Maybe I shelter my children too closely, but I think its important as an educator and a parent that these sorts of things are listed out to make intelligent decisions on what their children should read.

[Mary Bronson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me have an ARC so I may read it and give my honest opinion.

Kate Messner has done it again with another great History Smashers book. I love how she takes the myths and some facts we are told when we are kids in school. Everything I read in here I did not learn until college. It is such an eye opener for so many people who believe in the women rights and how women have accomplished so much, but with lots of fault along the way. We see lots of women like Susan B. Anthony in a different light. How she was only fighting for the voting rights for white women. In grade school no one really knows about how racist a lot of the women suffragettes were. I also liked how Kate Messner talks about the black women who started their own women clubs to help the black women get the right to vote. I think this story needs to be on library and school shelves for everyone to read. Even adults should read this and get inspired to read more about the true history of the women's right movement.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
Messner brings readers through the true history of this movement. She shares the information through simple to follow narrative for middle grade readers. The women involved are presented as real - faults and all. Messner does not shy away from the racist attitudes of so many of the leaders. She also presents the other organizations who fought for voting rights for all people. The book finishes with current information as civil rights battles continue. A timeline of the women's rights movement is presented at the end of the book.
This series provides opportunities for discussion in classes or families. The books serve as springboards to explore further.

[Mrs. Schonour · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must for everyone! All Americans should know about the fight for equal rights. This book is a mix of graphic novel, first person accounts, historical letters, and biographies. It's appealing to everyone from middle grade readers to adults.

[Isla McKetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

A maddening book in all the right ways. I'm so glad I read it, that my 8yo wanted me to. He did say that this book was more complex to read than others in the series (hence asking for my help).

[Jennifer Noonan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a perfect fit for Kate Messner to write this non-fiction series. She is SO good and taking real life issues and bringing them to middle graders in an age appropriate way. Fans of the Who Was/What Was series who are ready for a deeper dive into historical moments will enjoy this and others in the series.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big fan of Kate Messner's writing and women's history, so I was excited to read this History Smashers book. The first third to half of the book covered events I was already familiar with, so not too many surprises there. But things got a lot more interesting in the latter half of the book as Messner described divisions in the movement over race and other issues, setbacks the women faced as their opponents pushed back against the suffrage movement, and interesting little details about the men who voted in support of the 19th amendment. Anyone who thinks suffragists were proper mild-mannered women will have those illusions shattered as they learn about hunger strikes, stints in jail, and more. These women were bad=@$$ but many were also flawed in their attitudes towards race or each other. A fascinating read, especially the "yearbook" of lesser-known suffragists in the back matter. The back matter also connects to the present day as Messner explains continuing issues around voter rights and women's advances in politics.

[Kip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. So many details I didn't know!

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really disappointed in this book. I was hoping it would give a better overview of the history of women’s suffrage in the US in easier terms for children. While it did contextualize that for children there were some parts that made my inner historian cringe. The one thing that got me the most was that the author mentioned Mary Wollstonecraft’s ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Woman’ and did not make the connection to the French Revolution. I thought that was a missed opportunity to show the connections between countries and the rights for women. I might put this book in my classroom for students to read just so they are exposed to the content, but then I would recommend other books for a more thorough discussion.

[Andee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting a kid interested in history isn't the easiest thing in the world. The Women's right to vote isn't the most popular topic (though it SHOULD be). Kate Messner brings the story to a 3rd grade level and makes it enjoyable for any age to read. The added comics and graphic illustrations interspersed throughout are helpful in keeping attention. I love this topic and I learned a ton.

Who lives, who dies, who tells your story? Wonder why Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton are the 2 names that pop up when talking about women's suffrage? The literally wrote the book, even before the 19th amendment was passed. Many women were integral in fighting for the right to vote. Messner gives us a yearbook of names important to remember.

Living in Portland and watching nightly protests on the local news, I wonder how anyone knowing America's history can nay-say this first amendment right. Sure enough, suffragettes went through hell to get that right to vote. We all need to read this book to remind ourselves how America got to be America...and why people are protesting to ensure liberty and justice for all.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe this book level is higher than the ranking it is given. I enjoyed learning some things, but I also felt that it was not written from a neutral voice. I felt swayed to think certain ways about some issues. My expectations for this series were very high, so with this being the first one I’ve read, I will read another to see if those expectations might be met.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick, when did the US pass the 19th Amendment and what does that Amendment do?

Yes, it has been 100 years since the US gave the right to vote to women, but not all women, of course, no that would be far too easy.

The way I was taught about this in school, back in the 60s and 70s, the right to vote was a gift to the women for their help in World War I, as though that was their reward for all the hard work they did.

Yeah right, as though the government every gave its citizens anything without a fight.

And this book gets into the nitty gritty of it all. We learn what racists these White women were who were first fighting for the end of slavery, and then turning around and saying that Black men should not get the right to vote before they did. Nor should Black women. Nor should recent immigrants who were less desirable, and from Eastern Europe. It is amazing how so many of these great women had such hatred in them.

