Seavey, Lura Rogers. More than petticoats; remarkable Massachusetts women.

SEAVEY, Lura Rogers. More than petticoats; remarkable Massachusetts women. Globe Pequot. 136p. illus. bibliog. index, c2005. 0-7627-2599-0. $10.95. JSA 

While many women in Massachusetts have achieved fame, the author claims to have chosen lesser-known Massachusetts women who triumphed in difficult situations or pioneered in fields previously closed to them. While the inclusion of well-known Abigail Adams among those featured is a bit puzzling, the stories of these ten women range chronologically from the slave Elizabeth "Mumbet" Freeman who sued for her freedom in 1781 and won, to the partially paralyzed Fannie Merritt Farmer whose Boston Cooking School Cookbook sold over 330,000 copies by the time of her death in 1915. Elizabeth Peabody pioneered the idea of kindergarten; Eleanor Creesy navigated a clipper ship; Vassar professor Maria Mitchell discovered a comet.

Each short chapter tells the story of a woman who reached beyond the expectations of her time and achieved beyond the established limits for her sex. While the text is not annotated, four or five bibliographic references are included for each woman portrayed. More Than Petticoats provides useful enrichment reading. Patricia Moore, Libn., Brookline, MA

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.