Kendall, Martha E. (2001). Failure is Impossible: The History of American Women's Rights. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner. 96pp.

Grade Range: 6-12

Genre: nonfiction

Summary & Critique

This is an amazing account of women's struggle for equal rights – to be treated fairly as well as equally, to vote, to earn incomes comparable to males, to live, and to pursue happiness – in America. Kendall begins the text with anecdotes and images from the colonial times of the 17^th century and explores the next 400 years as women strove for equal rights. Many quotes and anecdotes are included which gives nice voice to the text, helping it flow amazingly, while simultaneously informing the reader of important, not-to-be-forgotten moments in history. Readers will discover what is was like to be single in the 1600's, how much money a woman would make after a week of working 14-hour days, what bloomers and flappers were, and that the 20^th century meant great changes for women but still not necessarily equal treatment. Readers will learn about courageous females such as Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Betty Friedan, as well as many more.

The text lends itself to easy integration into the classroom for research and/or discussion topics for history and/or literature. The book ends with a detailed timeline, which notes important moments for women since the year 1607, a bibliography of selected related works, and four pages of biographies of influential women from both past and present-day America. This is a text every American female should read – so that she knows where women have been, and so she realizes the need for continued struggle to get women where they still need to go.

Awards

2002 Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) – American Library Association (ALA) Best Book for Young Adults

Themes/Topics

Challenges and Triumphs

Generations

The Individual vs. Society

Author/Illustrator Information

Kendall was raised in Rochester, NY. She has a B.A. in both English and Spanish, an M.A. in English, an M.A. in social science, and she has studied music. In addition to writing, Kendall also teaches, plays music, and is a public speaker. She has won numerous awards for both her novels and her teaching. Kendall and her husband, a musician, currently reside in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

For more information on Martha E. Kendall:

http://www.scbwinorca.org/bios/indivauthuillus/Children%92s%20Author8.htm Biographical information and annotated bibliography of some of her books

http://t3.preservice.org/T0301022/author.html Biographical information and an awards list

Media Connections

Movies

Not for Ourselves Alone - The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony (1999) Discusses Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony's courageous struggle to build a national women's suffrage movement.

Failure is Impossible: Susan B. Anthony (n.d.) An interview with Lynn Sherr, author of Failure is Impossible: Susan B. Anthony in Her Own Words.

Little Women (1994) The trials and tribulations of four sisters living in New England during the Civil War.

Conrack (1974) A Caucasian teacher in a predominantly African-American school challenges the establishment.

The Joy Luck Club (1993) Explores the lives of four Chinese women and their relationships with their four Chinese-American daughters.

Audio

"Gloria Steinem" and "Betty Friedan on Women's Rights" from http://encarta.msn.com. Audio clips from speeches Steinem and Friedan gave on women's rights.

Music

"Independent Women." Performed by Destiny's Child. Survivor. Sony, 2001. A song that celebrates independent women.

Online Resources

http://www.now.org Official site for the National Organization for Women.

http://www.equalrightsamendment.org Information on the Equal Rights Amendment.

http://www.greatwomen.org/home.php Web site for National Women's Hall of Fame.

http://www.madre.org A site promoting human rights for women and families worldwide.

http://www.un.org/womenwatch/ A division of the United Nations that provides information about equality of women.

Related Texts

Morrison, Lillian (Ed). (2001). More Spice Than Sugar: Poems about Feisty Females. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 80pp. A short anthology of poems about heroic, inspiring, and strong women.

McKissak, Pat. (1992). Sojourner Truth: Ain't I a Woman? New York: Scholastic, 182pp. A biographical account of Sojourner Truth, a slave who escaped and fought for the rights of African-Americans and women.

Spinelli, Jerry. (2000). Stargirl. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 186pp. A unique girl who had been home-schooled discovers popularity and painful ostracism when she enters a public high school.

Bolden, Tonya. (1998). 33 Things Every Girl Should Know about Women's History: From Suffragettes to Skirt Lengths to the E.R.A. New York: Crown. 240pp. Details contributions of a wide variety of women from the 18^th century to the present.

Steinem, Gloria. (1994). Moving Beyond Words: Age, Rage, Sex, Power, Money, Muscles: Breaking the Boundaries of Gender. New York: Simon & Schuster. 320pp. Six essays that explore the issues mentioned in the title.

Teaching Ideas

(1) "That was Then; This is Now" Students choose two poems (or other written work of literature) – one written before 1950 and one written after 1980 – that have strong similarities in theme, meaning, point of view, tone, diction, imagery, structure, or topic. Students then compare and contrast the works using a graphic organizer, or in writing, and orally present their information to the class. This activity can be adapted in many ways and for various purposes but will promote an awareness of changing times, changing points of view, and of a changing – hopefully evolving – society.

[Summarized/adapted from "Comparing the Old and the New" by Nancy Barile in Classroom Notes Plus. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. October 2002, p. 6.]

(2) "Idea Grids" After reading Failure is Impossible: The History of American Women's Rights (or another text about important moments in history), students work in groups to name specific turning points in the history of women's struggle for equal rights. Provide students with a template of a three-column grid, labeled by column: Before/Turning Point/After. Students then explore, debate, and discuss the importance of various historical events within their group, with partners, or as a class. Students may discuss strategies for writing about their particular turning point/topic utilizing the grid as a planning or organizational tool. Students could also use grids for brainstorming and/or planning their writing or presentations during future projects/ideas (e.g. writing about a turning point in their own lives).

[Summarized/adapted from "The Value of Idea Grids" by Kim Ballard in Classroom Notes Plus. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. August 2002, p. 8.]

(3) "Whose Side are You on Anyway?" After introducing points of view to the class, read Jon Sciezka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and Jane Yolen's Encounter. Discuss the two books and how point of view often changes everything in literature (and in our lives). Discuss how the books may have been different if told from another point of view. Next, utilize a book such as Failure is Impossible: The History of American Women's Rights (or another text that addresses times/events when people disagreed over what should happen or what exactly was the right thing to do), and choose a topic (such as women's right to vote). Assign students to particular sides (yes to women's suffrage/no to women's suffrage). Have the students write down arguments for their side, as well as arguments they think the other side will come up with. Have students debate (in a courteous way) the issue orally or in writing. Then to liven things up: switch sides and start over.

[Summarized/adapted from "Experimenting with Point of View" by Leah K. Esker in Classroom Notes Plus. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. January 2002, p. 4.]

(4) "What Does that Picture Really Say?" Have students find images of females and males in newspaper articles, cartoons, ads, and magazines. Have them note particular stereotypical features and write about or discuss how the genders are appropriately or inappropriately displayed. Have them watch (not necessarily in class) a few movies and note how particular characters are portrayed and whether they feel this is a fair assessment of the represented gender. Have them listen to modern songs and songs from a few decades back and compare the lyrics, images, or impressions of the gender of the "characters." Have them watch commercials during young children's programming on TV or view video games and discuss the stereotypical (or not) features found.

Compile the information individually or in groups. Have students present their findings to the class. Have students suggest ways to increase awareness of stereotypical images (and their presumptive meanings) in the media, as well as ways to create/present images that are more dependent on individuality and that celebrate uniqueness, rather than ignoring it.

[Summarized/adapted from "Examining Images of Men and Women in the Media" by Krista Ediger in Classroom Notes Plus. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. January 2002, p. 13]

(Review written by Lisa Wenske and edited by Jennifer E. Moore)