A woman in the House (and Senate); how women came to the United States Congress, broke down barriers, and changed the country by Ilene Cooper and illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2014. $24.95.

“This woman’s place is in the house-the House of Representatives! (Bella Abzug, p. 69).

Cooper is a former librarian (hooray!), current reviewer for Booklist, author of over thirty books and the winner of the National Jewish Award for Jewish Holidays all Year Round (Abrams, 2002). Her latest book is an excellent resources for teachers, librarians, and parents who wish to help children understand and celebrate the 94th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment which gave women the right to vote  (August 26, 1920) and how that impacted herstory and history.

Following an introductory essay on the role and duties of Congress, the book is divided into several chronological eras, such as “Flash and Crash, 1920-1930”.  Each era is introduced with a brief historical overview of major events and how women were impacted. For example, World War II created more jobs than there were men to fill them. This led to an unprecedented number of women joining the workforce. Two page spreads preceding each overview show iconic period photos of women.

See my full review at Good Reads with Ronna