JEANNETTE RANKIN: AMERICA'S FIRST CONGRESSWOMAN, a book for middle-grade readers, tells the inspiring true story of one of America's most prominent women of the 20th Century. Jeannette Rankin was born on a Montana ranch in 1880, in the valley of the Bitterroot Mountains, in a pioneer’s land. She would leave this land to make a lasting mark on her country. Rankin was the first woman elected to Congress, in 1916, a full century before Hillary Clinton ran for president. A devout pacifist, Rankin was the only member of Congress to vote against the U.S. fighting in World Wars I and II. Over the span of 60 years, she would become one of America’s foremost feminists, pacifists and suffragists. In her 80s, Rankin led a march in Washington against the Vietnam War. She fought for what she believed in. She never backed down. This book is the second in the author's Groundbreaker Series: Middle-grade biographies about extraordinary people who did extraordinary things. For more information about the author's books, please see www.peteraronsonbooks.com From KIRKUS REVIEWS:BOOK REVIEW A biography for middle-grade readers tells the story of the first woman elected to federal office in the United States. Aronson (Bronislaw Huberman, 2018) introduces young readers to Jeannette Rankin (1880-1973), who was elected to Congress twice and voted against the United States' entry into both world wars. The book takes readers on a chronological tour of her life, from her childhood on a Montana ranch to her work as part of the women's suffrage movement and social work, moving into her political career and anti-war activism. It brings the story full circle with her late-in-life opposition to the Vietnam War, when a new generation of activists looked up to her as a role model.Through well-documented research--the backmatter includes citations, a bibliography, and a timeline of Rankin's life--Aronson provides a thorough overview of her subject. He includes plenty of specific detail ("She was handed a bouquet of flowers and then driven down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol in an open car, waving to supporters as she was escorted by 25 flag-draped cars") while sticking to documented facts, and the numerous photographs and scanned newspaper images add to the reader's understanding of the various time periods. Aronson's prose is straightforward, conveying information without rhetorical flourishes: "On November 6, 1916, Rankin had the opportunity to vote for the first time in her life in a main election--and she voted for herself." He does a good job of establishing Rankin's historical noteworthiness but not overselling her legislative accomplishments, acknowledging the symbolic value of her initial election and her votes against the wars but also noting that the votes cost her re-elections in both cases. He also draws links between her relatively short congressional career and her lifelong activism. The concise narrative provides an age-appropriate amount of information, and it will be a useful addition to middle-school library shelves--particularly in light of the historic number of women elected to Congress last November. A well-organized and thoroughly researched account of a remarkable historical figure. From THE US REVIEW OF BOOKS JeannetteRankin: America's First Congresswoman by Peter Aronson Double M Books bookreview by Michelle Jacobs "Ibelieved then as I do now that women are the ones who must be concerned withthe needs and development of the human race." This second book in The Groundbreaker Series formiddle-grade readers is a biography of Jeannette Rankin, America's firstcongresswoman, who was elected in 1916. Born in Montana in 1880, Rankin'spioneering spirit is evident throughout her early life on her family's ranchwhere her parents instilled strong values and then later at college where shebegins to set a course for her life that is not a traditional trajectory towardmarriage and family. Instead, she begins to seek career opportunities in socialwork and eventually becomes a leading suffrage advocate working tirelessly topush for a woman's right to vote. As a congresswoman, she solidifies a legacyof pacifism, casting a vote against entering World War I and World War II. Rankin was recognized throughout her life for her work asa feminist and for her anti-war activism. Her life story is inspiring andrelevant for today's young readers looking for historical role models.Informative and interesting, Aronson illuminates the life of Rankin with thiswell-researched biography of her extraordinary life. Organized chronologicallyand sprinkled with black and white photographs, each stage of her life isfilled out with details of her aspirations and ambitions to impact society andgovernment. Young readers, parents, and educators can draw a direct line fromRankin's life to the current wave of female congresswomen who made history inthe 2018 midterm elections. This important book solidifies the historicalrecord in the minds of yo