She Spoke: 14 Women Who Raised Their Voices and Changed the World

This collection of 14 half-page biographies of brave, influential women includes sound clips that readers can hear by pressing picture icons. Among the subjects are Maya Angelou, Shirley Chisholm, activist Dolores Huerta, and Sonia Sotomayor. The authors invite readers to become inspired and “speak up” themselves. Regarding social worker and activist Leymah Gbowee, they write: “Leymah’s work for peace really took off when she shared her dream with other women. What is your dream? How can you share it with others?” The creators offer an appealing package with the book’s puffy cover, interactive features, and Honesta’s vibrant portraiture, though the sound panel, usually seen in books for much younger readers, feels like an odd choice. The selected women represent only a tiny fraction of outspoken women from history, but the authors’ selections are sound and serve as an invitation to readers to discover more. Ages 8–12.[em] (Mar.) [/em]