This book, written at the middle-grade level is very clear on what was really going on, because history should not be so cleaned up that we miss the evils that our previous generations did. This book also covers the Black women who fought for voting rights, that are often ignored. Most people know about Susan B. Anthony, but how many know About Ida B. Wells.

And for those who wonder why the women in congress often dress in white when protesting things, it is because white was the color that the women suffragists wore when protesting.

Great book. Should be used in classrooms, if we ever have gatherings of students again. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Wendy Gardiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This informative book dispels myths and disrupts sanitized versions of history in favor of a much more raw, nuanced, complex detailing of women's suffrage and the ratification of the 19th amendment. Using graphic elements, creative formatting, and a straightforward writing style, Messner makes complex topics vivid, accessible, interesting, and age appropriate-yet never watered down. Messner doesn't stop there, she continues to trace voting rights (and voter suppression) to current times with a powerful and satisfying ending.

[Danielle Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well researched book that can help teach readers about the path to women having the right to vote!
I remember learning a lot of these facts in school, but even still, I learned a lot from the book. It's written in a way that is easy to understand, and is formatted in a way that keeps readers' interest. I don't typically enjoy reading about history, but this book held my attention throughout.



Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for providing me with a free digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review ♡

[Cassie Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I was so excited to read this edition of History Smashers after reading the Mayflower one. I love that it is a non-fiction multimodal novel - part graphic novel, part prose. You can really tell that Messner did a lot of research to tell the factual story of the journey of women's right to vote, including the not so great parts of it. So many half-truths were exposed as well as the racism that existed in this journey. I think it is so important for us to see that what we learned in history class wasn't always "the whole truth". That is one of the big things I appreciate about Messner's History Smashers series.

This is such an interesting read, and can easily be done in one sitting. I can see these novels being the same for my students who love history, too. I cannot wait to read the Pearl Harbor edition soon and share these awesome books with my students!

[Dawn Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

History Smashers: Women’s Right to Vote by Kate Messner
Book Review by Dawn Thomas

229 Pages
Publisher: Random House Children’s
Release Date: July 7, 2020

Children’s Nonfiction, History

What a great book to honor the 100th anniversary for women’s right to vote. Abigail Adams first brought the subject up in 1776 to her husband John Adams. It seemed the only people allowed to vote were white males who owned property. The Constitution states that people have the right to vote but leaves it up to individual states to decide the definition of a “person.” Although one state allowed everyone to vote, they decided in 1807 that did not include women. It would take over a hundred years for them to be able to vote again.

Although this book is geared towards children, it’s easy to read format can be enjoyed by adults. There was information on women that were for women’s rights that were new to me. I appreciate the no-nonsense facts that are presented in the book. It clears up myths and falsehoods. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to learn more about the subject of women’s right to vote.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I requested it to review on NetGalley because I’m always looking for narrative nonfiction in a wide range of ability levels for my students. This is a book written at a lower reading level than most of my students need, but I liked that the ideas and concepts weren’t watered or dumber down. In fact, this book cuts through the half-truths most of us are taught about women’s suffrage and lays out the truth about racism, flawed heroes, and intersectionality. It’s written simply and clearly, but without pulling punches or underestimating a modern kid’s ability to tackle complex topics. The illustrations and comic panels help bring the subject to life. I’m looking forward to bringing this and other titles in this series to my library when they’re available to purchase.

[Kelly Boggs · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is simply written and tells about the timeline of the fight for women’s suffrage I’m the US. I feel it makes some opinions sound like truth at times and paints leaders in a poor light. I think some groups of people are labeled as one thing. It also says that many suffragists were queer because many women chose to live together and fight for the cause. Not sure the research on this. It does cause me to want to dig deeper into the claim as well as racism amongst the leaders.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was quite a bit of name-dropping in this. So-and-so and this other person and that person too. Because of that, it wasn't quite as easy to read as the Mayflower History Smashers, but it was still fun to read as an adult.

[Book-Bosomed blog · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not in favor of the prevalent practice of white-washing history. Too many social studies textbooks are filled with everything from “creative” phrasing, blatant omissions, and even outright lies all to make our ancestors, leaders, and historical “heroes” come across as noble and with humanities best interest at heart. And while I think the goal here was to produce something on the women’s suffrage movement that rises above those practices, it misses the mark as much as it misses needed explanation of patriarchy and social change, concepts, to name a few, the text never addresses.

Instead of educating young readers ABOUT women’s right to vote, it seems to spend more time telling them how to FEEL TOWARDS those women. The book ostensibly contends that the suffrage movement was led by racists, bigots, and xenophobes who held back the movement’s goal. While I’m not discounting that some of the women during this time expressed views and sentiments not acceptable today, I did not feel that the book did the issues proper justice either nor did it include enough primary sources in full context, proper historical background, and discussion of social conditions. History does not happen in a bubble.

