Keenan, Sheila. Scholastic encyclopedia of women in the United State.

Scholastic. 206p. illus. bibliog. index. c2002, 1996. 0-590-05124-5. $8.95. J

Over 250 brief biographies of famous American women, from Abigail Adams to Venus Williams, are presented here along with photos and illustrations. The arrangement is chronological, divided into six time periods, from The First American Women (1500s-1700s) up through Women Power! (1970s though the 2000s). Overviews of what life was like for women in the various eras preface each section, with mentions of the suffrage movement, women at war, the civil rights movement, and other events that affected women's lives in each time period. Sidebars highlight tidbits of women's history; for example, how women were depicted onscreen in the early years of the film industry. A wide range of women is represented here, from the expected names like Pocahontas, Harriet Tubman, Amelia Earhart, and Hilary Clinton to lesser-known women like Maria Mitchell, an early astronomer, Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii, and Maggie Kuhn, founder of the Gray Panthers. A nice addition to any public or middle school library, good for browsing or quick reference.