Wonder Women by Sam Maggs

 

In this book written to encourage young women to consider STEM careers, twenty-five women who had careers no one could have expected are highlighted.  These are not necessarily the famous women everyone has heard of like Amelia Earhart or Sacagawea, Maggs has chosen to highlight women whose stories are not familiar and women of color.

The book is divided into five main sections; science, medicine, espionage, innovation and adventure.  Each section highlights four or five women with a several page explanation of their life and what makes them noteworthy.  Following this is a section of shorter bios a few paragraphs long of other noteworthy women and this is where the most familiar names will be found.  Finally, at the end of each section is an interview with a present day woman living the career highlighted in the section with questions about how they got started and their advice for other women interested in the area.

This book was written for young adults and Maggs has chosen a breezy writing style.  This sometimes grates but overall is appropriate for the audience.  I like the fact that Maggs has chosen less familiar women and that he focuses on women of color whose accomplishments are heightened by the prejudice they had to fight to get a chance to contribute.  This is a book that should be in every school library or a great gift to give a young adult or teenage girl.