Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lively, inspiring mini-bios of women who made a difference.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In 29 chapters, BRAZEN: REBEL LADIES WHO ROCKED THE WORLD offers brief stories of women who defied the odds and achieved excellence in their professional lives. Subjects include actor/inventor Hedy Lamarr, art collector Peggy Guggenheim, entertainer Josephine Baker, athlete Cheryl Bridges, and lighthouse keeper Giorgina Reid. Often dismissed by their male colleagues and family members, these women raised their voices to make a better world for themselves and others. Often funny, frequently heartbreaking, these tales of female achievement will surprise and inspire teen readers of any gender.
Is It Any Good?
Capturing the essence of any person's life in a half-dozen pages is a formidable task, but this collection of mini-bios of rebellious and influential women hits the mark almost every time. In Brazen, author/illustrator Penelope Bagieu mostly follows a nine-panel-per-page format, which occasionally becomes crowded but more often anchors the reader's attention in telling details. Some world-famous and some obscure, the women spotlighted come from a wide array of times, places, and cultures. What they share is a conviction that they can excel in their spheres of endeavor. With an open and inviting illustrative style and a gift for caricature, Bagieu celebrates sisterhood and the great things that can be accomplished through it. Female and male readers alike will respond to the book's humor, scholarship, and cheeky, positive attitude.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Brazen uses the graphic medium to tell the life histories of 29 accomplished women. How are comics suited to nonfiction? Do comics allow effects not available to text alone?
How have women's rights been suppressed throughout history? How have individuals struggled against that oppression? What successful strategies did they employ?
How does Brazen depict women in leadership roles? Why do men often dismiss women's observations and opinions, in politics, science, and other fields?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Penelope Bagieu
- Genre : Graphic Novel
- Topics : Arts , History
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : First Second
- Publication date : March 6, 2018
- Number of pages : 304
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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