Meet Mary Ann Shadd (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Written by Elizabeth MacLeod

Illustrated by Mike Deas

Scholastic Canada

978-1-4431-9130-2

32 pp.

Ages 6-10

March 2022

 

Although there are many Black historical figures, like Viola Desmond, whose accomplishment are celebrated regularly during Black History Month, Mary Ann Shadd should be one of them. This incredible woman, born in 1823 Delaware and immigrated to Canada in 1851 , was a teacher, a writer, an abolitionist, a lawyer, and the first female newspaper publisher in Canada. And all of that happened during the 1800s when slavery was still an issue and when women were disregarded and shoved into the background. Mary Ann Shadd was a Black woman whose conviction, determination and courage helped her to achieve great things, and this is her story, in words and pictures.

From Meet Mary Ann Shadd by Elizabeth MacLeod, illus. by Mike Deas

As a child, Mary Ann Shadd's family (who were not enslaved; her father was a successful shoemaker) were part of the Underground Railroad, helping freedom-seekers find safety. Mary Ann Shadd grew up understanding the need to abolish slavery and provide opportunities to Black people for learning. When the United States changed the law in 1851 to allow any Black person to be snatched and enslaved, Mary Ann and her brother moved to Canada from where she encouraged others to do the same. Eventually her whole family followed them.

From Meet Mary Ann Shadd by Elizabeth MacLeod, illus. by Mike Deas

Because there were few schools that allowed Black children to attend, she started an integrated school, though there were those who did not approve and she was forced to move onto other ventures, most notable starting the newspaper, the Provincial Freeman. However, even with this extraordinary achievement which included writing, editing and marketing, Mary Ann Shadd used M. J. Shadd to hide her gender. Still she spoke out about Black rights, returning to the US to encourage Black men to join the Union Army and help make slavery illegal.

From Meet Mary Ann Shadd by Elizabeth MacLeod, illus. by Mike Deas

But, even after the American Civil War and the abolish of slavery, racism was still rampant and Mary Ann Shadd's fight for equality compelled her to attend law school at Howard University and start "an organization for Black women to promote education, careers and the fight for the right to vote." (pg. 25)

Driven by her inherent desire for the rights of herself and others, Mary Ann Shadd pursued a variety of avenues both in Canada and the US to make people think and reconsider. She planted ideas about freedom and equal rights, education and suffrage, and she did so with perseverance and the strength of her convictions. Elizabeth MacLeod has introduced readers to an exceptional woman whose legacy is far-reaching, both across an international border and history, highlighting her story both anecdotally and with a timeline accompanied by several historic images. Moreover, with Mike Deas's illustrations, readers are treated to the visual of Mary Ann Shadd's life and story. We see times of racism, discrimination, tragedy and struggle. We also see triumphs and dedication, leadership and cooperation against a backdrop of the 1800s.

I've always appreciated the impact of Elizabeth MacLeod and Mike Deas's Scholastic Canada Biography series (there are now nine titles) in introducing young readers to important historical figures. But, with Meet Mary Ann Shadd, readers will get more than just a name and a story. From now on, whether it's Black History Month or not, young readers will remember a powerhouse of a woman who defied the times to make better the lives of Black people with herself as a shining example.

Burying the Moon

Written by Andrée Poulin

Illustrated by Sonali Zohra

Groundwood Books

978-1-77306-604-2

112 pp.

Ages 9-12

October 2021

Every night

in the field 

     of Shame

Latika has only

     one thought

     one wish:

     to bury the moon. (pg. 14)

That's because Latika and the girls and women of her Indian village always head to the field on the outskirts to crouch and do their business in the night as there are no toilet facilities available to them. They are silent, they are ashamed and they are fearful. And Latika resents that moon shining down on them and revealing them in the shame of their bodily functions.

