What Makes Girls Sick and Tired

Written by Lucile de Pesloüan

Illustrated by Geneviève Darling

Second Story Press

978-1-77260-096-4

48 pp.

Ages 12-18

March 2019

I know last Friday was International Women's Day. I was certainly flooded with notices about books celebrating women and their day. But I didn't want to post this review on that day because I didn't want it to get lost in that flood. I think What Makes Girls Sick and Tired deserves to be recognized beyond that day as all women should be.

The girl's frustrated look on the cover says everything about What Makes Girls Sick and Tired. She certainly looks disgusted and weary and, with the plethora of problematic situations which girls must endure, it's no surprise.

From What Makes Girls Sick and Tired by Lucile de Pesloüan, illus. by Geneviève Darling

From how girls are told they should behave and how their societies and cultures treat them, any compassionate human should cringe. Lucile de Pesloüan is candid about how women are treated and the unrealistic and ridiculous expectations settled upon them. From domestic roles and judgements placed upon them to emphasize their appearance and not their substance, women are regularly faced with discrimination and criticism. Worse yet, Lucile de Pesloüan shares devastating stats from the likes of the United Nations UNITE Campaign and the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2017 about inequities in wages, vulnerabilities in war and with illness, and more. For those who don't believe that injustices are levelled against girls and women, the numbers don't lie.

From What Makes Girls Sick and Tired by Lucile de Pesloüan, illus. by Geneviève Darling

In graphics of faded lavender, a little grittier than the pinkish purple of the floral, Montreal artist Geneviève Darling provides unique visuals that depict all women. Women of different ages, shapes, colour, relationships, cultures, and circumstance. Everyone is here. She makes sure to ensure inclusivity and diversity. By representing everyone, girls can see their story within, even if those stories are uncomfortable or troubling.

Girls are sick and tired because sexism affects everyone, every day, in ways that are both obvious and subtle and both simple and complex. (pg. 2)

And that's why girls are sick and tired and why they have every right to be.

From What Makes Girls Sick and Tired by Lucile de Pesloüan, illus. by Geneviève Darling

Girls are less sick and tired when they are encouraging, supportive, and united in solidarity with one another. It's one of the best parts of feminism.  (pg. 47)

Here's hoping that every day there will be fewer and fewer girls who have reason to be sick and tired. What Makes Girls Sick and Tired is a fair and equitable portrayal that makes a great start at informing the world.

As a Boy

by Plan International

Second Story Press

98-1-77260-016-2

24 pp.

Ages 5-9

September 2016

I don’t know why we always seem to set up competitions between boys and girls, or separate them into teams that are boys versus girls.  There may be pockets (sometimes very large ones) around the world that feel the need to treat boys and girls differently and separately, justifying that attitude with archaic ideas from religion or culture.  But As a Boy, which launches today, demonstrates that boys can be just as supportive of girls’ rights as girls have needed to be and the book does so in a superbly photographed fashion with simple but prophetic statements of encouragement and defense.

Beginning with a cheerful spread of a dozen photos of babies whose gender is impossible to discern, As a Boy recognizes that being a boy or a girl is simply a matter of chance.  For the boys, choices will be both presumed and provided as opportunities.  While there are opportunities that boys are very fortunate to have, like education, it’s not all glory as there are expectations to being a man.  However, the boys in these photographs from across the globe, photos of boys with other boys, with girls, as fathers, as brothers and sons, recognize that all children need “to be free to choose what they want to be” (pg. 17) and that “As boys, we can stand up for everyone” (pg. 23). What a powerful message of advocacy for the rights of all to choose.

Perhaps a companion book to Plan International’s earlier Because I am a Girl: I Can Change the World (Second Story Press, 2014) or Every Day is Malala Day (Second Story Press, 2014), As a Boy has its own lesson of advocacy to share.  The message is dominant but it wouldn’t have the impact it does if not for the diversity of photographs taken of babies, boys, girls, and families from around the world.  Every child is here, as they should be, given the opportunity to shine with life and chances and choices.  As a Boy lets the world know that this is the way it should be.

YoungCanLit for International Women's Day (March 8)

As important as it was for me to put together this list of youngCanLit titles relevant to International Women’s Day,  it was a difficult list to compile.  There are numerous books of youngCanLit in which girls and women are able to achieve extraordinary accomplishments or are strong, determined characters who are great role models for young readers.  Like Dave Whamond’s Oddrey (Owlkids, 2012) or Caroline Pignat’s Phoebe from The Gospel Truth (Red Deer Press, 2014). But, for International Women’s Day, I focused on those books whose characters or biographical emphases are on girls and women who have had to overcome much because of their gender or were able to accomplish much in spite of their gender.  These are their stories and those that need telling.


