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Book Resume
for The Ballot Box Battle by Emily Arnold McCully
Professional book information and credentials for The Ballot Box Battle.
3 Professional Reviews
1 Book Award
Selected for 1 State/Province List
Cordelia, the heroine of this picture story which takes place in 1880, loves horses ...read more
- Publisher's Weekly:
- Ages 5 - 8
- Publisher's Weekly:
- Ages Toddler - 8
- TeachingBooks:*
- Grades PK-4
- Word Count:
- 1,733
- Lexile Level:
- 690L
- ATOS Reading Level:
- 3.7
- Cultural Experience:
- Women / Girls
- Genre:
- Historical Fiction
- Year Published:
- 1996
16 Subject Headings
The following 16 subject headings were determined by the U.S. Library of Congress and the Book Industry Study Group (BISAC) to reveal themes from the content of this book (The Ballot Box Battle).
- Stanton, Elizabeth Cady
- Juvenile literature
- Juvenile Fiction | Girls & Women
- Suffragists
- Suffragists--United States--Biography--Juvenile literature
- Women--Suffrage--United States--History--Juvenile literature
- History
- Juvenile Fiction | Historical | United States - General
- Feminists
- Stanton, Elizabeth Cady, 1815-1902--Juvenile literature
- United States
- Biography
- Women
- Juvenile Fiction | Historical | United States - 19th Century
- Suffrage
- Feminists--United States--Biography--Juvenile literature
3 Full Professional Reviews
The following unabridged reviews are made available under license from their respective rights holders and publishers. Reviews may be used for educational purposes consistent with the fair use doctrine in your jurisdiction, and may not be reproduced or repurposed without permission from the rights holders.
Note: This section may include reviews for related titles (e.g., same author, series, or related edition).
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Cordelia, the heroine of this picture story which takes place in 1880, loves horses so much that she willingly volunteers to help her elderly neighbor Mrs. Stanton care for her horse in exchange for daily riding lessons. More than anything, Cordelia would like to learn to jump a four-foot fence, although she can't imagine the old woman teaching her to do something quite so daring. But Mrs. Stanton, it seems, is quite a dare-devil in her own right. In a smoothly executed flashback sequence, the woman recounts some events from her early 19th century childhood when she broke a social taboo by attending a boys' academy where she became one of the school's best pupils. This childhood experience set her on her life-long struggle for women's rights. Mrs. Stanton, of course, is Elizabeth Cady Stanton, shown here as both a child and as a mature woman who tried -- unsuccessfully -- to cast a ballot whenever there was an election. Through the eyes of young Cordelia, perceptive readers will see that Mrs. Stanton was every bit as courageous as those who jump four-foot fences. McCully's style, both verbal and visual, is understated but her message about equal rights is clear. Most of today's young readers will no doubt be amazed that the right to vote was something women fought long and hard to attain. (Ages 5-8)
CCBC Choices 1996 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 1996. Used with permission.
From Publisher's Weekly
October 12, 1998
On Election Day 1880, the women's rights activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton teaches her young neighbor a lesson in gumption. "McCully's art and story deliver gracefully," said PW. Ages 5-8.
From Publisher's Weekly
July 1, 1996
Following her tribute to proto-feminist 19th-century millworkers in The Bobbin Girl, McCully weaves a story around Elizabeth Cady Stanton. It is Election Day in 1880, 32 years after Stanton organized the first women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, N.Y., yet 40 years before the 19th Amendment granted women the vote. The activist takes time out from writing The History of Woman Suffrage to give riding lessons to Cordelia, whose brother disdainfully states that she will not be a true horsewoman until she jumps a four-foot fence. Stanton tells Cordelia about her own childhood goals to be as "learned and courageous" as her only brother and to convince her father that she was as good as any boy. Her father's refusal to acknowledge her achievements "taught me to go on fighting. And I have!" Reluctantly accompanying her mentor to the polls, Cordelia watches as the election officials ridicule Stanton, who flings her ballot at the hand covering the slot in the box. And though Stanton's triumph on this day is hardly complete, Cordelia's is: goaded by her brother, the girl jumps onto her horse and sails over a high fence. In sometimes misty paintings that seem to fade in and out of focus, McCully deftly portrays two time periods, distinguishing Stanton's flashbacks with round-edged pictures seen as if through a telescope to the past. Stanton has a worthy message for contemporary girls--and boys, and McCully's art and story, aided by a succinct concluding note, deliver it gracefully. Ages 3-8.
1 Book Awards & Distinctions
The Ballot Box Battle was recognized by committees of professional librarians and educators for the following book awards and distinctions.
1 Selection for State & Provincial Recommended Reading Lists
The Ballot Box Battle was selected by educational and library professionals to be included on the following state/provincial reading lists.
United States Lists (1)
New York
- NYS Common Core Aligned Module Titles for Grade 2
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This Book Resume for The Ballot Box Battle is compiled from TeachingBooks, a library of professional resources about children's and young adult books. This page may be shared for educational purposes and must include copyright information. Reviews are made available under license from their respective rights holders and publishers.
*Grade levels are determined by certified librarians utilizing editorial reviews and additional materials. Relevant age ranges vary depending on the learner, the setting, and the intended purpose of a book.
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