From Burying the Moon by Andrée Poulin, illus. by Sonali Zohra

At home, Latika's grandmother is bedridden, her Aunt Nita sobs for the loss of her young son, and her older sister Ranjini, once the brightest student at school, rages at everything now that she has turned twelve and been forced, as a young woman, to stop attending school.

When a very-important-government-official, Mister Samir, comes to Padaram to see how the government could help the village, Latika is desperate to ask about "you know what" but she is dissuaded by her mother.

It's so hard

to stay silent

when you have

important things

          to say.

Important things

  that everyone

      stays silent

          about. (pg. 41)

When Mister Samir brings an engineer to the village to install a well, Latika tries to speak with Mister Samir, whose smiling eyes encourage her. But when the sarpanch–village leader–and Mister Samir have a disagreement, Latika is terrified to approach him. Still Latika finds a way to engineer something that will work before she is able to share their need for sanitation with Mister Samir and change minds, including her own about burying that moon.

From Burying the Moon by Andrée Poulin, illus. by Sonali Zohra

Today, November 19, is World Toilet Day and Burying the Moon makes a significant contribution in recognizing the great number of people globally who do not have access to toilets and sanitation. Worse yet is the gender inequality and discrimination that accompanies this deficiency. With girls prohibited from going to school once they turn twelve in anticipation of them getting their menstrual periods, the stigma of expelling their bodies' waste is compounded. But Andrée Poulin does more than just indicate how inconvenient the lack of toilets are for women. She recognizes that the Shame, always capitalized in Burying the Moon, is a greater burden for them. It robs them of their pride, their voices and their education. 

 

Telling Latika's story in free verse is inspiring. The text is heavy with meaning and emotion but short on filler. The depth of Latika's loathing for the moon, her jealousy at what boys are allowed to do, and her anger at the harm their village's unsanitary conditions have done is so palpable that readers will feel all that. Even though most who read this book will know nothing of these conditions, whether sanitation or gender discrimination, they will sympathize and hopefully learn more. (Andrée Poulin who previously worked in international development assistance offers further reading to help inform readers.)

 

With India's Sonali Zohra's digitally-rendered illustrations, rich in purples, roses and blues with lines of vitality, providing the context for Andrée Poulin's story, Burying the Moon is both a story to inform about a global issue and one of empowerment as Latika steps up to find a solution while discovering her own voice.

The Forest of Stolen Girls

Written by June Hur

Feiwel and Friends

978-1-250-22958-8

384 pp.

Ages 13-18

April 2021

 

Driven to find the connection between the Forest Incident, in which his two daughters were found near where a young woman was killed, and the disappearance of 13 girls since then, Detective Min Jewoo pursued an investigation onto the island of Jeju in early 1400s Joseon (Korea). But the detective goes missing, and now his daughter Min Hwani, 18, returns to the island of her birth to find her father and perhaps reconnect with her younger sister, Min Maewol, now 15, who was left on the island to apprentice with Shaman Nokyung five years ago. Still, how can Hwani investigate on an island rife with superstition, with villagers petrified of losing their daughters to an unknown menace in the Gotjawal Forest or being selected as tribute women for Ming China, and stay safe herself while trying to work with her angry sister, resentful of her abandonment and mistreatment by her family? Having learned much from her detective father, Hwani becomes the investigator, probing the disappearance of the missing young women, and the Forest Incident, as well as his disappearance. Who she can trust or doesn't differs greatly from that of Maewol but the two sisters find a way to come together and delve into the mystery of the missing and the suspicious man in the white mask.