PICTURE BOOKS

Gift Days
Written by Kari-Lynn Winters
Illustrated by Stephen Taylor
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 7+
2012
Reviewed here

The Highest Number in the World
Written by Roy MacGregor
Illustrated by Geneviève Després
Tundra Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2014

The Paper Bag Princess
Written by Robert Munsch
Illustrated by Michael Martchenko
Annick Press
28 pp.
Ages 4+
1981

When Mama Goes to Work
Written by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Illustrated by Jessica Phillips
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 1-5
2013
Reviewed here



FICTION & YOUNG ADULT

Abby’s Fabulous Season
Written by Alain M. Bergeron
Translated by Chantel Bilodeau
Second Story Press
300 pp.
Ages 8-11
2014

Born Ugly
Written by Beth Goobie
Red Deer Press
270 pp.
Ages 14+
2011

The Breadwinner
Written by Deborah Ellis
Groundwood Books
176 pp.
Ages 10-14
2000/2015

The Farmerettes
Written by Gisela Tobien Sherman
Second Story Press
348 pp.
Ages 12+
2015

The Girls They Left Behind
Written by Bernice Thurman Hunter
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
191 pp.
Ages 12-15
2005

Jane, the Fox and Me
Written by Fanny Britt
Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
Translated by Christelle Morelli and Susan Ouriou
Groundwood Books
104 pp.
Ages 10-16
2013

Lily and Taylor
Written by Elise Moser
Groundwood Books
224 pp.
Ages 14+
2013
Reviewed here

Moon at Nine
Written by Deborah Ellis
Pajama Press
224 pp.
Ages 14+
2014
Reviewed here

My Book of Life by Angel
Written by Martine Leavitt
Groundwood Books
246 pp.
Ages 14+
2012
Reviewed here

No Ordinary Day

Written by Deborah Ellis
Groundwood Books

160 pp.
Ages 9-12
2011
Reviewed here

The Paper House
Written by Lois Peterson
Orca Book Publishers
108 pp.
Ages 8-11
2012
Reviewed here

Stained
Written by Cheryl Rainfield
HMH Books for Young Readers
304 pp.
Ages 14+
2013
Reviewed here 

Straight Punch
Written by Monique Polak
Orca Book Publishers
256 pp.
Ages 13-16
2014

Susanna's Quill
Written by Julie Johnston
Tundra Books
327 pp.
Ages 13+
2004

Thunder Over Kandahar 
Written by Sharon E. McKay
Annick Press
260 pp.
Ages 12+
2010

Wanting Mor
Written by Rukhasana Khan
Groundwood Books
192 pp.
Ages 10-14
2009





NON-FICTION

Astonishing Women Artists (The Women’s Hall of Fame Series)
Written by Heather Ball
Second Story Press
120 pp.
Ages 9-13
2007

Because I am a Girl I Can Change the World
Written by Rosemary McCarney with Plan International
Second Story Press
32 pp.
Ages 7-12
2015

Canadian Girls Who Rocked the World 
Written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi
Illustrated by Tom Bagley
Walrus/Whitecap Books
120 pp.
Ages 9-11
2009

Courageous Women Rebels (The Women’s Hall of Fame Series)
Written by Joy Crysdale
Second Story Press
124 pp.
Ages 9-13
2013

Dazzling Women Designers (The Women’s Hall of Fame Series)
Written by Jill Bryant
Second Story Press
128 pp.
Ages 9-13
2010

Every Day is Malala Day
Written by Rosemary McCarney with Plan International
Second Story Press
32 pp.
Ages 7-12
2014
Reviewed here

Exceptional Women Environmentalists (The Women’s Hall of Fame Series)
Written by Frances Rooney
Second Story Press
120 pp.
Ages 9-13
2007

Extraordinary Women Explorers (The Women’s Hall of Fame Series)
Written by Frances Rooney
Second Story Press
118 pp.
Ages 9-13
2005

Fearless Female Journalists (The Women’s Hall of Fame Series)
Written by Joy Crysdale
Second Story Press
128 pp.
Ages 9-13
2010

girlSpoken: From Pen, Brush & Tongue
Edited by Jessica Hein. Heather Holland and Carol Kauppi
Second Story Press
201 pp.
Ages 12+
2007

