Blog Tour: Fierce, Fearless And Free by Lari Don. Illustrated by Eilidh Muldoon.

Meet Inanna who conquered a mountain. Bridget who rid her house of witches. Kandek who outsmarted a wearwolf. These heroines are fearless, bold, quick-thinking and smart, and their stories make for excellent reading. 

Folk stories have been important to me since I was small. It began with music. Songs I heard as my Dad worked through his collection of LPs, cassettes and CDs. Steeleye Span, Fairport Convention – the stories they sang weren’t always fully comprehensible to my young mind but I got the jist enough to know that they were a little more exciting than the limited cannon of fairytales that was read on a regular basis to children. Later, I found a collection of folk tales retold by Kevin Crossley Holland and my interest in folklore really took hold. How stories grow out of human experiences. How time and place shapes the retelling, until each culture has its own canon of best-known tales. 

This collection includes tales from different cultures. It reflects the fact that stories are told and retold all around the world. 

My favourites included The Lace Dragon, the story of a girl who outsmarts the Emperor demanding her hand in marriage by drawing on her magic as a lacemaker, and Goddess VS Mountain, which is the story of a girl up aganist the might of the land itself. The stories have such different themes and settings that the collection remains engaging. As an adult reader, it reminded me of the magic of being a child and begging for just one more story. 

The way these stories are written lends itself to speaking aloud. It is an art in itself to write with such clarity and yet in a way that draws the reader in and keeps them hooked. 

As a society, we are becoming increasingly aware that the notions we form about gender begin early and restrict our ideas about our identities. Countering stereotypes is important if we are to offer the next generation a wider range of ideas about who they might become. The fact that this collection shows girls being clever and active, angry and proactive and energetic will make it  popular with teachers, librarians and parents looking to counter narrow ideas about what it means to be a girl. 

It turns out happy ever after can come in all kinds of ways. These tales are well written, timeless and filled with strong female role models. 

 

Thanks to Faye Rogers PR and Bloomsbury Education for my copy of Fierce, Fearless And Free. Opinions my own.

Blog Tour: The Boy With The Butterfly Mind by Victoria Williamson

We Can All Be Butterflies – by author Victoria Williamson 

‘Is it a book for girls?’

This was one of the most annoying, and surprisingly frequently-encountered questions I was asked by parents and teachers when my debut novel, The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, was published last year. ‘No,’ I’d reply with increasing weariness, ‘The main characters are girls, but it’s a story that boys will be able to relate to just as much.’ After all, how can you gender human experiences such as war, loss, friendship, hope, and redemption?

This time round, with my second novel, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, there should be no confusion for adults intent on pushing gender stereotypes and so-called ‘gender-appropriate’ products on children. This is definitely a book for boys too. We all know it is, because it’s got the word ‘boy’ in the title. But wait… It’s also got pictures of butterflies on the cover. And aren’t butterflies a bit, well… girly?

The adult obsession, or more specifically, the marketers’ obsession, with categorising everything from clothes and toys, to animals and inanimate objects as either ‘for boys’ or ‘for girls’, results in parents unwilling to buy anything for their children from the ‘wrong’ section of the shop in case their child gets bullied about it in school. Girls may seem to get let off lightly in this respect – a girl with an Avengers obsession, even though all but one of the superheroes in the film are men, won’t face the same amount of taunting in school as a boy who loves My Little Pony. But this is due to a deeper bias, one that still insists that girls, and by extension anything aimed at girls, is ‘lesser’. Films, toys and products aimed at boys still have a ‘prestige’ factor that makes it acceptable, and understandable, that girls should take an interest in them too. When it comes to books, while boys are allowed to turn their noses up at stories featuring female characters as ‘girly’, girls are still supposed to empathise with male characters without expecting anything approaching equal representation in return.

According to research by the Observer:

‘Male characters are twice as likely to take leading roles in children’s picture books and are given far more speaking parts than females, according to Observer research that shines a spotlight on the casual sexism apparently inherent in young children’s reading material.

In-depth analysis of the 100 most popular children’s picture books of 2017, carried out by this paper with market research company Nielsen, reveals the majority are dominated by male characters, often in stereotypically masculine roles, while female characters are missing from a fifth of the books ranked.’

