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Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell
Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell
Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell
Ebook42 pages36 minutes

Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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In the 1830s, when a brave and curious girl named Elizabeth Blackwell was growing up, women were supposed to be wives and mothers. Some women could be teachers or seamstresses, but career options were few. Certainly no women were doctors.

But Elizabeth refused to accept the common beliefs that women weren't smart enough to be doctors, or that they were too weak for such hard work. And she would not take no for an answer. Although she faced much opposition, she worked hard and finally—when she graduated from medical school and went on to have a brilliant career—proved her detractors wrong. This inspiring story of the first female doctor shows how one strong-willed woman opened the doors for all the female doctors to come.

Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors? by Tanya Lee Stone is an NPR Best Book of 2013

This title has common core connections.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 19, 2013
ISBN9781466831797
Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell
Author

Tanya Lee Stone

Tanya Lee Stone has written several books for young readers, including the young adult novel A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl. She lives with her family in Vermont.

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Reviews for Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?

Rating: 4.401315868421054 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

76 ratings16 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This story is about a young woman's journey to becoming the first female doctor. Elizabeth Blackwell was born during a time when women where not to be in a professional job. The women in 1830 were to be housewives and mothers. This story shows just how many struggles women faced during this time period. The book is intended for students who are in kindergarden-2nd grade, but I feel like it can be used in at least until they are in the 8th grade.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In my opinion this is a great book, especially for young girls. This book brings up a once difficult topic about equal rights between men and women. This is great for young children because it shows them how discrimination can affect people but also how to rise above the hateful people around you. It shows children that you can be anything you want to be as long as you put your mind to it. It shows them that no matter how tough life if, you can always rise above and make it to where you want to be. I also really liked the language throughout this book. The language is very descriptive, organized, clear, and well written. This biography is interesting and fun to read. It is no where near boring like many biography books. The main idea of this book is to share Elizabeth Blackwell's life and to tell children to always follow your heart and do what makes you happy.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I liked this book for several reasons. First, the language used to tell Elizabeth's story is such that children of all ages could be engaged. Second, the illustrations that accompanied the text were helpful in enhancing the story and contained bright colors. Finally, the story was factual but also inspiring, and drew the reader in from the very beginning. The first page of the book asks the reader to think about their own life experiences and connect them to the book they are about to read. The big idea of this book is to tell the story of Elizabeth Blackwell and show readers that they can do anything they put their minds to.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Summary: This children's book was about a young woman named Elizabeth Blackwell who was the first woman doctor in the United States to graduate from a medical school. It discussed her life before medical school, her denial into colleges, and her acceptance into Geneva Medical school. It showed how she was treated for being a woman in her time period who wanted to go to school. It also showed how the boys at the college treated her before and after they found out she was a great doctorArgument: This was a great informational book that was fun and engaging! I recommend this book for the classroom for many reasons. First, it was not a boring information text with words covering the entire page and the same boring text and format. It was told like an actual story with illustrations, bold lettering and text, and with emotional language and tone. For example, when it talks about Elizabeth being accepted into Geneva Medical School it spans the word "yes" in big bold red letters on the page to show her excitement. Second, I love that the author used questioning throughout the novel. It helps engage the reader and keep them actively involved in what is going to happen next in the story. For example, it states, "What do you think changed all that? Or should I say who?". The last reason I enjoyed this book was for its illustrations. They were so bold, bright, and colorful that I could not look away from the pages. They added to the text and helped highlight key information from each page. The pictures were scattered around each page just like the text, keeping the reader's attention while reading. The main theme of this book was that if you are determined and hardworking you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. Despite comments, negativity, and society against her, Elizabeth Blackwell strived and worked hard to become a doctor and she succeeded. She never let her fears and doubts get in the way of her dreams.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The story revolves around the childhood, adolescence, and adulthood of Elizabeth Blackwell. Blackwell was a tough and intelligent woman who became the first female doctor in the Western world. This book teaches young readers that they may not always feel welcome in a profession or space, but should continue to push on to achieve their dreams
