Mary Walker Wears the Pants: The True Story of the Doctor, Reformer, and Civil War Hero

Gr 2–5—'"Scandalous!' 'Positively sinful!' 'Outrageous!'" That is what people had to say about women's rights advocate, doctor, and abolitionist Mary Walker in the mid-19th century. Raised to be an independent thinker, she wore pants both literally and figuratively. Societal attitudes and expectations meant little to one of the first women doctors and the first woman to receive the Medal of Honor for her "services and sufferings" during wartime. Though she initially served as a volunteer for the Union Army during the Civil War, her hard work and determination finally led to her appointment as an assistant surgeon in 1863, the first woman doctor in the U.S. Army. The child-friendly text, peppered with colorful quotes and descriptions, works both as a read-aloud and a read alone to bring this little-known heroine to life. Molinari's realistic watercolor illustrations are full of period details. The scandalized town gossips appear rightfully judgmental and ridiculous. Iconic images of weary soldiers, hospital wards, the Union and Confederate flags, and Abraham Lincoln tipping his hat to some passersby all capture the era. Pair this with Shana Corey's You Forgot Your Skirt, Amelia Bloomer! (Scholastic, 2000), about another suffragette. A solid addition for women's history or Civil War units.—Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools