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"Madam President: The Extraordinary, True (and Evolving) Story of Women in Politics" by Catherine Thimmesh

Author:

Catherine Thimmesh

Illustrator:

Douglas B. Jones

Publisher:

Houghton Mifflin, 2004

Reviewed by:

Marilyn J. Ward, Carthage College

Madam President provides 23 profiles of politically influential women in America and abroad. First ladies include Abigail Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Among women’s rights activists spotlighted are Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Congresswoman Margaret Chase Smith, Presidential Advisor Condoleezza Rice, and Cabinet members Frances Perkins, Madeleine Albright, and vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro are presented. Foreign leaders like Sri Lanka’s Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Great Britain’s Margaret Thatcher are introduced. The achievements of these remarkable women and more, are illuminated in an informal, lively narrative style, topped off with humorous anecdotes. “Nancy Pelosi: mother of five; grandmother of five; fan of the movie Shrek, the New York Times crossword puzzle, and the quix show Jeopardy! She is also the highest ranking woman in the political history of the United States- of either party, in either body of Congress.” Brief biographies, colored pencil portraits, fascinating quotations, information about the requirements for the presidency, a timeline, an impressive list of sources, and a quiz on the back cover make this book a good choice for research projects in grades 4-7. When read aloud in the classroom, the spirited stories will stimulate important discussion and inspire girls to seek leadership roles.