Children in this country learn from a young age that animals and insects in stories have a gender. More often or not, that gender is male, unless of course that character is seen as ‘pretty’, in which case it’s automatically categorised as female. Butterflies, ladybirds, peacocks and tropical birds are often gendered as female, which makes little sense when in the real world it’s usually the male of the species who has the pretty wings or the beautiful feathers.

It was interesting this summer to see children playing who hadn’t been influenced by Western marketing to the same extent. I spent four weeks volunteering as a reading assistant with The Book Bus, visiting schools in Zambia to run story and craft sessions. One of the books that proved very popular was The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and the children enjoyed colouring in butterflies to take home. At the end of the session, most of them, boys and girls, used the pipe cleaner body and tail to attach the butterflies to their hair. The boy at the bottom of this picture was the first of the children to do this, while the boy on the right had just taken his off to adjust his pipe cleaner.

No one is suggesting these children aren’t bombarded with gender stereotypes every day of their lives, but with very limited access to electricity, television, films and books, they hadn’t absorbed the marketer’s message that butterflies are considered things that only girls should adorn themselves with. After all, in real life, a butterfly is equally likely to land on the head of a boy or a girl, so why should only girls wear them?

Gendering animals as predominantly male in the stories we tell might not seem like much of a problem, but as Jess Day, who campaigns to end gender stereotyping with the Let Toys Be Toys movement says:

“It is preparing children to see male dominance as normal, so that when women do less than half of the talking, that still feels like too much to some people. And with so few female roles, there’s also not enough space for the female characters to be multi-dimensional. I think the lack of female villains reflects a wider cultural discomfort with women who are not well-behaved and good.”

If girls and boys are to take equal roles in society – in politics, science, management, and in the home – then they have to see all of these roles as open to them from a young age. Gendering books, films, toys, clothes, and even butterflies as ‘for boys’ or ‘for girls’ limits the choices that children have open to them, and in turn, limits the career paths and opportunities they believe are open to them when they’re older. As adults, we can make all the difference in helping children overcome the pink and blue ‘girls’ and ‘boys’ market that surrounds them, by offering them alternatives to these limited choices.

And next time you see a see a book with ‘girl’ in the title or butterflies on the front cover, just ask ‘Is it for children?’ instead.

 

Thanks to Victoria Williamson for your beautiful article.

Review: Julian Is A Mermaid by Jessica Love (Kate Greenaway Shortlisted Title)

When Julian is out and about with his Nana, he sees some beautiful people on the train who remind him of mermaids. Julian would love to be a mermaid. When he gets home, he takes down the lace curtains, sticks some plants in his hair and transforms himself into a mermaid. Julian is worried about what his Nana might think, but it turns out she knows a thing or two about mermaids.

A story about love, respect and embracing our inner-selves.

Nana wins my fictional role model of the year award. When she comes out of the bath to find her little grandson parading around with the curtains around his waist, she sees right away what the game means to Julian. Offering him a string of beads and a hand to hold, she takes him outside to find some other people who are beautiful and brimming with self-confidence. People of all genders, people of all sizes, people in all kinds of costumes and outfits. 

There is no dispute that this is about gender. The key moment in the story is when Nana finds Julian and stares at him with a great big disapproving scowl. My heart brimmed at that moment because it became clear that this was about more than a kid dancing around in the curtains on a whim. However, this is a beautiful narrative about all kinds of gender and identity acceptance. Whether a child is questioning their gender or whether they are broadening their definition of what it means to be a boy or a girl, this book offers a comforting message that the happiest people in the world are the ones who love each other and themselves.

The illustrations are a beautiful wash of watercolour which fits perfectly with the theme. It’s as if there is a hint of the watery world even when Julian is in the city. Particular attention has been paid to clothes, with a range of styles, patterns and colours celebrated. 

Julian Is A Mermaid made the shortlist for the 2019 CILIP Kate Greenaway Award. I can only imagine the judges saw the same joy and celebration and in the illustrations which touches me more with every read. 

