She Persisted: Margaret Chase Smith

She Persisted

by Ruby Shamir, Chelsea Clinton, Alexandra Boiger (Illustrations)

Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, a chapter book series about women who stood up, spoke up and rose up against the odds--including Margaret Chase Smith!

In this chapter book biography by award-winning author Ruby Shamir, readers learn about the amazing life of Margaret Chase Smith--and how she persisted . 
 
Margaret Chase Smith liked to help people, and she knew she could do that as a member of Congress. She became the first woman to serve in both the House and the Senate, where she supported the space program and more opportunities for women. Her hard work and success helped pave the way for generations of women after her to run for office!

Complete with an introduction from Chelsea Clinton and a list of ways that readers can follow in Margaret Chase Smith's footsteps and make a difference! A perfect choice for kids who love learning and teachers who want to bring inspiring women into their curriculum.
 
And don’t miss out on the rest of the books in the She Persisted series, featuring so many more women who persisted, including Sonia Sotomayor, Sally Ride, and more!
 
Praise for She Margaret Chase Smith :
 
"Gives readers excellent reasons to remember this pioneering woman politician." -- Kirkus Reviews

"An important addition to the biography section of any library." -- School Library Journal

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Politics, Childrens

80 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2021

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited at the idea of this series. However, the writing is only fair, with some facts presented several times and others presented not at all. Was Margaret Chase Smith upset at her husband dying? Not that you could tell from this book. I know some of what she did but what made her Republican? Did she have kids? Why not if that was what all women did? I got the impression she supported the military. Did she also help vets? What else interested her? What committees did she serve on? I realize I am expecting a lot from a book written on the 3rd/4th grade level but that is exactly what is needed in addition to biographies on these women. To sum up: I now know what Chase did. I don’t know who she was. Recommended until a better series comes along. I’ll likely read others so as to learn more about these women.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first woman to be elected as a Representative and a Senator, Margaret Chase Smith seemed to have regarded her role as an elected official as one whose purpose was to help others. In this addition to the She Persisted chapter book series, readers learn about her formative years, her involvement with her husband's election campaign, and her own subsequent election. It's hard not to be impressed with her independent mindedness and her willingness to stand up for what is right, even chastising Joseph McCarthy for his witch hunt. Young readers may be surprised to learn about how she refused to mount a Presidential campaign dependent on huge donations and how she had her chair put on blocks so that she didn't seem small compared to her male colleagues. Women at that time were often diminished and marginalized, and Margaret Chase Smith never let their attitude keep her down. She was a groundbreaker in many different ways, leading the way for girls and women of today to become involved in politics and run for elected office. This is another good addition to the series, reminding readers to persist no matter what others may say or think about them and their place in the world.

[Casey (ish-i-ness)]

I came across this series accidentally. I’m glad to see people who have persisted against discrimination and injustice who were able to push themselves, able to maintain their energy and resiliency through constant attempts to derail them, BUT, reading just gave me a ton of anxiety. It shouldn’t be this hard. I think it’s actually harder to achieve things like this today than it was when Margaret was working. So I come away grateful that someone was able to overcome challenges in the past, but I despair that anyone will be able to do it today without a huge amount of support from a community or family, which is something that is becoming increasingly rare.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Embarrassingly I didn't recognize Margaret Chase Smith's name. Or maybe I shouldn't be personally embarassed, but rather embarassed of our society that neglects or erases the stories of anyone but cis white men, which is why the books in this series are necessary.

One of the most striking things to me in this book was how Margaret Chase Smith stood up to McCarthy.

Again, understandable with the simplification to make this a children's book, but at times this was a little cringey in terms of white feminism/women can do anything a man can do and advance if they just work 2x harder and are 2x better vs maybe the system made by men for men is trash and ahojld be changed 😂

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Philomel Books through Edelweiss+.
Part of the She Persisted biography series.
Shamir captures Chase Smith's spirit and passion as she shares about her life for younger readers. They see Margaret's childhood commitment to being independent and watch as she carries that spirit forward through a variety of jobs and roles culminating in being a US Senator and running for President. The text is easy to comprehend and the illustrations offer further details.
I appreciate the portion offering tips and information to readers to pursue their own dreams and passions.

[Rubi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A woman ahead of her time!

Wow, Margaret was sure a different kind of girl. Instead of playing she wanted WORK! And as a teen that work ethic contintued all the way into her married life and work as a politician!
A woman in politics and one that stood up to corruption? She sure was ahead of her time and obviously gained the trust of her voters. Her work pathing the way for other woman to join congress. Amazing 👏👏👏

[Mary Keen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was interested to learn more after attending a "Readers' Theater" about MCS and her male assistant, and supporter, later more intense than that probably.

The whole production was well-done and very interesting. I learned a lot about her and her long career after her much older husband died.

She was most famous for confronting Eugene McCarthy for his strident anti-communist campaigns which ruined many lives!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Margaret Chase Smith was the first female nominated for president by a major party in 1964. Leading up to that though she climbed her way through Congress and stood up against adversity again and again. Another early chapter biography to encourage young girls AND boys that women can do more and more as they persist.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

The She Persisted mini chapter book biography series are perfect for elementary and intermediate age students interested in learning about the featured person for an assignment or just for an informative read about important women in history. This edition about Margaret Chase Smith, is well written and made me want to learn more, which is exactly what these introductory stories should be.

[Ellon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favorite of the series (that's I've read so far)! I didn't know too much about Smith before reading the book and Shamir made it very engaging and uplifting. Will definitely be purchasing for my school library.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a champion for women in politics. She was the first woman to serve in both the House and the Senate. She was a people person and knew how to listen and serve the people. Children will enjoy reading.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet, inspiring story about one of my heroes. I highly recommend it for kids (and adults) of
any gender.

[Bunmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring read!

[Danica is Booked · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written book about a pioneering wman. Author explains all the 'olden day' facts so as to be clear to modern kids.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I love most about this She Persisted chapter book series, besides reading it along side my older son, is that I learn about these fantastic women from our country's history that I have never heard of or I didn't know much about their lives before they became "famous." I had heard the name Margaret Chase Smith, but I honestly didn't know anything about her early life and how she eventually became the first woman elected to serve in both houses of Congress. And she was the first woman to represent Maine. She was certainly always a strong and independent woman, but it wasn't until her husband fell ill and she ended up winning the election and taking over his House seat that she started to make a difference. Her powerful legacy lives on and she is honored by being inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame, as well as having a postage stamp, several bridges, and a ferry boat named after her. And of course her political legacy lives on.