We’ve seen a lot of media coverage of the bravery and activism of Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg, who has set the world on fire with her passion for climate change. By standing up to world leaders, speaking at the United Nations, and challenging those in power to do more to save the planet for future generations, we’re excited to know the future is in good hands if the younger generation is anything to go by.
But Greta is not the only young woman who is changing the world with her passion and activism, and a new book featuring the stories and lives of 42 women and girls from around the world who have raised their voices for change is going to inspire young readers everywhere.
‘Girl Activist’ is a collection of powerful profiles from authors Louisa Kamps, Susanna Daniel, and Michelle Wildgen, and features a Foreword by Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts and illustrations by Georgia Rucker. Readers will find out why these women chose their causes and discover how they fought to advance them. Kids will also learn about setbacks some of the women faced and how they pushed through—even when times were rough.
“I think kids today understand at a basic level that the world is theirs to improve or even save,” says Girl Activist coauthor Susanna Daniel in a press release. They are passionate about the environment, animal rights, gender equality, autism acceptance, and so much more. They are engaged and want to help. But they may not know where to start. With this in mind, the authors selected a diverse group of advocates—from icons like Susan B. Anthony and Rosa Parks to newcomers like Madison Stewart and Yara Shahidi.
“There are already so many girls your age working to change their neighborhoods, schools, communities—and even the country—for the better. I know you can do that too. What I’ve learned as an activist is that if you see a problem, you really do have the power to fix it—no matter who you are, how old you are, what your gender is, or where you come from,” writes Shannon Watts in her Foreword.
The authors shared some of what inspired them personally about the women and girls they profiled, and how they hope these messages will impact readers.
“None of these activists tried to solve every problem. Everyone had to pick something she felt passionate about and do what she could
to achieve her goals,” said Michelle Wildgen.
“One of the most important lessons I learned is that activism is very rarely one-and-done. Many of the women profiled here chipped away at their work for years. Maybe a few had some relatively large sudden successes. But for the most part, they had incredible stamina—a will to keep going and campaigning and pushing for change. It really made me embrace the idea of progress over perfection,” said Louisa Kamps.
Susanna Daniel explains why we are seeing a huge increase in young activists today, especially around issues like climate change, LGBTQ rights, immigration, and more.
“It strikes me that each activist in the book worked in a direct way, with no middle-man or agency between the woman and her cause. With the prevalence of crowd-funding and online activism and our shrinking global economy, direct change does seem more available and more useful than joining a cause that’s decades old and shrink-wrapped in administrative red tape,” she said.
“I think tweens today are braver and less self- conscious than I was as a kid, and I think they have a greater sense of their own power in the world, their ability to effect change. I think they care less what other people think and care more about the issues of race, hunger, human rights, and environmentalism than we did,” she continued.
If you are looking for a great gift idea, a back-to-school motivator, or simply some reading material to inspire your young one, we highly recommend ‘Girl Activist’ because of its diverse representation in terms of women profiled, and the way it makes activism seem much more accessible.
“We’ve highlighted some incredibly brilliant, tenacious, passionate women who have done amazing things. They’re heroes and icons, and sometimes their status can make them seem a little intimidating at first. But once you start noticing how the world really could be a lot better for more people if certain things were changed and begin to champion the causes and ideas you care about, I think you’ll see that activism really is open to all, and anyone can make a difference,” said Louisa.
You can purchase ‘Girl Activist from DowntownBookworks.com, as well as Amazon, Indiebound and Barnes & Noble.
One thought on “‘Girl Activist’ Book Celebrates 42 Iconic Women & Encourages Young Girls To Change The World”