A picture book which deserves a place on every shelf. Grab some beautiful items from around the house and prepare to embrace your inner self. 

 

Thanks to Riot Comms and Walker Books UK for my gifted copy of Julian Is A Mermaid. Opinions my own.

Titles for International Women’s Day – Brilliant Ideas From Wonderful Women And Born To Ride.

Brilliant Ideas From Wonderful Women by Aitziber Lopez and Luciano Lozano.

Submarine telescopes, Monopoly and Lifeboats. Did you know they were all invented by women? 

Take a look at some inventions, discoveries and innovations which all began in a woman’s mind. This compendium of ideas also celebrates the achievements of women whose names have not always been forefront in design and technology. 

A couple of years ago, there were very few books which celebrated female achievement. Now there is such a wide choice that it can be difficult to know where to begin. This volume is special in that it is also a celebration of creativity and knowledge. It is specifically about women who pursued a solution to an existing problem. From car heaters to a prototype e-reader, the stories behind things we take for granted reveal some fascinating characters. 

I was particularly interested in the invention of the medical syringe. It is something we have all encountered without giving a second thought. In fact, I prefer not to think about injections, except it turns out that once upon a time they required two hands, meaning an assistant was often required to administer them. Imagine how much worse it would be if the nurse was not able to steady your arm.

The illustrations are expressive and either show the inventions in action or illustrate what life was like without them. Without windscreen wipers, for example, drivers had to stop and wipe the windscreen themselves. The illustration shows a vexed crowd looking on as a bus driver wipes the front down. These humorous pictures will draw readers in and encourage them to question what they might change in the world. 

With a historical bias towards recognising the achievements of men, it is important that we keep showing that everybody is capable of bigger things. A wonderful volume which will open discussion about other people who have created great things or solved everyday problems. 

Born To Ride by Larissa Theule and Kelsey Garrity-Riley

What does it take for a girl to do anything? A set of wheels is a good start. 

Louisa Belinda Bellflower lives at a time when the social expectations of girls restrict their activities. Voting is totally out, and riding a bicycle is frowned upon. However, as Louisa has a mind to cycle and she’s not going to let anything get in her way. Not the skirts which can be exchanged for trousers, and certainly not the rumours about ‘bicycle face’. 

Meanwhile, the grown-ups in Louisa’s life are involved in subversive activities of their own. 

A look into the late 1800s and the rise of women’s suffrage movements in America. The most wonderful thing about the book is how the pictures tell a different story to the text. Louisa is certain her cycling will be frowned upon and goes out of her way to hide it, but the pictures show a different story. Louisa is not the only one who wants life to change for women. 

The illustrations continually work in purple. white and a goldish-yellow, which were the colours of the women’s suffrage movements in the USA. I also loved the landscapes. Their winding paths seem to lead off in any possible direction, and they encourage the reader to dream of adventure. 

A book about women’s rights which comes through a specific historical lens. This won my heart with its tenacious heroine and beautiful illustrations. 

 

Thanks to Quarto Publishing PLC for my gifted copy of Brilliant Ideas From Wonderful Women, and to Abrams and Chronicle UK for my copy of Born To Ride. Opinions remain my own.

Extract from The Burning by Laura Bates.

Extract from The Burning by Laura Bates.

Some books are worth celebrating. The Burning is such a book. I was delighted to be invited to take part in the blog tour because feminist narratives are something I feel strongly about. 

The Burning is about witch hunts historical and current. It is about a girl who moves escape her past but finds she can’t outrun her problems. Anna is the victim of social media shaming. To escape her feelings, she throws herself into a school project and finds out about Maggie, the victim of a 16th Century witch hunt.

The book is fantastic in every way and I am so pleased to share an extract with you. 

Extract:

Hairbrush. Tampons. Toothbrush. Toothpaste.

