Gr 6-Up-Throughout American history, women have worked for political reform, and Morin introduces eight of them: Abigail Foster, an abolitionist and activist for the voting rights of African Americans and women; Frances Willard, an educator, founder of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, and a leader in the women's suffrage movement; and Ida Wells-Barnett, a journalist and anti-lynching crusader. Also included are Carrie Chapman Catt, president of the National Women's Suffrage Association and a genius of political strategy; Molly Dewson, an advisor to Franklin D. Roosevelt; Pauli Murray, the first African American to receive a Doctorate of Juridical Science degree from Yale; Fannie Lou Hammer, an influential nonviolent activist in the civil rights movement; and Gloria Steinem, the founder of Ms. magazine. Discussions of these political leaders are clear and thorough, but somewhat dense; a great deal of information is packed into each short chapter. The book includes black-and-white photos of the featured women and other figures of the times. There is some overlap between this book and the lively ``Contributions of Women'' series and Nancy Levinson's The First Women Who Spoke Out (1983; o.p., both Dillon).-Rebecca O'Connell, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Morin profiles eight notable American women who are not officeholders or women "firsts" but, rather, well- and not-so-well-known political activists for specific causes. Abby Kelly Foster "was considered a troublemaker" as she crusaded tirelessly for abolition and then later for the Fifteenth Amendment. As a young woman, temperance leader Frances Willard wrote of her desire to "earn my own living, fight my own battles, and be a felt force in the world." The others include Ida Wells-Barnett, Pauli Murray, and Fannie Lou Hamer from the civil rights arena; Carrie Chapman Catt, a voice for woman suffrage; Molly Dewson, a twentieth-century advocate for women's political voices; and feminist leader Gloria Steinem. The individual vignettes stand well on their own and give a good sense of the times that flavored each woman's crusade. Coverage of contemporary issues is fairly well balanced. An ample selection of black-and-white photographs complements the strong narrative. Report writers will find this an especially good source. Historical events timetable; bibliography.
