ABCs for girls like me : an alphabet book highlighting the accomplishments of contemporary Black women

by Melanie Goolsby

ABC's for Girls Like Me is a book dedicated to sunshining the achievements of Black Women who are breaking barriers today. The book goes through 26 girls, A to Z, whose accomplishments should motivate and inspire not only black girls but all girls to change the world.

Genres: Picture Books, African American, Biography, Nonfiction, Childrens

60 pages, Hardcover

Published June 8, 2018

Reviews

[Sophia Barro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how this book highlighted Black women who are trailblazers throughout recent history because it is often overlooked that Black people, especially women, are still making new 'firsts' to this day because they have been set back as a whole race due to racism. These women are politicians, athletes, pageant women, actresses, fashion designers, and much more. Growing up, the only Black woman I read about was Harriet Tubman, and this book offers 26 role models for girls who look like them. It teaches kids from a young age that representation matters, and the only role models for Black girls shouldn't have to be just social activists. Melanie Goolsby, a Black author, wrote this book because she was not happy with a book she got for her daughter, McKinley, and the implications that came with it. She wrote "ABCs for girls like me" to empower young, Black girls like McKinley to "shatter the glass ceiling" and reach new heights, despite the challenges you may face to get there, especially on the basis of discrimination.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going to have to look for this one at the library - it's a perfect collection for my strumpet project!!! This is a sweet short book about contemporary black women and girls in an alphabet primer style. Each letter presents a sentence or two about a 'girl like me' who is achieving, accomplishing, making her way in the world with style and sometimes glory. It is never too early to give girls role models that they can identify with - especially black girls, as the important roles and contributions of black women in history are for the most part untold stories.

Read for me by Marisa Martin in the NetFlix series Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watched on Netflix Bookmarks, so not sure if/what it includes for backmatter or additional information on each woman featured.

[Sharon Velez Diodonet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much from this. It really gives Black girls a wide variety of role models. 

[Annamarie Carlson (she, her)]

Using the alphabet as a guide, ABCs for Girls Like Me highlights 26 amazing black women. Recently featured on Netflix Bookmarks. I wish there was a bit of back matter here, providing more information on each of these women, but this is still a welcome addition to collected works featuring diverse individuals.

[Tábata Kotowiski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook ouvido/assistido pela série da Netflix Bookmarks, Celebrating Black Stories. A série tem 12 episódios e cada um, com duração média de 6 minutos, é a leitura de um livro escritor por negros, com histórias voltadas para os negros e lidas por negros. Vale a pena assistir.

[Emily N · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing Women Empowerment book for children. It covers diverse women who have accomplished and been recognized for different things. The illustrations include pictures of the different women. I appreciate how this book includes a lot of contemporary women as most people when covering diverse women only talk about Rosa Parks or Ruby Bridges, not that those people are not important or should not be recognized (because they should!), there are just so many others out there that we should also recognize and talk about otherwise we begin to feed into a "single story". I like how this book promotes women empowerment and shows how women are just as capable as anybody else. This is an excellent book to include in a classroom library as it shows children diverse people who have accomplished different goals and promotes the importance of not telling a single story.

[Halida · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I love the premise and the diverse choice of individuals, I’m not sure if an alphabet book is the right format to deliver it. Each page introduces a new fact that I just forget when I turn to the next one. There are no catchy rhymes or expressive words that stimulate the imagination. I’m no expert, but if a full grown adult like me doesn’t have the attention span to read it, how could a child do? I think it would work so much better if written as an anthology, sort of like Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls.

[Karalee Shotola · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book that can be used to teach children the ABCs while they learn about the accomplishments of 26 black women. Representation is important for young girls, and it can help them realize their dreams and that anything is possible by seeing successful women that look like them. The illustrations of the women are also detailed. However, each letter only includes a single fact about the woman, which can be easily be forgotten when the next page is turned. I think it would be more rememberable if there was more information about each woman.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This particular ABC book has a place in the libraries of preschool thru middle grade readers. The younger learners can apply their developing letter-sound association skills to high achieving brown and black skinned girls from a wide variety of fields of interest. Older readers can use this book as a spring board to other resources in order to learn more about those same women. What a great tool to raise awareness of the achievements of these 26 women!!

[Ellon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saw this on the Netflix series Bookmarks. I loved how it highlight Black women who have done amazing things. Some I had heard of and some I had not. I want to read the print version so I look at the illustrations more closely.

[Araseli Almeida · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how this book was able to portray different women who come from different cultural backgrounds and how they are able to be to accomplish dreams that other children may have. However, I wish it would go in a little more dept with each person.

[Maria Verduzco · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a cute ABC book to introduce black women in an alphabet order and their accomplishments. This will be a good read to teach girl students that they as well can accomplish the things these amazing women have. Grade level is Prek- middle school.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a self-esteem builder! I wish I had a book to read like this when I was a first grader.

[Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like it super cute 😍

[Pen&Quill Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good book. And very beautiful cover

[Todd Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great resource to bring attention to the accomplishments of prominent woman of color. Watch the read-a-loud with my daughter & it spawned multiple conversations. I recommend it :)

[Meaghan]

First read: no rating