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"Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls" book

57 replies

SirVixofVixHall · 18/05/2017 20:17

A friend has just bought this for my daughter's 10th birthday....She was happily reading the "stories of 100 heroic women". Then she says "Mama there is a BOY in here". There is a boy in there. A boy who has done nothing heroic in his short life, but "love dresses, the color pink, and shiney shoes".Oh and his parents managed to convince a judge that he should use the "bathroom of his choice" which was the girls. Hmm
Then his parents threw a party. Probably involving lots of pink and sparkle. And this is supposed to inspire young girls, as much as Jane Austen, Rosa Parks, Florence Nightingale and Helen Keller, who are some of the other "100 heroic women".
Dd is outraged and I am furious. This is gaslighting girls, and a prime example of the patriarchy in action- to get in this list as a woman you could write a novel that has lasted for 200 years, you could stand up to racists, you could be a suffragette. To get in as a male? Oh just like pink and insist on using the girls loos. Angry Angry

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Cagliostro · 20/05/2017 21:16

Bran thank you so much for those recommendations. My mum is happy to get the Bad Girls one instead for DD's birthday which I know will be very well received! The others that I don't have are on my wishlist for the future. :)

fruitlovingmonkey · 20/05/2017 09:55

How depressing.
I suppose you could rename the book.
"I Got 99 Heroines but that Bitch is a Male"

user1487175389 · 20/05/2017 08:08

Lmfao! Transactivism in a hilarious nutshell. Glad your dd is getting wise to it at an early age. Along with my own dd she'll hopefully be one of the girls who starts highschool after peak trans, so hopefully things will be getting slightly less ridiculous by then.

Brannovice · 20/05/2017 07:59

Agree, this inclusion marrs an otherwise admirable book. There are a few other books about at the moment with a similar premise. I have picked up all of the following, and while I've not read them all cover to cover yet I have enjoyed what I've read so far.

Bad Girls Throughout History by Ann Shen - 100 revolutionary women. This is similar to Goodnight Stories in style.

Women in Science by Rachel Ignotofsky - again similar presentation, focussing on women in science, both eminent and overlooked.

Dead Feminists by Chandler O'Leary and Jessica Spring - aimed for older children/adults. Little bit more text and graphics.

Rejected Princesses by Jason Porath - short biographies of historical women illustrates in the Disney style, presenting 'complex, real-life heroines' in place of the 'sparkly, doe-eyed damsels who dominate children's minds everywhere.'

Cagliostro · 20/05/2017 00:28

So basically it's called Goodnight Stories but am I right that each of the other (99?) stories in there is about an influential woman? So, 99 amazing heroines and 1 boy, as opposed to a bunch of stories about various 'rebellious' happenings, one of which is this boy liking sparkles?

Had a brief flick through the women in science book and I really like it, I think it will be just right for DD. A few simple paragraphs on each woman, but with little facts and quotes scattered around too. Good list of names I think although I didn't have time for a proper look.

Original poster
SirVixofVixHall · 19/05/2017 20:38

The message is so horrible- that no matter how brilliant a girl is, a boy can just take over her space and he is somehow just as good, for doing nothing at all.

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MrsKCastle · 19/05/2017 19:42

Bah, I have bought this book for my DDs and have enjoyed reading them some of the stories. I hadn't realized that this was in there. I now feel very cross and let down.

Not sure what to do- stick the page down so it can't be read, stick something else over it or leave it there and use it as a talking point.

This, right here, is why I get angry when people say 'Stop moaning about transwomen, they're not harming anyone.' It absolutely is harmful to present this child as an equivalent to these famous women.

BaggyCheeks · 19/05/2017 19:40

Contents! Also an example of Mary Edward Walkers' page - which makes the entire opposite point to Coy Mathis.
"A few times, Mary was arrested for dressing in men's clothes. But to Mary, those were just clothes - she just wore what she wanted."

BaggyCheeks · 19/05/2017 19:39

Contents! Also an example of Mary Edward Walkers' page - which makes the entire opposite point to Coy Mathis.
"A few times, Mary was arrested for dressing in men's clothes. But to Mary, those were just clothes - she just wore what she wanted."

hazeyjane · 19/05/2017 19:38

I have just bought this for dd2, and nearly threw the bloody thing across the room when I got to that page. Dh wants to glue the pages together, but it's made me so angry I want to send it back!

