This delightfully inspiring book encourages kids to chase after their dreams and break boundaries no matter their age through the stories of these icons.

Some you probably know like Anna Frank and Greta Thunberg but it also features some new ones like Samantha Smith who wrote to a Soviet leader and became a peace ambassador (and yes I now realize that Golden Girls episode that dealt with the same exact storyline was based on real life) and Carlos Acosta, the first black principle dancer for the Royal Ballet.

It also shows some kids that were important subjects to course cases like Claudette Colvin in Browder v. Gayle that brought an end to bus segregation in Montgomery. There’s also Ryan White whose name is given to the Ryan White CARE Act to fund AIDs diagnosis and treatment.

Though it is primarily for elementary school students, it doesn’t shy away from the harshness of some of these activists’ lives, for example, Igbal Masih was a child slave who escaped and fought for children’s rights only to be murdered for his activism when he was twelve. It’s tragic but important that his story is known and all that he accomplished in his short life.

The book also poses questions at the end of each section such as what to do if someone is being bullied, following your passion despite parental pressure etc. Modern day problems that are answered with quotes or reasonable assumptions based on the person’s life as to how they would tackle the issue. It also features a quick quiz of which activist you are most like.

While I enjoyed all the people featured here, I couldn’t help but feel that Tawakkol Karman was a bit out of place. It’s a book about young activist but most of her important protests and non violent resistance during Arab Spring occurred when she was adult. Arguably, she still fits because she was the youngest person to recieve the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, but it still felt out of place as all the others are in their teens or at least 18 when they made their big differences which was in the theme of the book.

Anyway, that’s a minor quibble as it is overall, a very informative and inspiring