As a Girl Scout myself, (once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout!) I was naturally intrigued by a book all about Juliette Gordon Low, nicknamed Daisy, the founder of the Girl Scouts. Here Come the Girl Scouts!(Scholastic, 2012) is the illustrated biography of Daisy, highlighting her adventures as a child and how these adventures made her into the brave and innovative woman she grew to be. Readers learn about Daisy's inspiration for starting the Girl Scouts, as well as how it got off the ground in the Victorian era. Each page is largely dominated by fun illustrations, some of which have speech or thought bubbles. There is text that corresponds with the illustration, spanning Juliette's life experiences. Every other page or so readers are treated to a quote from the original Girl Scout handbook. Here are some examples of the quotes throughout the book:
At the end of the biography, there is a two page spread of well-known women who are Girl Scouts, including Lucille Ball, Hillary Clinton, and Rebecca Lobo, just to name a few. After these pages, there is more in-depth information about Girl Scouts, including a list of sources as well as information about how to learn more about the Girl Scouts.
This book is intended for four to eight year olds, but I think girls up to ten or eleven might enjoy it as well. It would be a wonderful choice for an adventurous girl looking for some inspiration, or as research book for a biography assignment. Here Come the Girl Scouts is a shoo-in for any girls already involved in Girl Scouts, and could provide background information for parents who may be unfamiliar with the organization, as the sources and suggested websites in the back are helpful. If nothing else, this book will teach readers that there's more to the Girl Scouts than those tasty cookies we enjoy every year! :)
For slightly older readers still interested in learning more about Juliette Gordon Low, I would recommend:
Daisy and the Girl Scouts: The Story of Juliette Gordon Low by Fern Brown, Albert Whitham & Co., 1996, 8-11 year olds
For adults or experienced readers, this title published by the Girl Scouts of the USA is full of background information on the organization's history:
Girl Scouts: A Celebration of 100 Trailblazing Years by Girl Scouts of the USA, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2011
The Girl Scouts website has a wonderful section of historical information, including the original Girl Scout film, The Golden Eaglet, an interactive timeline of Juliette Gordon Low's life, photographs, and a quiz so visitors to the site can test their Girl Scout knowledge!
What a great book! I was a Brownie when I was little and have a lot of very fond memories of that time. I could not talk my daughter into joining when she was younger, but wonder if this book would have been able to help me do so. Sounds like a neat read that mothers and daughters can share for years to come!!
ReplyDeleteJennifer