Great Women From Our First Nations (The First Nations Series for Young Readers)
Written by Kelly Fournel
Second Story Press
84 pp.
Ages 9-13
2007

Great Women Leaders (The Women’s Hall of Fame Series)
Written by Heather Ball
Second Story Press
100 pp.
Ages 9-13
2004

Hyena in Petticoats: The Story of Suffragette Nellie McClung
Written by Willow Dawson
Puffin Canada
95 pp.
Ages 9-12
2011

In the Bag: Margaret Knight Wraps It Up
Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by David Parkins
Tundra Books
32 pp.
Ages 5-9
2011
Reviewed here

Incredible Women Inventors (The Women's Hall of Fame Series)
Written by Sandra Braun
Second Story Press
112 pp.
Ages 11+
2006

Kim Campbell: The Keener Who Broke Down Barriers (Canadian Prime Ministers: Warts & All)
Written by Heather Grace Stewart
Illustrated by Thomas Dannenberg
JackFruit Press
57 pp.
Ages 9-13
2007

Lacey and the African Grandmothers
Written by Sue Farrell Holler
Second Story Press
164 pp.
Ages 9-13
2009

Locating Alexandra
Written by Margaret Rodgers
ECW Press
170 pp.
Ages 15+
1995

Magnificent Women in Music (The Women’s Hall of Fame Series)
Written by Heather Ball
Second Story Press
108 pp.
Ages 9-13
2005

Nobel's Women of Peace (The Women's Hall of Fame Series)
Written by Michelle Benjamin & Maggie Mooney
Second Story Press
146 pp.
Ages 9-13
2008

No Girls Allowed: Tales of Daring Women Dressed as Men for Love, Freedom and Adventure
Written by Susan Hughes
Illustrated by Willow Dawson
Kids Can Press
80 pp.
Ages 9-12
2008

Phenomenal Female Entrepreneurs (The Women’s Hall of Fame Series)
Written by Jill Bryant
Second Story Press
152 pp.
Ages 9-13
2013

Pink Power: The First Women's Hockey Champions (Recordbooks)
Written by Lorna Schultz Nicholson
James Lorimer
125 pp.
Ages 9-14
2007

Queens of the Ice: They Were Fast, They Were Fierce, They Were Teenage Girls (Recordbooks)
Written by Carly Adams
James Lorimer
131 pp.
Ages 10-13
2011

Razia’s Ray of Hope: One Girl’s Dream of an Education (CitizenKid)
Written by Elizabeth Suneby
Illustrated by Suana Verelst
Kids Can Press
36 pp.
Ages 8-10
2013

Remarkable Women Writers (The Women’s Hall of Fame Series)
Written by Heather Ball
Second Story Press
120 pp.
Ages 10-14
2006

Reporter in Disguise: The Intrepid Vic Steinberg
Written by Christine Welldon
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
78 pp.
Ages 10-13
2013

Scribbling Women: True Tales from Astonishing Lives
Written by Marthe Jocelyn
Tundra Books
208 pp.
Ages 10-13
2011

Spectacular Women in Space (The Women’s Hall of Fame Series)
Written by Sonia Gueldenpfennig
Second Story Press
111 pp.
Ages 9-12
2005

Spic-and-Span!: Lillian Gilbreth's Wonder Kitchen
Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by David Parkins
Tundra Books
32 pp.
Ages 7-10
2014
Reviewed here

Super Women in Science (The Women’s Hall of Fame Series)
Written by Kelley DiDomenico
Second Story Press
102 pp.
Ages 9-13
2001

Susanna Moodie: A Life
Written by Michael Peterman
ECW Press
178 pp.
Ages 13+
1999




FILM

Kim Campbell: Through the Looking Glass
Directed by Michel Jones
Produced by Silva Basmajian
National Film Board of Canada
71 min.
Ages 14+
2000

The Petticoat Expeditions Series
Directed by Pepita Ferrari
Produced by Kent Martin
Narrated by Helena Bonham Carter
National Film Board of Canada
Ages 10-14
1997

Part 1: Anna Jameson
23 min., 29 sec.

Part 2: Frances Hopkins
19 min., 32 sec.

Part 3: Countess of Aberdeen
20 min., 1 sec.

Under the Willow Tree: Pioneer Chinese Women in Canada
Directed by Dora Nipp
Produced by Margaret Wong
National Film Board of Canada
52 min.
Ages 14+
1997