BaggyCheeks · 19/05/2017 19:31

Photos? Illustrations Confused

BaggyCheeks · 19/05/2017 19:30

Once I've done bedtime I'll take a photo of the contents. I would say that in spite of the occasional innacuracy and the page in question, I don't regret buying it. The illustrations are beautiful, my DD is only 2 and she loves looking at the photos. Simone Biles and Joan Jett are her current favourites 😎

Cagliostro · 19/05/2017 15:54

I probably wouldn't say anything unless she was likely to buy it for others!

Bizarrely my mum just sent me a message saying "I found a book I was thinking of for DD's birthday" - guess what book it is! I am pleased she thought of it though (she's really got on board with the whole inspiring DD thing and is forever tagging me in links about brilliant women from the past etc, she's a history nut). But I have said what the issues are with it in a thank you but no thank you sort of way. She would be thoroughly raging at the Queen Elizabeth mistake mentioned upthread anyway!

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SirVixofVixHall · 19/05/2017 15:48

I goggled Coy Mattis. When he was six (I think he must be about nine now?) his parents campaigned (and won the case) to have him use the girl's loos at school. So young girls are forced into sharing their loos with him ( it is fairly common now to start periods in primary), and yet he is in this book about inspirational women. Grrrrrrr. I am even angrier after googling. Not with him, obviously, he is a child, none of this is his fault. He is a victim of the current looniness where gender non-conforming children must be transed. How this book can claim to inspire girls though? I'm wondering what to say to the (lovely) friend who bought it.

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Cagliostro · 19/05/2017 15:18

Science book is arriving today BTW although not sure I'll get a chance to investigate away from DD's prying eyes!

Cagliostro · 19/05/2017 15:17

Thank you so much for looking :) yes it's getting a bit young for her now, she has ASD though and finds processing text a bit difficult so we tend to stick to things that are a little younger. Hopefully this science one is ok for her, I know she will be really excited to open it.

Original poster
SirVixofVixHall · 19/05/2017 15:14

Oh cross posted, so you have that one already. Lots of others on Amazon, but not any I've looked through, so I can't suggest a good one.

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Original poster
SirVixofVixHall · 19/05/2017 15:13

Re Mary Anning, I've had a look and my dds had "the Fossil Girl" when they were younger (they are 10 and 12 now, this is some years ago, so 4/5 and 6/7 maybe). They enjoyed it.

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Cagliostro · 19/05/2017 15:10

There better not be any sir I may cry or throw it out the window :o

Cagliostro · 19/05/2017 15:10

Thanks sir we have one called Fossil Girl I think, but any recommendations would be much appreciated! :) We are going to Lyme Regis for our holiday this year so hoping to find some more grown up books about her too.

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SirVixofVixHall · 19/05/2017 15:10

it looks as though it has the same cover and format, I wonder how many men will be in that one? Grin

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Original poster
SirVixofVixHall · 19/05/2017 15:08

Mary Anning is in there, but the info is so short and trivial. there is a better book to buy if your wants to know more about her, it is a picture book- I'll try and find it on Amazon or go through my daughter's bookshelves.

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Cagliostro · 19/05/2017 15:08

I can't guarantee how good it is as I haven't received it yet, and this one is only science related achievements, but I've got this one for DD's birthday next month.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1526360519/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1495202734&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=women+in+science+book&dpPl=1&dpID=511jgsgXsNL&ref=plSrch&tag=mumsnetforum-21

BuckinghamLass · 19/05/2017 15:03

I clicked on this thread as I was about to order this book for DD's upcoming birthday. Am a bit reluctant to do so now. Flipping heck, comparing Helen Keller's achievements with a child wearing a dress?!

Don't want to derail, but can anyone recommend an alternative?

YesMilk · 19/05/2017 14:55

I bought it for my 4yo DD, got to this page and shoved it in the cupboard!

All these stories of clever, brave, strong women and then a little boy who liked pink and demanded he should be able to use the girls' toilets Hmm Angry

I thought about ripping the page out etc, but it felt wrong somehow.

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