The front door opens with a shudder and an ominous creak. Dark blue paint cracks and peels above a tarnished
brass knocker.
Deodorant. Watch. Shoes.
‘Come on,’ Mum pants, heaving two bulging suitcases over the threshold and into the dark hallway.
I’m a list-maker. Lists give me grip. You can hold onto a
list. Doesn’t matter what’s on it. Today it’s everything I had to remember to pack at the last minute. The things I couldn’t put in the car last night because I’d need them this morning. The list has been helping me to breathe. Like a spell to ward off evil. I’ve been chanting it under my breath since I woke up and I haven’t been able to stop. Because, as long as I keep repeating the things I need to remember, somehow I can distract myself. Pretend that I’m not really walking out of my bedroom for the last time. Not really stepping into a car loaded with everything we own. Not really driving past the
park where I fell off my bike for the first time. Not watching the swimming pool where I trained three nights a week disappear in the rear-view mirror.

Hairbrush.
Passing the chippy.
Tampons.
The library.
Toothbrush.
The pet shop where I bought my ill-fated iguana. RIP, Iggy Poppet.
Toothpaste.
But now we’re here. And even the list isn’t powerful enough to blot out the new house in front of me.
I hesitate. Somehow, stepping through the door will make it real. I look back to the car, parked a little way down the street, its doors standing open, more luggage and overstuffed bin bags threatening to spill out. Through the back window, I can see a tatty box labelled anna’s room: diaries, photographs, dad’s books.

Nothing left to go back to go back to anyway. I take a deep breath, adjust the bulky cat carrier under my arm and step inside.

The hallway has a musty smell, its whitewashed walls and wooden ceiling beams lit by one naked bulb. The removal van which whisked away most of our earthly belongings the night before we left has arrived before us and piles of labelled boxes teeter precariously on all sides. Mum’s already bustling through into the big, airy kitchen, which also serves as the living room. There’s one of those big Aga cookers radiating
warmth and our new brick-red sofa, still covered in protective
plastic sheets.

A massive old fireplace dominates the room, empty but framed by a handsome wooden mantelpiece. I empty my pockets, shoving my journey rubbish on top of it. Soggy
Costa cup. Crumpled crisp packet. Half a Mars bar. It looks a bit less imposing now.

Gently, I set down the cat carrier and one very grumpy black cat unfurls out of it like a puff of smoke, letting out an indignant yowl to tell me exactly what he thinks of being
cooped up in the car for so long.

‘Sorry, Cosmo,’ I whisper. I bend down to ruffle his soft fur with my fingertips, craving the comfort of his familiar warmth, but he turns tail with an angry hiss and disappears
through the kitchen window into the back garden. I sort of wish I could follow him.

I shrug off my jacket and half slump onto the crackling, plastic-covered sofa. ‘Don’t even think about it!’ Mum warns.‘We’ve got hours of unpacking ahead of us and the car’s not
even empty yet.’

Suddenly the trees outside shake with a gust of wind, causing an eerie, shrieking moan that sounds like it came from the bones of the house itself. I try to sound sarcastic instead of freaked out. ‘Are you sure this place is fit for human habitation?’

We only looked round the house once on a rushed, blustery weekend at the end of March, driving up from home and haring round Scotland in a whirl, viewing five or six different properties a day, each less inspiring than the last. At the last minute, we squeezed in an extra stop in a tiny fishing village called St Monans, where Mum instantly fell in love with the quaint, crooked streets and peaceful old harbour lined with
pastel-coloured cottages.

 (From The Burning by Laura Bates.) 

 

The Burning by Laura Bates is out now (paperback £7.99, Simon & Schuster). Thanks for my gifted copy of the book, and for supplying this extract as part of a promotional blog tour. Opinions remain my own.

Review: The Burning by Laura Bates

Blog Tour: The Burning by Laura Bates

Extract:

I start to read, not taking in the words at first, trying to trick my brain into thinking about something else. But before long I’m genuinely absorbed in the text.

Women who were thought to have broken vital societal rules of behaviour, or to have sinned against God and the church, were punished in a wide variety of different ways. Some punishments were designed to curb particular habits or behaviours, others to shame and humiliate.

 

(The Burning by Laura Bates. P142.)

 Synopsis:

Anna has left her old life behind. The move to Scotland is supposed to be a new start, so she can make friends and go to school safely and live without prejudice. Then the rumours start up again.

A false social media profile brings an old photograph back to light. One Anna never intended to make public in the first place. Now she faces everything from quiet judgment to harassment to outright hatred.