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    A great book detailing the events of Elizabeth Blackwell's life and her quest to become the first female doctor. Presented with illustrations and text that will cause a reaction from the audience, and the author provides great biographical information at the end of the picture book as well. I love the last page of text and image - leaves the conclusion very open-ended and could prompt discussion about how far females' roles in medicine have come since Blackwell. She was a special interest of mine as a young child - I remember writing a paper on her at a point in my life when I thought I'd become a doctor. Though I followed a different path, her story is fascinating.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Tanya Lee Stone is a the diva of biographies of smart, trail-blazing women. My students absolutely loved hearing this story of Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female doctor in America. Stone's writing reels students from the very first line and ends with a resounding flourish. Students are left not only with an appreciation for Elizabeth Blackwell, but also a sense of indignation that girls had such limited options. This is an inspiring story and Marjorie Priceman's whimsical, colorful illustrations complement Stone's writing to a tee. Highly recommended.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is the charming tale of a woman determined to not let her dreams be shattered because of her sex. It tells how a young girl persevered in a profession dominated by men and changed the possibilities for women. I would use this book for first grade on up, to show students that there are no limitations on what you can do just because you are a boy or a girl/
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    What a wonderful empowering book! It proves to anyone if you want something enough and work hard it will happen. Elizabeth Blackwell was trying to become a doctor in a time when women were not allowed to be doctors. At first it wasn't looking like she was going to be accepted to a school however she was. The students there laughed at her and expected her to fail. She proved them wrong when she graduated top of her class. Loved this inspiring story. Great read for children. I would recommend for grades 2-5.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Elizabeth Blackwell did not always want to be a doctor. She lived in a time when women were not allowed to become doctors. Mary Donaldson put the idea in Elizabeth's head to become the first and she did. This is an inspiring book for children. It teaches they be what ever they want to be.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really enjoyed this book, that tells the story of Elizabeth Blackwell in an easy to understand way for children. I would use this book to spark thinking on why we do not see more women in power positions.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This story would be great to show the children how life used to be for women. The illustrations used were gouache and india ink on hot press water color paper. The text were easy to read and connected with the pictures. I would share this with children in U.S. History.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book is the story of Elizabeth Blackwell. During a time when women couldn't be doctors Elizabeth did just that. She tried school after school but none excepted girls. Till one day she received a letter inviting her to school in New York City. Everyone expected Elizabeth to fail, but she did just the opposite. She graduated and became the first women Doctor. This story shows not only girls but boys that they can do anything if thry don't give up. Setting their minds to something can make them reach your dreams.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Elizabeth Blackwell was the first female doctor in the United States, graduating from medical school in 1849. This brightly illustrated picture book tells the story of her early years and her difficult path to medical school. An author's note gives additional information about her life after medical school, setting up a free clinic and eventually the first hospital for women and run by women. This is a great story to share for Women's History Month and this book would make a great gift for the children of female doctors.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    “Who says Women Can’t Be Doctors?” is an inspirational book with a main message of not giving up on your dream. This book is full of great illustrations and has lovely writing style. This illustrations are done in a colorful way that emphasis the time period and the feelings of the main character. The writing style of the book is that of organized and constrictive. It is an easy to follow read that pushed the reader just enough to want to keep going without wanting to stop. The author also emphasis’s certain words within the text with colors and font changes. For when the author has a charter say “Women are too weak for such hard work” it is put in a blue color and sort of wraps around the character. This allows the reader to see that the author felt that this was an important part of the text.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is just the most charming and inspirational story of the first woman doctor, Elizabeth Blackwell. I even love the dedication: “For Liza, who is strong and brave and will be anything she sets her mind to.”Bright, colorful, and playful gouaches by Caldecott Honoree Marjorie Priceman set the scene for Elizabeth’s story. Born in 1821 in England, Elizabeth and her family moved to the U.S. when she was eleven.This was a little girl who used to sleep on the hard floor “just to toughen herself up.” She didn’t want to become a doctor though until, at age 24, a sick female friend told her of her wish to be examined by a woman rather than a man. Elizabeth thought it over and asked doctors and friends if she should go to medical school. Twenty-eight schools turned her down, along with letters informing her women could not and should not be doctors. Finally, Geneva Medical School in upstate New York accepted her. On January 23, 1849 she graduated at the top of her class, and was now the first woman doctor in America. One doctor wrote, “I hope, for the honor of humanity, that [she] will be the last.”As the author writes: "But as you know, she certainly was NOT.”Although the book ends with Elizabeth’s graduation, an author’s note at the end of the book provides further facts about Elizabeth’s career. In 1857, along with her sister Emily, who also became a doctor, she started a hospital for women - the first hospital run by women, for women. In 1868 she opened a medical school just for women. And in 1871, she helped found the National Health Society. This amazing woman died at the age of eighty-nine in 1910. It’s quite a story!The author ends her note with the observation:"...more than half of all U.S. medical school students today are women. This would not have been possible without the courage and determination of this extraordinary woman.”Evaluation: The text of this story by Stone combined with the lively illustrations by Marjorie Priceman manage to capture Elizabeth Blackwell’s tenacity, energy, and spirit in a remarkably compact and charming way. It has garnered a number of well-deserved awards.

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Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors? - Tanya Lee Stone

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