Janet Howell

This was an oversized book that included brief biographies and drawings of women who were mainly in politics. I thought this book would include more about women leaders in different areas besides politics. The size of the book puzzled me, because it is clearly not a picture book since it has so much text and was written on a fairly high reading level, and was not particularly interesting. It seemed more like a research text to me, rather than something a young adult might pick up for show more pleasure reading. There was a list of additional women in the back, all from politics. To me, this gives the impression that only women in politics are powerful. This is not a message that I think should be conveyed to young women.

I received this book from Early Reviewers, and these opinions are my own. show less

I received a free advanced copy of this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

Highest recommendations for this book! I wish it was around when I was a kid. “Leading the Way” features short profiles of 50 women from past and present that are important political role models. These are truly inspiring leaders, heroines and role models from all walks of life. Some of these important women I had never heard of before and their work inspired me show more as an adult! The best part of the book is that there’s no political agenda or focus on a specific political party so there’s biographies of women from all ends of the spectrum including high profile women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Hillary Clinton to Native American chiefs like Wilma Mankiller, present day Latina representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and many other diverse women leaders. There’s also a set of “power symbols” that accompany each woman showing personal qualities that set them apart and young women can aspire to, like Integrity, Resourcefulness, Persistence and Empathy. Each short profile also has an illustration of the woman and some of their well known quotes. Very inspiring book! show less

"Leading the Way: Women in Power" profiles 50 female political leaders in the United States. The two-page biographies offer readers an accessible introduction to women who served in various capacities, such as Supreme Court Justices, congresswomen, governors, and social activists. The women included range from ones currently active (Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris, and Sonia Sotomayor) to historic figures and trailblazers (Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Margaret Chase Smith, and Mary McLeod Buthane). show more Additionally, as the examples listed above suggest, there is a mix of well-known figures and those who are lesser-known but are still important. Beyond the biographical information, the book's other features are less successful. As others have noted, the pictures leave a great deal to be desired (most are unremarkable, some as genuinely unnerving in their lack of fealty to their subjects). Additionally, the badges that are included with each woman and are supposed to signify different traits, such as as communication, persistence, and integrity, are baffling and require the reader to go back and forth between the key and the biographies.

Despite these shortcomings, the book provides some useful information on the women and would give young readers a good starting place for learning about female leaders and their role in shaping the country. While it likely won't be a book that will be read cover-to-cover in a single sitting, it seems ideal for classroom use as an introduction and as a starting place for further research. show less

Our church library was fortunate to receive this beautiful book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Fifty historical and contemporary American stateswomen and social reformers are profiled in alphabetical order. Each biography spans two pages with pleasing portraits. "A Guide to Power Symbols" is a meaningful tool used to identify the enduring strengths that these women embody - Integrity, Community, Resourcefulness, Diligence, Courage, Persistence, Empathy and Communication. Though all share show more these qualities the writer denotes those "who are true superstars when it comes to using certain tools". The book is written for young people from 10 and up, but the clarity of writing and use of the Power Symbols is engaging for readers of all ages. A wonderful book for mothers and grandmothers to share with their children and grandchildren. The author includes "More Leaders to Discover" of 30 very contemporary stateswomen including Stacy Abrams, Amy Klobucher, Lori Lightfoot and Lisa Murkowski. This is an inspiring book that is an excellent addition to a childrens library or a personal collection. show less