The stories of each person were longer and detailed than I imagined, page design was nice, and thumbs up to the illustrations. However, the grammar mistakes still need to be corrected, and I do hope the rest of the book is as good as the pages from the excerpt I read.
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Overall: 4/5
Cover: 5/5
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 5/5
Appealing: 3/5
Page Design: 4/5

Teen Trailblazers: 30 Fearless Girls Who Changed the World Before They Were 20 spotlights a range of females, some famous, others less well-known, who have had an impact on society.

Contemporaries like Malala Yousafzai and Emma Gonzalez are highlighted alongside historical figures like Pocahontas, Cleopatra, and Joan of Arc. Their contributions may vary, but they're all connected through a common thread: they rose up and made a difference, even when it called for much courage and little support.

As the introduction articulates: "We're lucky today: most women have the freedom and confidence to move in any direction we like. We also have those who came before us as role models. They paved the way. But the girls in this book were often the first of their kind, with no one to look up to but themselves."

The layout boasts an illustration opposite a page that outlines their dates of influence, a bulleted list to summarize their impact, a quotation, and a more in-depth description of their work. There are smaller illustrations and boxes of additional detail to break up the text and make the information more engaging and approachable for younger readers that may be turned off of books with solid walls of text and no visual content. I will say that this benefits from being read on a physical copy or a tablet that can display color; my first read on a Kindle Paperwhite didn't translate the layout well and couldn't show the color.

I was given a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I like the idea behind this book and the information is great for tween and teen girls to be inspired to change the world. However, the formatting of this book was horrible on my kindle and it was nearly impossible for me to read. This won't affect my score of the book, because it is about the content, which was was absolutely lovely. That which I could read anyway. I would love to sit down with one of my nieces and read one of these chapters a night before bedtime so they can dream about them and dream about what they can do in the world. 4 out of 5 stars.

Although I wish it had been advertised that the ARC NetGalley provides is only an excerpt, I have to give it five stars because books like these are so important.

Like I said, the version I read was only an excerpt, so I was only able to read about Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, Pocahontas, Emma González, Maya Penn, and Jazz Jennings. That's only a fifth of what the completed book set to publish in October will hold, but I could still feel the buzz of inspiration from these six entries.

The book is organized with four pages summarizing the most important parts of each woman's life in a way that is comprehensible and captivating to readers from the pre-teen years to the young adults years. Best of all, it doesn't leave out the nitty gritty details to dilute the struggles these women have overcome to be trailblazers. Additionally, there are text bubbles on the sides of most pages to give information that offers more insight into the background of what their fighting for. These include an explanation of what made Cleopatra's rule different than of those before her, a definition of gender dysphoria, and a summary of the battle for gun control in the United States.

I love that the women featured are so diverse, hailing from different nations and cultures, and representing various points in history. Not only will it (hopefully) spark an interest in history in young readers, but it will give a chance for young girls of all background to see themselves represented in this beautiful book. Plus, having entries from so many different time periods ensures that readers will see several familiar faces but still have so many to learn about.

One last comment I'd like to make is on the design. Each entry begins with a cartoon portrait of the woman done in Vesna Asanovic's cute style. The color scheme throughout the book is vibrant and beautiful. The art certainly adds to the positive mood of the text, and I thought it was certainly worth mentioning.

Final thought: Even though I was unfortunately not able to read the entire book for this review, I loved the sampler enough to encourage everyone to buy this for a sister, daughter, niece, friend or any other young girl in your life. She'll appreciate it.

This book is just what the bright, cheerful cover lead me to believe it would be. It is less something a young person might actually sit and read than it is a sort of youth coffee-table book, meant to be flipped through and referenced.

While the use of "teen" in the title might suggest YA, I think that even most 13-year-olds would find this book a bit young for them. I'd recommend it as a nice gift for a bright young person in middle school.

This ARC only included six chapters, so I can't speak to the entire work, but the sampling did give me an idea of the tone and aims of the book. The chapters, even the one on Emma Gonzales that discussed school shootings, all carry a bright, bouncy tone that sometimes veers into condescension.

The Gonzales chapter would be essentially impossible to write in a book on "teen trailblazers" without a tacit (and sometimes explicit) endorsement of her particular stance on gun control, and a parent concerned about their child reading a one-sided account would probably not pick this book up for that reason. While that chapter, as well as the one on Jazz Jennings, might give one reason to accuse the book of being "left-leaning," the chapter on Pocahontas is shockingly uncritical of English colonialism and relations with Native Americans. I was particularly struck by the author's statement that the true story was "much simpler" than the Disney cartoon, and that, after her kidnap, "almost always content, Pocahontas eventually grew to like being with the settlers." This rosy tone is perhaps not the best for a young person learning to form comfort with darkness or moral grayness in history.

