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Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World

Katherine Halligan,

Sarah Walsh (Goodreads Author) (Illustrations)

4.15 · Rating details · 342 ratings · 70 reviews

Move aside history—it’s time for herstory.

Celebrate fifty inspiring and powerful women who changed the world and left their mark in this lavishly illustrated biography compilation that’s perfect for fans of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls and She Persisted.

Throughout history, girls have often been discussed in terms of what they couldn’t or shouldn’t do.

Not anymore.

It’ ...more

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Hardcover, 112 pages

Published September 11th 2018 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

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Bad Girls Throughout History by Ann Shen

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Start your review of Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World

Sep 12, 2018 Manybooks rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-history-nonfiction, biographies-memoirs, women-and-girls, book-reviews

While Katherine Halligan's Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up Their World has indeed been interesting and enlightening to a certain extent, frankly, for at least some of the women and girls featured and presented, the author's printed words have been been what can only be called entirely too positive and almost saccharinely laudatory, often making light of if not actually totally ignoring the less than stellar (and sometimes actually quite problematic aspects of either their personalities While Katherine Halligan's Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up Their World has indeed been interesting and enlightening to a certain extent, frankly, for at least some of the women and girls featured and presented, the author's printed words have been been what can only be called entirely too positive and almost saccharinely laudatory, often making light of if not actually totally ignoring the less than stellar (and sometimes actually quite problematic aspects of either their personalities or their actions and behaviours). For example, Indira Ghandi's often extremely harshly negative, uncompromising, unaccepting approach towards the Sikhs while she was prime minister of India (and in particular that she ordered the destruction of a very important and symbolic Sikh temple) very likely was one of the main contributing factors as to why she was assassinated by her own Sikh bodyguards in 1984 and this piece of essential truth should really have at the very least been mentioned by Katherine Halligan, as needed to have been depicted the fact that Elizabeth I of England had her cousin Mary Queen of Scots beheaded (perhaps with just cause and for high treason, but for the author not even to point this out, it in my opinion does kind of make Halligan more than a trifle guilty of willfully omitting important historical and cultural information that might in some ways possibly tarnish the reputations of the 50 women and girls she has chosen to present to us, not to mention that for say Queen Isabella of Spain, whilst her support and even in many ways her creation of the Spanish Inquisition indeed is fortunately and thankfully mentioned, it does feel very much personally uncomfortable that Katherine Halligan, that the author certainly tends to approach this as more than a bit of an almost unimportant afterthought in some ways and in my opinion in a much less critical and less balanced manner than would likely have been the case if the featured and presented individual had been her husband King Ferdinand).

Now truth be told, I do in general much like and appreciate that the fifty women "pioneers" of Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World are ethnically diverse and spanning both the present and the past (and indeed sometimes the very much distant past) and that furthermore, women from all walks of life (and with many different careers, life stories, and thankfully not just scientists and politicians have been chosen) although personally, I would certainly have wanted and yes even needed a few more women who were/are graphic artists included and I definitely do find it kind of majorly sad that aside from Emily Bronte and Rigoberta Menchú, there seems to have been few women authors and poets mentioned. And really, why have there been NO Canadian women described and why has Katherine Halligan for the most part also completely ignored many of the more radical feminists of the 20th century? Where is a section on Rosa Luxembourg? Where is a chapter on Hannah Arendt? And what about Gloria Steinem or German feminist Alice Schwarzer? As while I do well realise that the author could not have chosen EVERY women (every girl) for Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook up the World, as someone who is pretty much a Socialist and rather left of centre especially with regard to economics, the fact that Halligan (except for the chapters on Emmeline Pankhurst, Anne Frank and Sophie Scholl) kind of ignores almost ALL of the more radical left wing women's liberation and rights fighters of the 20th century does kind of bother me and it rather contributes to my feeling that while Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World is a decent enough and educational start, that there still is very much much room for improvement (and frankly, that there is NO bibliography included, no suggestions for further reading and of course no source acknowledgements either, this really does academically and intellectually annoy and disappoint me to such an extent that even though I have definitely found Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World readable, approachable and indeed also of much potential interest, my final ranking can and will only be two stars, and a very low ranking two stars at that, as there are in my opinion simply too many holes, too many issues and potential shortcomings and yes indeed too many women that deserved to be included but have not been). ...more

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Oct 13, 2018 Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance rated it it was amazing

Shelves: challenge, strong-girls-strong-women

What did they used to say about a Lay's potato chip? "You can't eat just one." That's true for this book, too. It's a book of fifty women and girls' stories. You may start it, thinking you might just read about the life of Maria Montessori, maybe. And you do, thinking, Wow, I didn't know Maria was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times before she died. And then you see that the next chapter is a story of Mother Teresa, and you get wowed again by learning Teresa had a vision at twelve th ...more

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Apr 22, 2018 Marie the Librarian rated it really liked it

I liked this book, it features interesting women and gives kids a short intro to them. I find it a bit naive in some ways and very optimistic at times. But overall I think its a good and interesting book for kids to read at an early age.