At the same time, she researches the story of another girl for her school project. A girl who lived hundreds of years ago and was judged by her society after catching the attention of a young lord.

Witch hunts past and present are called out in this strong, compelling novel by the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project.

Review:

Feminism is about giving women equal rights to men. The right to have our morals judged on our actions and not our skirt-length. The right to equal pay. To be called by our names instead of endearments from total strangers. If you support those things, it doesn’t matter whether you call it equality, feminism, gender rights, just-plain-humanity or any other name. This is about men and women. This is about human rights.

This vehement anger and derision continually shown towards people searching for equality illustrate why these books are vital. The next generation deserves a world in people are not divided the second they are born.

The focus of the story is on witch hunts. Anna’s school project brings her into contact with the story of Maggie, a girl who was shamed by her society after forced intercourse with a young lord. Maggie’s story is told in haunting scenes which are brought vividly into the reader’s mind. There is no doubt that everything which happens to Maggie is horrific. This forces the reader to confront the similarities between Maggie and Anna’s stories. Although Anna isn’t subjected to the same physical tortures, she too is shunned by her society after someone abuses her trust and makes public the details of her private life.

What shook me was the way this behaviour extended to the adults in Anna’s life. Not only did they fail to challenge the teenagers who destroyed Anna’s reputation and security, but they set an example for young people to follow. Beyond the witch hunts are casual comments about skirt length and women in sport and gossip about the latest shock relationship. The way women criticise their appearance and abilities as a social norm. This is perhaps the most important theme of the book. Our messages go beyond words. It is all very well telling girls they are free to wear whatever they like, but what happens when they are shamed for their choices?

The story also shows that it can be difficult for young people to know where to turn. Facebook and other social media sites currently have policies which make it easy for people to create fake profiles and post incriminating pictures which are often Photoshopped. In the real world, it can be difficult to get help when you are in a situation where people are claiming you have done something wrong. The story calls out such social gaslighting and makes it clear that having a sex life is never wrong, and that the person in the wrong is the one who shares those details without consent. Although there can be great social pressure, we all need to raise awareness of gaslighting because the only way to end it is for everyone to stand together.

The conclusion shows us quite plainly that there is no running from widespread behaviour. So long as society acts as though gender inequalities are acceptable, it won’t be possible for young people to escape those attitudes.

The Exact Opposite Of Okay got people talking last year and The Burning continues the conversation. It honours the voices which have contributed to the Everyday Sexism Project and gives readers an alternative way to respond to gaslighting and social witch hunts. The historical elements remind us that these behaviours are centuries-old and will not change until we change our own responses. A fearless feminist YA novel which we should all shout about.

 

The Burning by Laura Bates is out now (paperback £7.99, Simon & Schuster).

Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK for my gifted copy of The Burning. Opinions remain my own.

Review: The Girl, The Cat And The Navigator by Matilda Woods

Extract:

It was a big decision: four whole months at sea. It would be dangerous and wet. It would be cold and windy. And maybe she would fall overboard and drown. But it would, without a doubt, be an adventure, and she had always wanted to go on one of those. 

(The Girl, The Cat And The Navigator by Matilda Woods. P72.) 

Synopsis:

Oona Britt dreams of a life at sea. She has always wanted to join a ship’s crew and go in search of a mysterious and mythical creature called the Nardoo. Only one thing stops Oona from joining her father’s ship.

Girls don’t go to sea.

It was a major disappointment that Oona was a girl – her father had hoped for a strong and adventurous boy. Oona is desperate to prove herself to her father. She stows away on a ship and sets sail for an adventure, where she proves time and again that she can handle anything the world throws at her.

Review:

Meet Oona – she’s bright, she’s bold and she can do anything she sets her mind to. Oona’s whole future is altered in one instant, the moment when she is born and turns out to be a girl. Her father ends the celebrations and mourns for the child who would have sailed beside him.

This may be a fairytale world of Nardoos and cats with nine lives, but it tells a story which is very real. Studies have shown that even those of us who think we are liberal differentiate by gender. We speak to babies in different tones, offer them different toys and talk about different subjects with them. By the time they are old enough to think for themselves, their idea of gender-roles is entrenched.

