She Did It!: 21 Women Who Changed the Way We Think

Posted February 5, 2019 by shooting in Book Review / 24 Comments

She Did It!: 21 Women Who Changed the Way We Think by Emily Arnold McCully

Review by Lauren

source: copy from publisher; all opinions are my own

Official Summary (add to Goodreads)Prepare to discover new heroes among these twenty-one women who challenged the status quo, championed others, and made their voices heard. From Jane Addams to Alice Waters, from groundbreaking artists and social justice advocates to scientific pioneers and business innovators, a strong thread of trailblazing women runs through American history. 

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Review: There have been a lot of book releases in the past few years that focus on women in history, and how amazing they were. I’m not complaining though. I like that each one seems to have a mix of people I recognize, and others I do not. I really liked She Did It! because it gives you a lot of information about each woman – including how they grew up, and then goes on to the amazing things they accomplished, and then what they are doing now (or what they did at the time of their death). It really allowed me to get to know these women better, and I appreciated that very much.

women of history book

Also, the author, Emily Arnold McCully illustrated the book. Each section starts with an illustration of the woman. I thought these portraits were lovely and it was nice to have illustrations to go along with the information. One of my favorite things about the book is that each section ends with a quote from the woman being profiled. I’m a big fan of quotes, and I thought the ones chosen were great and they really seemed to encapsulate who these women were and what they fought for, you know?

Quotes to Love

If you visit Goodreads, you can see the full list of women included, but some are Ella Baker, Billie Jean King, Madame C.J. Walker, and Isadora Duncan. Do you recognize any of those names?

I definitely recommend this one, especially for young women! 

24 responses to “She Did It!: 21 Women Who Changed the Way We Think

  1. jen

    I’ve seen a lot of these books, they are all marketted towards younger women which is great but I feel like I’ve missed something that could’ve been benefiicial to me when I was younger, the same with all the mental health stuff. It’s great though and I could always read this now

  2. Oh very interesting. I love when they do illustration instead of putting a picture of the person. there have been a couple of these types of book lately you are right. I like that they make you discover people that did great things but are not as famous as others. They provide great role model for women in generalé

  3. I am all for reads about powerful women! This sounds great! I love that each chapter starts with an inspirational quote. I’ll have to check this one out!

  4. Sounds really cool! I´m doing a Reading Challenge and the theme for next month is a book about women that changed history. I have a few books I thought to read but I´ll definitely add that one to my list. Thanks!

  5. You’re right, there have been a lot of this type of book the last few years, which is great! But trying to decide which ones to spend money on for the library is hard sometimes. I can’t buy all of them, have to get other stuff too. But if you liked this one, I’ll have to bump it up on my to buy list for school. Great review!

    Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature) recently posted: Blog Tour Review with Giveaway: Unlucky in Love by A.J. Renee
  6. I love these kinds of books! I have gotten a few to review and I’m ALWAYS donating them to the school libraries of my kids. I know they need them for reports on people who made a difference and this gives kids an option other than all of the people you think of.

    Sara recently posted: Book Review: The Expedition
  7. Jen

    I like it! I am goign to get this one, because with 3 girls in the house this sounds like a great read! Thanks for reviewing it!

  8. There are a few books around that feature prominent people that I want to read! I just don’t know whether or not I would enjoy the format. Do you recommend reading it all in one, or picking up the book in a quiet moment and reading about one woman? I feel like if I read the whole book I’d get bored, or not really take in the information about each woman.

    There’s a book coming out later this yea featuring 52 queer figures in history (and now) and I really want to read it! I’d be interested in seeing who the editor picked.

    Glad you enjoyed this one, Lauren!

    Chiara recently posted: Six 2019 YA Releases I’m Keen For
  9. I absolutely love these books aimed at young girls that are empowering and highlighting women who are striving to break that glass ceiling. I wish they were around when I was growing up. Looking forward to checking this out Lauren, wonderful review!

    Kelly recently posted: We Are Okay

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