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Jan 02, 2020 Carolyn Klassen rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2020

Some interesting and lesser known women which I did appreciate, but far too many problematic women as well. Genocide conductors, colonizing bitches, forcefully-sterilizing presidents, and Nazi sympathizers. We need to do better with the role models we present to children. Gorgeous illustrations and page layout though!

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Mar 28, 2019 Elizabeth rated it did not like it

Shelves: women-writers, middle-grade, biography-autobiography-memoir, children-s-books

1.5 stars.

I love collected biographies like this, and I had high hopes. I was disappointed.

There were definitely aspects I appreciated. The layout was smooth and appealing. The illustrations were cute. The few photographs included were a nice touch. The selection of women was fairly impressive, with women from a broad variety of places, times, and backgrounds featured.

I REALLY wanted to love it, particularly given those good things. It just gave me way too many reasons to not love it.

I'm going ...more

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Dec 14, 2018 Vanessa rated it liked it

Shelves: children-s-books

Good information about 50 women who added so much to the world. I realize its Juvenille Non fiction but many of the concepts/situations the girls grew up in were not explained well. The one that really got me was on Hannah Szenes. She was a Jewish woman in Hungary. Later she moved to Palestine and became a member of the Israel Defense Forces. The author, Katherine Halligan stated the one of the main reasons WWII began was due to Nazi treatment of the Jewish people. US forces joined due to Pearl ...more

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Nov 20, 2018 Lindsay Nixon rated it really liked it

Women are amazing. Here are 50 examples.

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Dec 30, 2020 Pauline rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, girl-power

First of all, this book is gorgeous; lush, colorful illustrations and glossy pages highlight each of the women included in this anthology. There are 5 categories - "Believe and Lead", "Imagine and Create", "Help and Heal", "Think and Solve", and "Hope and Overcome". Some of the women are typically highlighted in these sorts of books, but some are interesting and unique selections. ...more

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Feb 05, 2020 Jessica rated it really liked it

Shelves: feminism-womenstudies

It definitely glosses over some of the harsher realities of war, leaders and etc , but nonetheless is a good introduction to children about powerful women.

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Nov 28, 2018 Hilary rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fic, middle-grade

I wasn't sold on all of the historical figures/leaders, but overall this is a great list of women and their amazing contributions. It includes some well-known women, as well as some that I had not heard of, but was glad to learn about. It would be great in the hands of a middle-grader, or even ages 8-16. ...more

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Sep 07, 2019 Lian rated it did not like it

Not an attractive book, design or illustration wise. Too many Americans. Too many questionable selections. Author is happy to slur countries where atrocities were once committed but completed neglected the considerable atrocities of her own country (United States). I was shocked that the atrocities against Australia’s aboriginal people at white settlement was mentioned in Cathy Freeman’s entry - she is a phenomenal woman and these atrocities were well before her time and had nothing to do with h ...more

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Mar 28, 2019 Emily rated it it was ok

Shelves: theme-social-justice-activism, theme-race, rating-2-star, special-prettiest-covers, genre-bio-memoir, theme-politics, rep-poc, rep-native-indigenous, theme-feminism, theme-religion-spirituality

Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World is a total treat for the eyes. The 50 women are separated into 5 groups: Believe & Lead, Imagine & Create, Help & Heal, Think & Solve, Hope & Overcome. Each woman has her own two-page spread with a short bio and explanation of how she "shook things up." The pages are almost scrapbook-like in nature, with off-kilter photos and beautiful illustrations. The writing is very clear. There's a pretty decent selection of women from various walks of lif Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World is a total treat for the eyes. The 50 women are separated into 5 groups: Believe & Lead, Imagine & Create, Help & Heal, Think & Solve, Hope & Overcome. Each woman has her own two-page spread with a short bio and explanation of how she "shook things up." The pages are almost scrapbook-like in nature, with off-kilter photos and beautiful illustrations. The writing is very clear. There's a pretty decent selection of women from various walks of life, age, color, and nationality. There is some representation of disabled women, such as Frida Kahlo, Helen Keller, and Annie Sullivan (side note: I thought it was very cool to see Sullivan get her own page). I liked Rosalind Franklin's page with the acknowledgement that she deserved the credit for Watson and Crick's Nobel Prize. And I was amazed by some of the little things I learned: Florence Nightingale invented the pie chart?!

