Change is not an enormous snowball charging furiously down the hill- it’s the snowflakes that drift softly onto the mountain. The snowball is nothing without them, and they are nothing without each other. (From the “Introduction)
In this collective biography, Jennifer Calvert introduces readers to, as the subtitle indicates, 30 historical and contemporary “fearless girls” who had a significant impact on the world before they reached the age of 20. The book’s scope is broad and includes scientists, inventors, political activists, journalists, entrepreneurs, artists, authors, philanthropists, environmentalists, humanitarians and athletes. Calvert organizes the four-page entries chronologically, beginning with Cleopatra (69 BC-30 BC), who at 18 became Queen of Egypt, and Calvert concludes the collection with Jazz Jennings, a 21st century advocate for transgender rights. In between, Calvert includes recognizable names, such as Joan of Arc, Pocahontas, Mary Shelley, and Anne Frank, as well as some of more recent fame, like Emma Gonzalez, a high school senior who survived the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida and then co-founded the gun-control advocacy group Never Again MSD. Each of the young women that Calvert has selected shares the common qualities of determination and bravery in the face of overwhelming obstacles, with a prime example being Malala Yousafzai, who, at the age of 17, became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize after surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban who wanted to stop her advocating for girls' education in Pakistan.
Each of the entries is introduced by Vesna Asanovic’s artistic rendering of the chapter’s subject individual. At the top of the facing page, the person’s name appears, followed by an identifying statement, birth and, where appropriate, death date(s). Three bullet points then highlight key reasons why the individual merited inclusion in the collection. For example, the entry for Jazz Jennings begins:
JAZZ JENNINGS
ADVOCATE FOR TRANSGENDER RIGHTS
BORN 2000
* One of the youngest people to be formally recognized as transgender
* Fought for her right to use the girls’ bathroom and play on the girls’ soccer team.
* Has dedicated her life to advocating for trans kids
The text is presented in a two-column format into which Calvert interjects notable quotes and text boxes, with the latter including tidbits of information designed to inform readers or to pique their interest. For example, a text box for Jazz Jennings is headed: WHAT IS GENDER DYSPHORIA?
Adolescents will find the content of Teen Trailblazers to be both informative and timely, and it should be an important part of all school libraries. Calvert has struck an appropriate balance between providing historical facts and capturing readers’ interest. A must-read.
Christina Pike is the principal of Macdonald Drive Junior High in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
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