The book seems to be just what it set out to be: a Pollyannaish coffee table book full of quotes ready to be slapped on a mug but devoid of anything for a young mind to chew on. While the inclusion of recent figures like Gonzales and Jennings are refreshing, I wonder if they are enough to justify a book like this in 2018.

This sampler of biographic synopses for thirty inspiring young people starts with a brief introduction that includes this jarring line, “We’re lucky today: most women have the freedom and confidence to move in any direction we like.” It seems to require qualifiers related to socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and nationality. Fortunately, the contexts of sociopolitical and geographic circumstances are vaguely acknowledged toward the end of the introduction, which eased some of my concerns about the present-day relevancy of the content.
https://www.hrw.org/topic/womens-rights

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/girls-in-education-south-sudan-central-african-republic-niger-malala-yousafzai-a7991716.html

Arranged in chronological order by date of birth from the first century B.C. to the year 2000 with quotes from other (older female and male) trailblazers scattered throughout the text, Teen Trailblazers documents the bumpy evolution of ideas about feminine power. It also debunks every ignorant statement ever used to limit access to education, resources, and opportunities for girls and women. Scientists, inventors, political activists, journalists, entrepreneurs, artists, authors, philanthropists, environmentalists, humanitarians, athletes… Every category of human industry and concern is represented by girls and young women who have in the past and are currently expanding the boundaries of what’s possible.

Recent news-worthy influencers Emma Gonzalez, Maya Penn, and Jazz Jennings conclude this biographical teaser before Teen Trailblazers ends with interesting tidbits about the author and the illustrator.

The full-color illustrations pop with a vibrant opacity and the blunt forms of paper-doll construction as inspired by Matisse. They catch the eye and enhance enjoyment of text that is conversational in tone and accessible (with age-appropriate redactions) for young listeners and independent readers from elementary school to adult.

I have been reading quite a few of these inspirational books of late, especially ones that chart the amazing feats young women have achieved and was looking forward to diving into this. Unfortunately, it did not feature thirty different women and their accomplishments, only six. Whether this was an oversight or it was only meant as an excerpt, I don't know. I was so disappointed by this but have decided that I will be purchasing a copy for my bookshelf when published.

I definitely feel as though books such as this one are made to be bought in hardback so you are able to get the full benefit from the pictures that accompany the text. This would be a great addition to anyones library but would be enjoyed by teens, youngsters and adults alike. The fact that it features thirty women and what they achieved all before their twentieth birthday will encourage the young to realise that you can do anything you set your mind should you so wish.

A timely and beautiful title that will take pride of place on my shelf. I love the fact that it concisely discusses each girl and what they have done, allowing you to seek out further information on those that most interest you.

Many thanks to Castle Point Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

As this was an uncomplete Arc. I cannot recommend not not recommend this book to others. From what I read. I enjoyed the quotes. The formatting did not work with the E version.

I was enjoying this book but the download wasn't great. The text was often out of place and the book ended after the section on Jazz which was disappointimg as I would have liked to finish. I did enjoy the book up to that point, it was interesting to read about the teenagers and the motivatiobal and inspiring quotes were great to read.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
To start, I have to disclose that I was unable to read the entire book due to some sort of technological failure. So my review is based on the half of the book I was able to read on my Kindle.

Teen Trailblazers is a non-fiction book featuring short biographies of 30 young women who have made significant contributions to society before they turned 20. Entires include historical women including Cleopatra, Jane Austen, and Anne Frank, as well as contemporary teen trailblazers, such as Emma Watson, and Malala Yousafazi. 

The writing style is definitely aimed at a younger teen audience, but by no means did it feel patronising (which is a personal pet hate of mine). I felt it was direct and informative without being boring. Teen Trailblazers includes quotes by the young women, as well as highlighted sections explaining concepts/issues/ideas which may require greater clarity. For example, in the entry for Emma González, a survivor of a school shooting who advocates for gun-control and school safety, the author includes a section explaining what gun control means in easy to understand language. 

As for the content, I was impressed with the selection of a wide range of young women who have/had very different areas of influence. Their achievements were in fields as diverse as literature, to science, to advocacy of various kinds. Some are very famous, like Cleopatra, while others I've never heard of before, like Maya Penn (an environmentalist fashion designer, b. 2000). 

