#SOL16-16/31 - A Political Story

SOLC #16/31 - 

      I'm slicing with the Two Writing Teachers community for Day Sixteen of Thirty-One of the Slice of Life Challenge in March. WE ARE HALF-WAY DONE! Congratulations to everyone who have made it this far!
                     Thank you Stacey, Tara, Anna, Betsy, Dana, Kathleen, Beth, and Deb.  

         Thanks also to Alyson Beecher's Non-Fiction Picture Book Challenge at Kidlit Frenzy,

Because of this meme, I started reading more non-fiction picture books, and found they taught me as well as entertained me. Hope you will find some great books for yourself as you read my post and others.  

I only have one book to share today, but it is timely, and some of you who link with Alyson have shared it too. I am not sharing my political views, saying that I will vote for Hillary. But I want to introduce this fabulous book by Michelle Markel that shows a bit of women's history in this Women's History Month, and shows how hard Hillary Rodham, then Hillary Rodham Clinton worked to help women find equality. 

From the text of the opening page: "In the 1950s, it was a man's world. Only boys could grow up to have powerful jobs. Only boys had no ceilings on their dreams." 
          I grew up in those '50s, was one of two girls who enrolled in chemistry and calculus, was one of two who played trombone. I didn't know it wasn't okay, and the school did not discourage me, but we two were lonely.


           The illustrator, LeUyen Pham, has shown this so wonderfully, and worked hard throughout the book to show Hillary in all aspects of her life, depicting real and well-known people! There are graphics that identify the people included. In this first picture, you may be able to recognize many by yourself.

The first page. Click to enlarge to view all those famous "men".

Some things I didn't know:

          Hillary worked hard in service in her church youth group, who worked to help poor people. This led to her seeing Dr. Martin Luther King where she heard the quote: "There is nothing more tragic than to sleep through a revolution."

          She was elected student body president at the East Coast women's college, and gave the first senior graduation speech ever. Before that speech, a senator spoke, and discouraged students from protesting (this, during the VietNam protests). Hillary gave her speech, but added in criticism of the senator. Bravely, she said: Fear is always with us, but we just don't have time for it. Not now."

             These early times showed Hillary's courage, trying to fight for what she saw as injustices, beliefs she has carried throughout her life. As the book chronicles the highlights, I have been amazed at her tireless fight for women and other groups who need support, are working themselves for better lives.

One of the ending pages, Hillary with many famous women. Click to enlarge!

          There is a timeline, an extensive artist's note showing who is shown with Hillary on each page, and a bibliography for further research. No matter your political preferences, the book is worth reading for the historical events Hillary has taken part in.