Grade 6-10?Bolden presents 10 African-American women who have made significant contributions to American life in spite of racial and gender barriers. Many of the individuals profiled are well known, but some of the lesser-known subjects' stories also make for inspiring reading. Bolden tells of Ellen Craft and her husband, who escaped from slavery by posing as a sickly young man and his slave. One of the most unusual women included is Mary Fields, a courageous woman who traveled alone to the Montana Territory in the 1880s. Rough and often vulgar, she dressed in men's clothing and worked at jobs ranging from light construction to carrying the U.S. mail by wagon and stagecoach. Other figures include Charlotte Forten Grimke, Ida B. Wells, Mary McLeod Bethune, Clara Hale, Leontyne Price, Toni Morrison, Mae C. Jemison, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee. The writing is clear and compelling. While these biographical sketches are interesting and provocative enough to attract recreational readers, the primary use for such a title would be research. However, although a selected bibliography is included, Bolden's writing is generally not well documented, particularly the speculations about the women's feelings. Each profile is accompanied by a black-and-white photograph. A selection of briefer profiles follows the text.?Sylvia V. Meisner, Allen Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 6^-9. Bolden presents biographical sketches of 10 African American women, including such famous names as Ida B. Wells, Mary McLeod Bethune, Toni Morrison, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee. She writes easily and confidently about her subjects, several of whom made important contributions to the civil rights movement, and her compelling stories read like fiction, with dynamic protagonists who are portrayed as ordinary women doing extraordinary things rather than unbelievable heroines who can do no wrong. With the possible exception of the colorful Mary Fields, whose biography begins, "She was a 6-foot, 200-pound, cigar-smoking, whiskey-drinking, gun-totin' pioneer who settled her arguments with her fists, and once in a while with a six gun," the women are fine role models for youngsters of any race or gender, and their actions repeatedly convey the message that with hard work and dedication, every door can be opened. Bibliography. Lauren Peterson
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