Overall, Teen Trailblazers is an inspirational book, proving that one person can make a difference, or even start a revolution. You don't have to be famous to make a change in the world. You don't have to fit a certain mould. Use your talents, take inspiration from your interests. 

I'd recommend this book primarily for a younger reader, but believe that anyone, of any age could enjoy Teen Trailblazers.

This was an incomplete ARC so I can only speak for the few teens mentioned. The older more historical figures are figures who are included in almost every feminist/strong women/bad girls collection I've read. I did appreciate the inclusion of Jazz Jennings and Emma Gonzales who have not been included in previous collections. Since I did not read the whole thing, I can not say if there was a good mixture of well known and lesser know figures. I do think books like this are important and would be great in schools.

That excerpt that I was able to read was well put together and appealing to young readers. The author provided a wide range of trailblazers (obviously more in the final copy) and I thought it was useful that she defined some of the terminology that youth might not be familiar with in a reader-friendly way. The formatting on the ARC was a challenge to read so I am interested in what the final formatting looks likes. Likewise, I wish that I had been able to read more. Looking forward to the actual publication.

There's never been a more important decade as this one when it comes to women's rights, gender equality and women speaking up in general. It's quite exhilarating and this book mentions a few heroines and their struggles and achievements. It'd inspire many more young women. Thank you for the eARC.

I was unhappy to discover this download only includes an excerpt and as such I will not be reviewing it at this time. I look forward to seeing the finished product.

I was super excited to receive an ARC of this through NetGalley, though disappointed I only received a small sample of these stories. Jennifer Calvert has done a wonderful job, transforming names of women in history that we've all heard of, into real life, three-dimensional people that young girls today can relate to. I thought the range of girls in these stories was amazing, from historical figures like Joan of Arc and Cleopatra, to the girls we're seeing rising in the modern world such as Emma Gonzalez and Maya Penn. A really empowering read for young, teenage girls.

I was sad that the arc provided by netgalley included only a few of the profiles included in this book. The ones I read, however, I did like. I think this is an important book for young girls, because it shows you can achieve something even if you are young or do not have any connections. It might be cliche but it is important to believe in yourself and work hard toward your goals.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a free, digital copy of Teen Trailblazers, in exchange for an honest review.

I must begin by saying that the file turned out to be a 16-page excerpt so I am unable to review the book completely. There are a total of 30 profiles enlisted in the contents and I was able to view 6 of these.

The diverse group of women mentioned in this book all achieved something remarkable in life before the age of 20. They include names that are common knowledge across the globe as well as some who are beginning to make their mark in history. The overall writing style of the book appears to be conversational and engaging and the illustrations are crisp and bold.

For my review, I decided to rate every profile separately and ended up assigning a score of 4-5/5 stars to all of them. The profiles are written as a biographical narrative with some quirky commentary and even though I have read multiple accounts regarding the ladies concerned (as well as seen their stories portrayed in other media), I was still able to pick up new information which shows fresh content and saves the book from being a redundant review of common facts. I appreciated the fact that the author not only highlights the monumental achievements of these women but also their strength of character (especially in case of Pocahontas, the author remarks that what set her apart from those around her was her compassion). Another fun aspect of the writing is the use of side-bar boxes to convey information that does not strictly fit into the biographical pattern of writing (eg. in Emma Gonzalez's profile, a box explaining Gun Control is present.). Even though the concentrated text and uniquely bright illustrations suggest the book being targeted towards a younger audience, nothing about the tone of the verbal content suggests that it is age-specific, which is something I was concerned about, but am glad to see is not the case.

The only apprehension I have regarding what I read is that there are some places the text seems to be pushing a feminist agenda. It is understandable that bolder statements need to be made given the current social and political atmosphere but some of these statements come across as opinionated but should rather be encouraging and convey open-mindedness.

In conclusion, I quite enjoyed the amount of content that I was able to view. I would love to gift this book to my younger cousins or nieces and even use it as a coffee table book because it would not only give the room a face lift but also encourage interesting dialogue.

Since I only received a sample of this book I can't attest to the whole book but what I read so far was good. I like these short concise bios.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book but formatting errors and the ARC only having about 5 of the 30 profiles claimed in the title were disappointing. The content is interesting and told in a fun, informative way but the text is incomplete.

I've read the 16 pages provided on Netgalley by the publisher, and I really enjoyed it! This is perfect for young kids to get them involved in history as it follows teens changing the world. Reading this was empowering, refreshing and wonderful!