Review by Booklist Review
This appealing anthology profiles 35 exceptional women athletes from a range of sports. Those included are varied in race, ethnicity, and homeland; some are disabled; some are from the LGBTQ+ community; and some are currently active, while others are historically significant. The attractively formatted book features a color drawing of each person, a full-page biography, and one page of brief "amazing facts and unbelievable statistics." Included are well-known athletes (Simone Biles, Serena Williams, Danica Patrick, Ibtihaj Muhammad) as well as less well-known women like UK wheelchair-racer Hannah Cockroft, Kentucky Derby jockey Diane Crump, Canadian rower Silken Laumann, and Japanese mountain-climber Junko Tabei. All share a desire to succeed despite the odds. The book briefly explores how each woman works to overcome challenges and also how they advocate for causes like gender and wage equality, body positivity, diversity and disability rights, or stopping cyberbullying. The biographies, inspirational messages, and mottos make this a good choice for young feminists and sports enthusiasts.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5--8--Weintraub's collection of biographies provides both quick overview and intriguing insight into the lives of 35 inspiring female athletes. Each spotlight begins with a color illustration and outstanding statistics. A one-page essay highlights early-to-late career accomplishments and lesser-known facts. Weintraub draws readers in with encouraging information such as Misty Copeland's late introduction to ballet lessons at age 13 and Lisa Fernandez's refusal to accept one coach's critique that her arms were too short for professional pitching. A theme carried through the book is that there is much work left to accomplish: Weintraub incorporates information such as the lack of female jockeys in the history of the Kentucky Derby and notes Grete Eliassen's work to bring attention to the difference in prize money for male and female winners of the X Games. Providing a more complete portrait of what it means to break barriers and engage the world in deeper dialogue about gender equality, Weintraub highlights each subject's efforts in the areas of activism, philanthropy, and advocacy. The collection spans a variety of sports from derby jockey to wheelchair racing to UFC fighting. Filled with vibrant illustrations by Green, the only caveat to this highly readable text is the disjointed layout. The odd-numbered, three-page format of illustration, facts, and essay often misalign with the next spotlighted athlete and may be confusing to some readers. VERDICT A thoughtful and inspiring purchase for upper elementary and middle grade readers that will foster curiosity, questions, and further memoir reading.--Monica Cabarcas, Sutherland M.S., Charlottesville, VA
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This collective biography introduces a diverse group of both well-known (Simone Biles, Abby Wambach, Wilma Rudolph) and less-well-known women athletes from a notably wide range of sports and other physical disciplines, including softball, swimming, cycling, wheelchair racing, football, and ballet. The three-page profiles follow the same format: full-page action illustration, a page of some "Amazing Facts and Unbelievable Stats," and a one-page overview of career highlights, personal and professional challenges, and causes championed off the field/mat/ice/etc. Readers will be inspired to learn more; two pages of selected sources are appended as is an index. (c) Copyright 2023. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
This collective biography presents 35 female athletes who have left marks on their sports, chosen to inspire a new generation of girls. A broad range of sports is represented, including soccer, gymnastics, bobsled, wheelchair racing, and (stretching definitions a bit) ballet. They include well-known figures like African Americans standouts Misty Copeland and Serena Williams as well as less-familiar but equally revolutionary athletes such as Tatyana McFadden, a White Paralympian who competes in wheelchair racing and nordic skiing, and Marlen Esparza, a Latinx Olympic boxer. Each three-page profile includes one full-page portrait, one page of "amazing facts and unbelievable stats," and one page of biographical information that includes causes important to them. As these are very accomplished athletes, editing down their life stories to one page is difficult, and Weintraub leaves readers wanting more. One of White Paralympian Hannah Cockroft's facts is not even a fact about her, but her sport: "T34 is a sport classification for people with certain disabilities like Hannah's." (It is also not very illuminating.) Unfortunately, the illustrations are not effective in celebrating these athletes, curiously presenting them with very little muscular definition; it's hard to tell these athletes are at the primes of their careers. Of the 35 women, more than half present as White; several Black athletes are represented, but there are only two East Asian, one South Asian, and four Latinx athletes. LGBTQ+ athletes and athletes with disabilities are also represented. These amazing athletes deserve better. (selected sources, index) (Collective biography. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
