Girls to the Rescue: Book II - Softcover

Grade 3-6. Young women from a variety of cultures are featured as heroines in this collection of folktale adaptations and original stories. In each tale, a girl uses her ingenuity to overcome an obstacle threatening her or her loved ones. These obstacles include forces of nature, financial difficulties, and the less-than-honorable motives of other people. For example, in "Kim's Surprise Witness," a Vietnamese girl prevents a greedy moneylender from bankrupting her parents; a young American rescues her beloved colt from a dangerous winter storm in "Cody's Wooden Whistle"; "Jamila and the Tiger" tells of how the title character rids her African village of a menacing animal foe. The quality of the writing varies; generally, the four stories adapted from folklore flow more smoothly than the six original compositions (except for two polished entries from Anne Schraff). The tone of the anthology is upbeat and celebratory. While obviously created to fill a certain niche, the heroic nature of these selections should appeal to middle-grade readers who like adventure. Teachers may also find ways to use this collection to spark classroom discussions about female roles in societies near and far.?Mary Jo Drungil, Niles Public Library District, IL
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

“It is refreshing to see new girl-friendly twists on old themes that empower girls to believe in themselves and their abilities.” (Jeanette S. Gadeberg, Author of Raising Strong Daughters)

"Provides positive female role models.”

(Nicole Bondi, The Detroit News)

“Girls to the Rescue will please and inspire girls." (Women’s Circle)

“Forget about glass slippers and helpless damsels. The moral of this story is: Girls can do anything, even save the day!” (Peggy Orenstein, author of School Girls: Young Women, Self-Esteem, and the Confidence Gap)

“Girls to the Rescue is a powerful antidote to all those helpless, hopeless princess stories. These stories are amusing, poignant, inspiring, and ultimately healing.” (Mary Pipher, Ph.D., author of Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls)

“Inspiring.” (Mary Hance, Nashville Banner)

“Must reading.” (Lee Littlewood, Copley News Service)

“Delightful.” (Lynn Gibson, Spokane Spokesman-Review)

“Inspiring reading.” (Kansas City Star)

“Girls to the Rescue turns a new page and Prince Charming is history.” (Sallie Han, New York Daily News)