No Girls Allowed: Tales of Daring Women Dressed as Men for Love, Freedom and Adventure - Hardcover

Susan Hughes an award-winning author, whose books for children include Case Closed?, No Girls Allowed, Earth to Audrey and Virginia. She has loved horses since she was a child and has long dreamed of setting a story on Sable Island. Susan lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Grade 3-5–Seven stories, in chronological order, introduce women in various times and countries who passed for men in order to get around restrictive societal codes. Most of the selections are quietly charming, with a mild wit in their execution. The bold black-and-white art clearly depicts each account, allowing breathing room for both the occasional piece of visual flair and the accessible narratives. Most of the stories feel similar in tone and presentation. There are variations in the storytelling, just not always for the best. The chapter on James Barry is curiously disconnected, as if the author were lacking credible sources, and the one on Ellen Craft is considerably narrower in scope and event than those of her fellows. But the tale of the Viking pirate Alfhild is undeniably fun, and the ending and message with regard to a girl fighting during the American Civil War provide an effective close for the volume. Amiable and slight, the book ends with a brief list of books that expand on each figure.–Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH
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