For the most part, this book just doesn’t adequately present, teach, or capture the women’s suffrage movement. And it definitely doesn’t inspire. In the place of relevant details and explanations is a heavy-handedness to the discussion of race. For example, when detailing the Wilson parade where there was disagreement about the position and participation of black women, the book remarks: “but like the rest of the movement, the event was marked by racism”(97). Young readers are presumably expected to view history through a modern lens because no historical context is provided. No mention that this event [the parade] is occurring 42 years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus, 41 years before Brown vs. Board of Education, and almost 16 years before iconic Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. is even born! Some significant teaching moments are lost.

The narrative even goes as far as to blame the oppressed women for their own oppression! “Why weren’t things happening faster? Maybe it was time to stop being so proper and ladylike all the time. And maybe it was time to include more voices” chapter five naively and immaturely contends (85). Yes, the fight for voting rights was decades long and the women activists were not always a cohesive harmonious group of groups (they differed on strategies, ideologies, and priorities; it wasn’t always about race), but to suggest that they were impeding their own progress is a grave injustice that ignores not only the multitude of factors working against them including the white men who held all the real power, but also the fact that gender studies programs that deconstruct feminine ideals and words like “ladylike” were decades away!

Overall, the tone of the narrative is off-putting, riddled with finger pointing, bias, and name calling. Women pitted against women and white women pitted against black men creates a Jerry Springer kind of storytelling that ignores the real struggles they all faced and belittles the high stakes. Rarely does the narrative look beyond the surface and question who stood to gain from dividing two marginalized and disenfranchised minority groups that working together were a more formidable foe than separately. And thus, I got a strong sense that this narrative was trying to feed into divisiveness rather than help young readers understand it. If nothing else, it indulges in misdirection in many places and doesn’t always tell the whole story. And that lowers the academic value of the book. (As did the fact that in the “math” chapter it gets a noticeable date/timeline wrong.) There are just too many places where more substance and in-depth explanation is needed.

It’s also worth noting that the crude and unflattering illustrations (of women from Susan B. Anthony to Michelle Obama) that look more like caricatures despite the availability of photographs only further serves to diminish the seriousness of the issues and demean the women who worked so hard for young girls reading this book today to have rights and opportunities that didn’t exist not so long ago.

My daughter got this book as part of a summer reading program. Thankfully we have other books on the topic on our shelves to compensate. I can’t honestly recommend using this one. There are others out there that do a better job of presentation on the subject.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. Kate Messner tackles "traditional, known, established" history and -- just like the series title suggests -- smashes it to pieces. Not by erasing the established story, but by adding context and additional pieces of information. In this case the smashing consisted largely of reminding the reader that the shining white suffragettes who succeeded in getting votes for women did so frequently at the expense of lower class and non-white citizens. Their tireless activism did not change, but instead of a few lone warriors, all of a sudden there are many tireless activists, of many classes and colors and philosophies. Messner also does a good job at conveying how the process to obtain voting rights was not straightforward or all progress. There were setbacks, reversals, in-fighting, and outside challenges.

Messner does a really good job of portraying legendary history heroes in a more human light -- exposing their flaws without diminishing the work they did. These voting rights heroes were indeed amazing, but frequently played upon racist feelings to get what they wanted. And I appreciate this portrayal. Overall this book was inspiring, because I don't have to be perfect in order to be an activist, and I don't have to do it alone. Voting rights came about due to sustained action on the part of hundreds and thousands of people, over the course of many, many years. The diplomats were a necessary part of the process, as were the firebrands.

History is made up of compelling, fascinating stories, and this series (at least the two I've read so far) is smashing at telling these stories.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent series. This one was particularly hard to read because I was so disgusted by the racism of so many of the white women. Which was perpetrated, along with other distortions, in the traditional source text, The History Of Woman Suffrage: in Six Volumes .

I really appreciated learning that Sojourner Truth was educated and didn't speak in the dialect misquoted in the versions of her "Ain't I a Woman" speech. She had not been a slave, either, and in fact grew up in New York speaking Dutch, so she was actually more bilingual. Dang.

The Bostonians is a novel that I'd like to look at, as the source for the term "Boston Marriage."

Recommended to all learning history for the first time, and all of us older folks who were mistaught so much. Includes bibliography and other back matter.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as jaunty as the Mayflower one, because there aren't as many myths to dispel. Still, I enjoyed this kid-eye view of American women's suffrage, which hits the highlights and doesn't back away from the racism of many of its leaders, while also making sure to include the contributions of all women. I liked the end-of-chapter mini-biographies which crop up periodically, since many of those were names I don't hear much (or ever before!). It also discusses why people, including women, would not support universal suffrage, although most of the reasons are not flattering.

Actually, I think the myth-busting is a bit wasted on the young, since many of them haven't even learned the wrong history yet. So this works really well. It's a bit of a liberal text, as it takes as a given that racism and sexism is wrong, that that it is odd and wrong to *not* want women and Blacks to vote. It's sad this nowadays this somehow a bit of a partisan statement.