Dangerous Jane by Suzanne Slade -ESSENTIAL

Slade, Suzanne Dangerous Jane. PICTURE BOOK. Peachtree, 2017. $18.

Jane Addams was from a well to do family and was able to choose a path of education. When she saw injustice and poverty in the world, it inspired her to create change. She first started the Hull house, a large building where the low income immigrant families could go to for education, food, and a place to stay. She also promoted the rights of the women and African Americans. She was beloved. When World War I broke out, she organized for peace. She led the International Congress of Women, who actively spoke out for peace. She cared and fed those effected by the war, with no thought to victor and loser. That’s when the FBI announced her to be the most Dangerous Women in America. But she stuck to her passion of helping those less fortunate and a few years later was the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Extra large pages are filled with illustrations of Jane always wearing green, standing out from a crowd.

This book is a stellar edition to any library. It’s told in picture book format and could easily be shared with K-6^th graders. Teachers will appreciate the history, the lessons of perseverance, the promotion of peace, and helping others regardless of status. Students will love to see how a sad little girl was able to change her life and the world. Readers will love to see the photographs of her in the end of the book and there is a longer biography and timeline included as well. The artwork is lovely but the antique wash over the pages gives it a dated and unappealing look and feel, making it very much less likely to be picked by students on their own, which is incredibly unfortunate.  

El (K-3), EL –ESSENTIAL.  Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author