I do not want to reveal too much about The Forest of Stolen Girls as it is a mystery at its foundation, albeit a historical one in a unique time period. Just as she did in her debut novel The Silence of Bones (2020), June Hur enthrals with her setting as well as her story. With both her books set in the time of the Joseon Dynasty and by also scattering in words unfamiliar to most (e.g., jukjangdo, shin-byung, jeomjip, hanji), June Hur has created a new character of place of which readers will want to learn more. I was constantly looking up more about this historical period, and devoured June Hur's historical note appended to her story, trying to understand the people, their ways of life, their relationship with geographical neighbours (including becoming a vassal state) and the practice of offering tribute women. But within that amazing context, June Hur has woven a story of mystery, of family lost and found. There are countless characters who may or may not know something valuable and some who present facades of compassion and justice while evil lurks in the forest and the villages of Jeju. Who is responsible for taking the girls is but one mystery that needs to be solved, as is the location of Detective Min, and who can be trusted is unknown. Because people are often weakened by their fears and their ineptitude, evil can show its horrific face any time. But evil can be subtle or it can be the stuff of nightmares. Making things right, though, that's what Hwani and others learn is the key.

Doing what is right, it is so utterly terrifying. And yet so freeing. (pg. 307)

Govern Like a Girl: The Women Who Became Canada's First Ministers

Written by Kate Graham

Second Story Press

978-1-77260-210-4

112 pp.

Ages 9-12

August 2021

Any book that focuses on the accomplishments of women in Canada needs to be applauded. There are already more than several that have highlighted women athletes, scientists and pioneers among others and several that celebrate individual achievements. But Govern Like a Girl is a bit different in that it honours political leaders who have reached premier or prime minister status in our country. Thirteen women across the provinces and territories have been recognized for their leadership and, while not every province is represented, Govern Like a Girl shows us the promise for greater equity in reaching influential government positions in Canada.

From Govern Like a Girl: The Women Who Became Canada's First Ministers by Kate Graham

After a brief introduction about government and voting, and the need for diversity at all levels of government but the paucity of women throughout, Kate Graham highlights thirteen incredible women who were able to rise to the top jobs in our governments. The women selected for this book are: 

• Premier Eva Aariak (NU);
• Premier Catherine Callbeck (PE);
• Premier Christy Clark (BC);
• Premier Caroline Cochrane (NT);
• Premier Nellie Cournoyea (NT);
• Premier Pat Duncan (YT);
• Premier Kathy Dunderdale (NL);
•  Premier Rita Johnston (BC);
• Premier Pauline Marois (QC);
• Premier Rachel Notley (AB);
• Premier Alison Redford (AB);
• Premier Kathleen Wynne (ON); and
  
• Prime Minister Kim Campbell.
  

For each leader, Kate Graham provides details about their personal life, including place of birth, parents and schooling, their employment history and their motivations for entering politics. Whether their trajectories for leadership began with careful steps up the ladder as school trustees or committee chairs, community involvement or advocacy, these women all chose to enter politics to enact change and to work for the people of their province or territory. In addition, the details of their elections and their defeats are recorded as is the work they were able to accomplish. But along with each exposé, Kate Graham gives readers a personal look at women who saw the opportunities lost to their female ancestors, or who endured discrimination because of the limitations some placed on their gender, and who were still able to move forward for change.

From Govern Like a Girl: The Women Who Became Canada's First Ministers by Kate Graham

Every story is different yet the same. They had support and they had opposition. They struggled to be seen as leaders and be effective fighters for their communities and counter those who perceived women as limited by their gender. But how their stories played out are all different. It's evident that there is not just one route to leadership, with many rocky and some longer than others. What matters most is the action.

These women have lots to say and I could quote each one, as Kate Graham does, to highlight their perspectives, from Catherine Callbeck who said that "the strength of a society rests on the willingness and ability of its citizens to share in the decisions which affect it" (pg. 14) to Nellie Cournoyea who spoke of "an evolutionary need to do something about something" (pg. 32) and Christy Clark who addressed opportunities by saying that,

"My view of life is that opportunities are raining down around us all the time. Some people have fewer opportunities , as their circumstances haven't put them in a particularly rainy spot–but, opportunities are always there. Look around, figure out what opportunities are there, and choose which ones to grab." (pg. 22)

With each, Kate Graham has given young readers role models of civic duty and reinforced the idea that governing like a girl is a compliment. 

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.

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