However, I'd have liked to see queer representation-- even if a woman included was queer, there is no mention of that fact (as in the case of Frida Kahlo, for example). There are some questionably written entries as well. Sacagawea's bio, for example, is pretty complimentary of Lewis and Clark, and of America's westward expansion. Rosa Parks' doesn't mention her work with the NAACP at all. While Isaballa I's bio is careful to mention the Spanish Inquisition and some of the terror of Isabella's reign, it also presents conquest and empire as good things. Elizabeth I's bio doesn't even try to have a balanced outlook or present her reign as controversial, and again imperialism is presented as an accomplishment: "Where there had been violence and poverty, [Elizabeth] created peace and prosperity." And I'm shocked to see Mother Teresa included, when it's pretty well documented that her brand of "care" for the needy was neglectful, undignified, and intolerant. And I am so tired of Coco Chanel being included in these kinds of collections without any acknowledgement of her antisemitism or Nazi fraternization (if not outright collaboration). It makes me wonder what might be missing or misconstrued from the bios of the women I'm less familiar with.

For these reasons, I must rate this beautiful book poorly. I think it could still be useful as an introduction to young readers about famous women in history, however the rosy representations of some of the women should be taken with a (sometimes large) grain of salt. ...more

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May 28, 2020 Magen rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook, middle-grade, female-author, history, non-fiction

3.5 stars rounded up because I appreciate the concept and effort. I've been listening to several books about the achievements of women and it was interesting to see the overlap and difference in focus. This book did a decent job at pouting out how the women's contributions matter, but in some cases, it failed to do so well. Also, the stories were a bit too uneven and there was a bit too much overlap. However, I did appreciate that they included some less famous women and women who's contribution ...more

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Apr 15, 2020 Leslie rated it liked it

A lot of familiar faces here, but some new (to me) ones too. The selection spans millenia and all demographics. I was happy to learn about more incredible women but a lot of context is missing. I hope the children who read this book grow up to further research their complex heroines.
I was very excited to learn that the tongue twister "she sells sea shells by the seashore" is believed to be about Mary Anning! ...more

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Sep 09, 2018 Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018-release, mundie-kids-reviews

An inspiring collection of 50 women and girls who shook up the world. This book is one that will inspire readers of all ages. With it's compilation of brief histories on each person featured, this book is great for history lovers, as well as for classroom and school libraries. From historical to modern day, these 50 women and girls have left their mark on the world, and continue to do so today. ...more

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Dec 09, 2018 KC rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical, racism, science, non-fiction, girl-power, political, inspirational, biography, overcoming-adversity, collection

And the GIRL POWER books continue with this beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully laid out collection of power girls and young women in history. A great one for parents and children together or for older kids.

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Jan 26, 2019 Fats rated it it was amazing

Throughout human history, countless women and girls have fought in great and small ways to make their mark on the world and change the future.

I loved everything about this book - layout, art, typeset, photographs, and the stories themselves. Sometimes, it helps to be reminded of the women who made an impact to the world.

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Dec 05, 2018 BrookesEducationLibrary rated it really liked it

Shelves: factual

Beautiful factual book about women and girls who have made big differences in our world :D

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Oct 02, 2019 Leslie Marley rated it really liked it

Diverse and well written perfect for ages 9-13. Wonderful facts and details reveal a female side of history.

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May 21, 2019 Cindy Hudson rated it it was amazing

History is often told through the exploits of men, because for the most part they held the most powerful positions and made the decisions that changed the world. But that’s not always the case. Elizabeth I is an exception, a queen who helped solidify England’s place as a nation with world-wide impact. Mother Teresa made a difference in a different area, helping to found an organization that has grown to more than 500 centers in more than 100 countries to better the lives of the poor.

These are ju ...more

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Dec 30, 2019 Pam rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, middle-grades

Brief biographies of fifty women who have changed the world. Divided into five categories of influence:
- Believe & Lead
- Imagine & Create
- Help & Heal
- Think & Solve
- Hope & Overcome
Halligan offer quotes when possible and brief summaries of their lives that show readers how they changed the world around them.