Yet girls can have adventures too.

I loved the tone of the story – it reads like a fairytale or a bedtime story, yet the adventure is solid and it leads to a satisfying conclusion. The prose is so beautiful it demands to be read out loud and the world is so magical and so unique that it is conjured in our minds. Welcome to a place where wrecked ships are turned into buildings and sea-shells are used to tell fortunes. Where mythical sea-creatures have been known to fly. Where cats hold memories of the ships they sailed in their previous nine lives.

Oona is a brilliant heroine who sees through the nonsense she is told. She’s a great role model and will hopefully give readers the courage to question the messages they receive – conscious and subconscious messages.

The adventure already feels like an old-favourite. There is something timeless about the story, except it says something which relates to the present and the future. Set sail and see how wide the world can be.

Review: Amazing Women by Lucy Beevor and Sarah Green

Temple Grandin

Amazing Women celebrates the lives and achievements of 101 great women. It features women from different fields and cultures. Modern-day to historical figures. Their lives are related in digestible fact-files which relate their stories as well as key dates. 

The thing I love most about this book is the design. When I saw the front cover I wanted to flick through and read about every one of those women, and the same thing happened when I looked inside. The book is high on ‘flickability’. It is the kind of book you want to thumb through, to flick backwards and forwards between the pages. The pastel colour palette and fantastic illustrations remind of a really modern blog or website. 

The key message of the book is to be your true self. Every story in the book is inspiring, but the way to achieve great things is not to try to be someone else but to work hard in the areas where you excel. With a large number of books about inspirational women in the market place this is a really good message. A handy resources section at the back gives young readers some ideas of where to look next. This is a lovely addition. Young people with a new interest often don’t know where to turn for more information.

My only criticism is that the book talks about some women in the present day – what they are doing now and how old they are. Unless new editions are printed this puts a lifespan on the book because this information will date. Nevertheless it is a great title and one I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone looking to improve their knowledge of influential women.

 

 

 

Review: Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls 2

Once upon a time there was a girl … and she did great things. Goodnight stories for Rebel Girls is the internationally successful hit of 2017. To date a million copies have been sold. Here’s the second volume, in all its glory! Turns out there were more great women that one book could hold. 

Stories of real women are told in a fairytale tone. Every story follows the same formula: once upon a time there was a girl … and one day something happened to spark her interest … and she became … If you have read John Yorke, you will know all stories follow a similar structure. The effect of writing about real women in this way is extraordinary. You don’t need to know the history or the geography to get into their tales. It is possible to get into every single story without prior knowledge. The best way into a subject can be to relate to a character or an event. 

Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls 2 may introduce readers to new interests. 

The second effect of narrating the stories as a fairytale is empathy. A factfile of dates and events could not have told me that Yeonmi Park grew up believing Kim Jong-Il could read her mind. It could not have given me that insight into life under a dictatorship. 

Illustrators from around the world have contributed to make this extra-special. I love the variety of art-work. The different styles keep things interesting, and I would buy this book for the illustrations alone. They remind me of vintage posters. Ones you might actually put on your walls. Alongside the illustrations there is a motivational quote from the women. It would be possible to flick through the book and read the quotes when you are in need of motivation. 

Words highlighted in red are defined in a glossary, and a contents page lists women with their field of excellence next to their names. I was delighted that neither the book nor the contents page is divided by field. There is no sense of one field being pushed over another, no suggestion that one destiny is more likely. Children’s content sometimes makes this mistake, pushing STEM and law over arts-subjects, and anything over stories of adventure. These real-life stories disprove this approach. Every one of these women achieved something great, and every one started by finding:

• what she was best at 
• an opportunity or a situation which turned her interest into action. 

The foreword is addressed to children and adults, in response to the phenomenal readership established by Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls. Whoever you are, whatever your situation, it encourages you to REBEL – to find your interests or causes and strive to make something of them. I have never read a book which speaks so directly to so many people. This is our history, our world. These are our stories. Read and rebel. 

Louise Nettleton

Big thanks to Riot Comms for my copy of Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls 2. Opinions my own.