RGG: Very accessible, but extremely important. The importance of the education of girls is clear and data-driven. The obstacles of slavery, sex work, and poverty are undeniably harsh realities.

Great photos and really amazing stories. I wish there had been a little bit of a mention that some of these issues affect girls in the developed world as well as nations dealing with war and famine, but overall it was full of fascinating snapshots of young women. Girls are so amazing, friends. ( )

This is an incredibly informative book on an important issue all over the world. It's a quick read for anyone interested in brushing up on the subject and getting involved.
Most of the information wasn't new for me as it was also mostly covered in Half the Sky, but it was sorted and presented differently. First of all, this is based on a documentary, so the author knew that much of the information had been presented before. She chose to focus on some of the finer details of the situation rather than the overarching themes of why girls aren't getting educated. She starts with the stories of the individual girls seen in the documentary and then widened the view to show that their situations are representative of the issue in their country or region.
The other benefit that this book has over Half the Sky is that it is predominantly uplifting. Each of the girls mentioned and who the reader gets to know has found a way to school and is flourishing. The author mentions that they are the lucky ones, and that more needs to be done, but she doesn't leave the reader with the feeling that it's too big to hope for there ever being a resolution. That may seem a little less realistic to some or like there is false hope, but it depends on the reader.
The book is clearly targeted at a younger reader and as a started into the issue, so she's probably banking on the reader not having read anything like Half the Sky yet. As a starter into the issue and a book that focused on education alone (the other one has a whole host of women's issues that it discusses), it's fanstastic. It introduces the problem well, it gives the reader someone to relate to in order to inspire the reader to help with the problem and then it even gives possible ways for any reader to help with the problem. I wouldn't recommend it to someone already familiar with this issue only because it would be redundant. On the other hand, it'd be the first book I mentioned to someone asking about the importance of educating girls worldwide alonside their brothers, especially if that person has a tendency to want to help with things they are informed about.
The ways to help aren't perfect and are centered around the reader being a youth or student. They aren't necessarily fit for everyone, but they are options to get one thinking about what can be done. They are small steps to take in that direction. ( )

This is a vivid book showing the extreme hardships girls face around the globe, yet told through the eyes of several motivated females who refuse to be held down for their circumstances. There are at least 62 million girls who do not go to school (the number could be as high as 130 million)! In many countries education for a female is not encouraged or in some places even acceptable. The book is organized with a table of contents, only following the dedication page stating: "For all girls who fight for what is not given them, and for all the people who help them." T.L.S. To the left of the contents, there is a group of young females in school uniforms photographed in Nepal carrying books and newspapers. These opening pages give the reader a sense of hope, though we know the upcoming chapters will be difficult to consume. We see the book is broken into three parts, the stakes, the stories, and the solutions. Following the content there is evidence of extensive research shown through the author's note, acknowledgements, bibliography, source notes, photo credits, appendix and index.

This book is taken from the film, and with a more in-depth accurate look at the obstacles these girls faced and how they are overcoming their battles. The photos (always labeled with a location) are stunning and give a crystal clear view of how the particular girl is feeling. Many of the photos are accompanied by a quote from the girl as well. In part two, where the author Tanya Lee Stone, tells the stories about their lives, too often the facts seem too horrible to be true. Child slavery, forced marriage, child marriage, yet somehow these girls continue to preserve. Part three is uplifting and provides some solutions to these problems worldwide, and follows up with each girl where they are today (as of 2017).

Stone's dedication to the accuracy of this project is indisputable. Everything is well documented, and well sourced. The source notes are organized by chapters, and each text and photo is listed by page. The edition I was fortunate enough to read also came with an Educator's Guide. The guide has goals and objectives, pre-reading activities, discussion questions, curriculum connections, and further resources. As an educator I would absolutely use this in my classroom to discuss social injustices, gender roles, and discrimination. This book could easily be adapted for ELA, social studies, and geography. ( )