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Aug 14, 2020 Mary rated it it was amazing

Shelves: children-s-nonfiction, children-s-books, middle-grade, picture-book-biography, family-read-aloud

Are your kids homeschooling or distance learning this fall? If you’d allow me to recommend just one thing to buy to support learning, take my word and buy these two books! Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World and Wildlives: 50 Extraordinary Animals That Made History have been favorites in our house for the last 6 months!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
So what makes them worth owning? Each volume contains 50 incredible true stories of women and animals who did amazing things in the world. You’ve likely h ...more

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Apr 05, 2019 Amanda - Cover2CoverMom rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019, audiobooks

You can read all of my reviews on my blog -> Cover2CoverMom Blog

Another collection of mini biographies to celebrate influential women throughout history. Herstory features a few women that I have not seen much of in other mini biography collections: Mother Theresa, Anne Frank, Annie Sullivan, Emily Brontë, Frida Kahlo...

My only issue with this book was the glossing over of problematic aspects of some of the women featured in this book. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the inclusion of women t ...more

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Sep 11, 2018 Erin Buhr rated it really liked it

Shelves: kids-nonfiction

Women have been changing, shaping, and contributing to the world forever, but their achievements are documented far less than their male counterparts. This book is an admirable step towards correcting this.

HERSTORY shares 50 women and girls from around the world who have helped to shape our current world. There are names you will recognize like Sister Theresa and Maya Angelou, but also you will likely never have heard of such as Hatshepsut or Annie Sullivan.

Illustrated with drawings and photog ...more

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Sep 03, 2019 Nancy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: middle-school, historical-content, biography, inspirational, multicultural, international, feminist, adolescent

History is often about “his” stories, but this book includes “her” stories that encourage readers to “take inspiration from these fifty women and girls and shake things up!” The book (organized by theme into five categories: Believe & Lead, Imagine & Create, Help & Heal, Think & Solve, and Hope & Overcome) presents the stories of a diverse selection of women and girls from different countries, cultures, and eras (1504 B.C.–present) including Sacagawea, Theresa Kachindamoto, Mirabai, Frida Kahlo, ...more

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Nov 11, 2019 Neela rated it it was amazing

50 women and girls who shook up the world, by Katherine Halligan, is about many women who were told that they were not good enough. These 50 women were told that just because they were women or because they are not royalty that they could not make a difference. But that did not stop them, they proved everyone wrong and sometimes it took people a long time to realize that these incredible women were brave enough to make a difference. even if they realized it many years after the person had passed ...more

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May 25, 2019 Diane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

With (3) young granddaughters (ages 5-7), I'm always searching for books that emphasize the fact that girls can be anything they want to be. Dream, work hard and achieve. When I saw a review of this book somewhere I wanted to try it and, overall, I'd say this book was a hit. This book is targeted at the 8+ age group (grades 3 & 4).

Herstory is an inspiring book which looks at 50 girls and women from around the world who left a mark on history. From artists, social leaders, activists, writers, sci ...more

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Dec 14, 2018 Georgia Herod rated it it was amazing

Katherine Halligan presents a two-page spread on fifty women and girls who have been world changers. Born between 1504 BC and 1997, these women were leaders, artists, healers, teachers, guides, problem-solvers, heroes, fighters, and dreamers.

Halligan includes a bio of each subject, followed by a section on what the woman or girl did, and ends with a section "Shaking Up the World. Quotations by the subject, as well as sketches and illustrations by Sarah Walsh add to the life and impact of each on ...more

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Aug 22, 2019 Victoria B. rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, middle-grade, non-fiction, history, biography, kids-books

I really enjoyed reading this book - I learned a lot of new information about women who have changed the world with their inventions, discoveries, leadership, activism, and creations. It's an amazing book for girls who want role models (especially in the STEAM categories), as the women depicted cover multiple countries over the span of 3500 years, but the author also includes a couple of less-than-stellar examples and minimizes their darker/harsher side (looking at you, Indira Gahndi and Isabell ...more

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Dec 29, 2020 layla the b :) rated it really liked it

Shelves: my-muslim-peeps, activism, meh, that-cover-tho, pocmain, 3-5

OVERALL RATING:3.5/5 stars
AGE RATING: all ages

great things
🍓i love this kind of art style
🍓the overall design of the pages was well thought out
🍓 a pretty diverse range of women
🍓 a good introduction to women who "shook up the world"

not- so -great things
🍓the writing style was kinda funky and cumbersome. reminds me of when i'm trying to make my essay longer so i add excessive words
🍓I've seen this in other reviews and i agree; this book is overly saccharine, and skips over controversial assets of thes ...more

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About Katherine Halligan

Katherine Halligan

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Katherine Halligan grew up near the beach in California with her nose in a book and her toes in the sand. She studied arts, literature, history, and languages, travelling and living all over the world. Her love of words and pictures led her to work as a publisher, writing over 100 books for children along the way. She lives—once again—near the beaches in California with her husband and their two d ...more