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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

'Herstory' for 5 year olds - does this book exist?

37 replies

sethstarkaddersmum · 30/06/2010 11:02

I decided to tell dd a bedtime story about the Suffragettes the other night and it really caught her imagination. She lay there for ages shouting 'Votes for women!' instead of going to sleep.

It got me thinking - I would like a book I can pick up at night for a bedtime story the way I do with my books of fairy tales and folk tales, but with female role models for dd so that she does not end up like the girl being discussed on another thread right now who chose Cheryl Cole as one of the most important women of our time.
When I was young I loved the R.J.Unstead 'People in history' books so what I really want is a feminist version of those.

Does anyone know of anything like this? I can think of so many great stories.

OP posts:
SweetDreamerGirl · 30/06/2010 11:42

In that case, the book will something to look forward to.

cockles · 30/06/2010 11:40

I saw these en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Story_%28Scholastic_UK%29#My_Story:_Girls
in a bookshop recently - 'my story' for girls, all set in different historical periods -didn't look at but could be fun.
For older ones there is a great suffrage story called Miss Rivers and Miss Bridges by Geraldine Symons, where two girls dress up as suffragettes and take part in the campaigns.

Original poster
sethstarkaddersmum · 30/06/2010 11:35

pmsl @ 'indeed general greatness'.

Although the Sandi Toksvig book looks fab I wonder if it is really for older girls - the reviews say teenagers or 7-11.

OP posts:
SweetDreamerGirl · 30/06/2010 11:30

That anti-feminist "review" is actually high praise indeed. It sounds like the book is absolutely perfect for your DD. For a minute there, I thought the Patriarchy had done soft on us women.

SweetDreamerGirl · 30/06/2010 11:25

Crikey - what a review!

"99% of all scientific discovery, exploration, invention and indeed general greatness were achieved by the male of the species."

So women being legally barred from education and jobs has nothing to do with it then? GROWL!!!!

Original poster
sethstarkaddersmum · 30/06/2010 11:20

Hoopyfrood - looks great, I love Sandi Toksvig - have ordered it on one-click! OMG @ this review though :'I am usually a fan of Sandi Toksvig and find her very amusing but this book is simply aimed at filling the heads of young girls with feminist nonsense. Simply trawling through history to find token females that managed to achieve anything does not further the cause in any way, it simply underlines the fact that 99% of all scientific discovery, exploration, invention and indeed general greatness were achieved by the male of the species. This book may be portrayed as humerous and light hearted but giving young girls ideas beyond their station in life is certainly not funny. Buy them books about marrying well, motherhood and household management as this will serve them much better in the long run. '

and lmao @ 'Tellingly, there is no mention of Margaret Thatcher in this book'.

OP posts:
SweetDreamerGirl · 30/06/2010 11:17

"She lay there for ages shouting 'Votes for women!'"

Yay!

tabouleh · 30/06/2010 11:17

Oh - there is the herstoria magazine!

I am thinking of getting a subscription for my birthday. There is a trial on-line edition and some articles and best of all for free there is a women's history website which you could use.

I remember reading at junior school the story of Grace Darling who helped her father save 13 men from a wrecked ship.

That is such a lovely thing that you are going to do for your DD .

SweetDreamerGirl · 30/06/2010 11:15

Enjoy!

HoopyFroodDude · 30/06/2010 11:15

this one is good

Original poster
sethstarkaddersmum · 30/06/2010 11:13

Cool!
Those look great - dd will love them.

OP posts:
SweetDreamerGirl · 30/06/2010 11:11

You could take a look at some "feminist fairy stories" here