In this follow-up book to “Girls Think of Everything,” author Catherine Thimmesh and illustrator Melissa Sweet team up again to share stories of innovative solutions created by women for everything from healthcare and education to life skills for people with special needs. I’d heard of some of these organizations such as Teach for America, Hull House, Copia, Dress for Success, and Meals on Wheels, but some of the other projects were new to me.

Each story felt like the just the right length to me and highlighted the obstacles these women faced and how they used their problem-solving skills to persevere. The illustrations had just the right amount of technical detail and whimsy. One quibble with the design, though: the sidebars in the digital ARC are white text against a yellow background, which isn’t very readable, especially on a screen, so I hope that perhaps that was changed for the actual book.

Also, because the book has “girls” in the title, I’d expected it to feature more young people. There are a few kids and teens mentioned, but a lot of the stories highlighted are actually about problem-solving women. These women’s stories are inspirational and often they’ve had a longer impact than a project by a kid or teen. But there are kids and teens doing amazing things, and I would have enjoyed more of a focus on that, especially because some women would feel infantilized by the word “girl.” But it’s still an empowering read for people of all ages and genders.

I received an electronic ARC from Clarion Books through NetGalley.
These short writings capture women who have seen problems and created solutions. Thimmesh shares the challenges they faced and how they persevered to improve living conditions around the world. I particularly like the quizzes that begin and end the book so readers can test their own knowledge and learn more. Some of the illustrations should be turned into posters for classrooms and libraries as they make powerful points about the work being done by these women and their companies. The final chapter challenges readers to move forward and find their areas of passion also.

Girls Solve Everything: Stories of Women Entrepreneurs Building a Better World, written by Catherine Thimmesh and illustrated by Melissa Sweet, is currently scheduled for release on March 1 2022. Women all over the globe are asking questions that affect lives and creating businesses that answer them. Like, can we keep premature babies warm when they're born far from the hospital? Or, can the elderly stay in their homes and eat a balanced diet? Women are taking on and solving these issues with their ingenuity and business acumen. How did they get their ideas? Where does the funding for their projects come from? And how have some of these businesses touched YOUR life? Girls Solve Everything answers these questions, inspiring today's kids to learn from entrepreneurs and take on some of the world's biggest problems, one solution at a time.

Girls Solve Everything is a collection of short biographies feature women that have shown perseverance and made impacts on the world through their discoveries, inventions, and more. I like how the book illustrated that a small idea, class assignment, or serious problem can spark the inspiration for real change, and that anyone can make that change with the right tools. I thought the illustration work was extremely well done and matched the content and tone of the text perfectly. I think this book would be a great addition to school and public libraries, as well as home libraries. I have to admit that my digital copy had some formatting issues, which made it challenging to enjoy, but I know these issues will be resolved well before the final copy hits the shelves.

Girls Solve Everything is a book that shows some of the many accomplishments of women, and just might inspire current and future generations to make their own marks on the world.

There are people all over the world who invent solutions to problems. The forthcoming book Girls Solve Everything: Stories of Women Entrepreneurs Building a Better World (3/1/22, Clarion Books) by Catherine Thimmesh and illustrated by Melissa Sweet does an amazing job of highlighting a number of women who have made a difference through their businesses. Women often, but not always, look at the world with a different viewpoint than men, allowing them to consider some of the problems in our world in a different light. This book showcases some of the solutions and encourages young girls to reach for the starts and help society at the same time. From the 10 year old behind Trick or Treat for UNICEF to empowering individuals with autism to thrive independently, and from helping those in developing countries with medical issues to helping women in the 1800s survive after losing a husband. This is a fascinating read for budding entrepreneurs, inventors, scientists, and activists.

Girls Solve Everything is a collection of mini-biographies about female change makers who saw a need and did something about it. I think that it is an inspiring book for young people who can learn about the power in using your intelligence to make a difference.

I absolutely loved this book, and wish it existed when I was younger. It’s so inspiring to read about these female change makers, and how one seed of an idea sprouted into a new way to think about a problem. For example, Ting Shih was given an assignment in a class and turned it into a revolutionary method of telemedicine to reach over one billion people!

This would be great to read to your class in honor of Women’s History Month in March, and learners of all ages will appreciate the stories and message.

After downloading the book, I planned to have a quick flick through and then come back to it later, but after an hour, it was clear that wasn't happening!

I loved everything about this book. The illustrations are amazing, the way that different parts of the book are presented, the stories are inspirational and beautifully written; it's all brilliant.