By Michelle Markel
Pictures by Melissa Sweet
Published by Blazer + Bray (2013)
Brave Girl is all about girl power, something we at Saint Mary's love! This inspirational tale shows what life was like for many immigrants in the early 1900s. Clara, a young girl arrives and begins to work in a garment factory because her father can't get a job. The conditions are horrible, but she powers through. Not only does Clara work long hours, she loves to kern and spends any free time she has reading. The men that work at the factory say they want to form a union to protest the working conditions, but don't think the women are tough enough to do it. Clara leads the effort and starts a strike. She puts herself in major danger, but that doesn't stop her. She continues to fight and starts the largest walkout of women workers in U.S. history. Clara is an American hero. My favorite passage from the book goes as follows:
"And the strike convinces Clara to keep fighting for the rights of workers. her throat is hoarse, her feet are sore, but she has helped thousands of people. Proving that in American, wrongs can be righted, warriors can wear skirts and blouses, and the bravest hearts may beat in girls only five feet tall."I am so glad I discovered this amazing book! The illustrations are wonderful. They are filled with different textile prints with sticking on each page to resemble the work of Clara and the other garment factory workers. The watercolor pictures enhance the powerful story and make the setting and tone clear. This is an excellent resource when teaching about strikes and factories in the the 1900s. It also emphasizes the role of women and women's rights. The book provides additional information about the movement at the end. I highly recommend this book!
Markel, M., Sweet, M., Zegar, R., Balzer + Bray,, & HarperCollins (Firm),. (2013). Brave girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909.
