Paisley writes for every female rather than ones called feminist. This slim volume is packed with websites, examples, quotes, and pop quizzes that explore what being female means in the media, workplace, public, marriage, and other social situations. This would be meaningful and appropriate for pre-teens and teenagers. ( )

A good introduction to social networking activism, this book defines and explains concepts that may be foreign to the youngest of readers.

However, it was too elementary at times, and I found myself frustrated by the lack of depth to many of the concepts and suggestions. I do not have young females in my life, so I am not the best audience for this book. ( )

As a Women's Studies instructor, I was impressed by this book overall. Erinne Paisley's "Can Your Conversations Change the World?" is an introduction to feminism and feminist activism designed for media-savvy, tech-savvy YA readers. I'm guessing the best audience fit would be young middle schoolers. If you know an 11 or 12 year-old who likes to read but also spends lots of time on their phone, that kind of reader might get a kick out of how this book tries to engage them on both platforms.

Pros are that it's small, colorful, and emphasizes references to pop culture and social media. It attempts to incorporate global and historical facts into a Canada and U.S.-centric description of what feminism looks like today, for young readers who might not be comfortable or knowledgeable about "the f-word" yet. Chapter topics include Reproductive Rights (starting with Margaret Sanger and ending with Laci Green) and "Smashing the Glass Ceiling," which opens with a photo of Hillary Clinton. Clearly, for parents and educators who identify with socially progressive politics, this book would seem like a terrific intro to key terms (like gender bias, intersectional feminism, being an ally, and consent) and key players (such as Planned Parenthood, Sheryl Sandberg, and Malala Yousafzai).

That said, the biggest con is knowing I'd get an earful from my less socially progressive relatives if I tried to gift a copy of this book to the tween members of my extended family. 75% of the material within would seem acceptable to most readers (sexism is bad; rape is bad; child marriage is bad) but the 25% that's polarizing is REALLY REALLY polarizing. For instance, the references to abortion and the characterization of Donald Trump as anti-feminist (while true) would probably infuriate conservative parents. Even for people who aren't strong Trump supporters, I'm guessing lots of stuff about this book would raise their hackles. I'd love to see a book like this find a way to raise pro-feminist, anti-sexist, anti-racist, anti-fascist issues for young people WITHOUT turning off the adults whose kids and students need it most. Our conversations cannot change the world if they alienate or become inaccessible to the young people whose parents would throw it away if they found their kid with a copy. Is a more accessible, less polarizing version of a book like this even possible, without watering down its feminist values too much...? I hope so. Because the more young people we can reach, the better.

Overall, I liked this book as a conversation starter for a tween or young teen who may not be familiar with the concept of feminism and with some of the terminology. The writing style is easy to understand, and there is a glossary of terms and a list of resources for the reader. ( )

I approached this book from an educator's viewpoint. My basic question to myself concerned whether or not I would want to add this to my personal social studies library for students to peruse as their will. The answer is a resounding yes. The author takes an insightful look at human rights and more specifically women's rights. She looks at a number of issues associated with feminism as well as the history of people fighting for women's rights. It is written so that the average 7-12 grade student could read it and easily understand it. There are wonderful photos and sidebars adding to the reader's understanding of the topics involved in each chapter. Finally, there is a glossary and list of resources that are very helpful. I would recommend this to every school to add to their library shelves for students in grades 7-12. ( )