Good Girls Don't Make History by Elizabeth Kiehner

 

I could literally feel the feminism pouring into my body as I read this book. GOOD GIRLS DON'T MAKE HISTORY is a really fun graphic-novel that illustrates (literally!) the history of voting rights for women and Black people. It's beautifully intersectional and highlights key people in the fight for voting rights in numerous sections, each opening with a modern-day vignette about girls talking about voting today.

The art in this graphic-novel is simply stunning. I love how all of the historical figures were rendered and I thought the author and illustrator did a good job bringing them to life. Some of the passages were a little hard to read. There is nothing graphic, but it is pretty awful to see how the women protestors (and Black protestors) were treated, and the book also talks about how some suffragettes were pretty racist and willing to sacrifice Black rights for white women's rights.

Overall, this is a really interesting educational book and I think it would make a valuable classroom resource because of how it ties history to the present day. It seems to be targeted towards a middle grade audience in particular but I think older kids and adults could get great value out of this book, too.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 to 4 out of 5 stars