A standout collection of short biographies

Schatz, K., & Klein, S. M. (2015). Rad American women A-Z. San Francisco, CA: City Lights Books. This is an excellent biographical survey of American women presented in an A to Z format by each subject’s first name. The author focuses primarily on women who have influenced American society for the better, saying in the introduction that “Every single one of these individuals changed America in some way.” (Schatz, 2015, p. 2) The one-page biographies include profiles of artists, authors, athletes, and activists, and each one highlights their contributions with a short statement. My personal favorite is the description of gold medal Olympian, Florence Griffith-Joyner, “Who showed us how to run like a girl.” (Schatz, 2015, p. 13) The author should be applauded for including profiles of women who were instrumental in the LGBT community. Schatz ends her book with a brief afterword for readers, encouraging them to think about what they can do to make a difference in the world. This is followed by fun A-Z list of things the reader could do to be rad, and other resources for further research.

Miriam Klein Stahl’s striking illustrations will engage the reader’s interest immediately. The table of contents is presented graphically rather than traditionally, and each profile is paired with a sketch done in black on a brightly colored background. Readers in grades 5 and up can learn something new in this standout collection of short biographies.

#biography #Americanwomen #Nonfiction