It would be an excellent adventure story on its own, but with the historical tie-ins, the plot is elevated to a higher plain of relevance. Offer valid for new subscribers only.† Conditions apply. At one level, the #MeToo moment is clearly a response to the grotesque, overt misogyny of Trump and those around him. Thanks for your kind words, Deb. . We didn’t even know that this was a series until we were finishing up the first book and went looking for others by the same author. The final pages read. The plot is an intricate as one of Jo's complicated silk knots! Excellent, thought-provoking, and occasionally unsettling books, but highly recommended nonetheless. How does misogyny contrast with sexism, and why is it prone to persist - or increase - even when sexist gender roles are waning? The books are good to incorporate real-life characters in with the fictional ones and, as well, introduce readers to some not-so-famous details and characters such as Thomas Andrews in Ireland, who designed the drawings upon which Titanic was built, and his “Guarantee Group” of workers who went on the maiden voyage and died there, too. It was one of the first times she was ever made aware that discrimination based upon gender was a reoccurring theme throughout the course of history. Leah found this book a little more challenging than she did enjoyable, but having said that, she has re-read it several times this year. For your convenience, this post contains affiliate links. When I first found feminism, and felt furious about everything, my mother tried to calm me down: “You don’t want to walk around angry all the time.” The thing was, I did. Enter Kate Manne. Leah received Pax by Sara Pennypacker as a gift, and we could not tear her away from its pages from the moment she opened it. I hope you may draw inspiration from what she has accomplished. Misogyny rewards women who reinforce the status quo and punishes those who don't...This book calls attention to the roles we all play in society, roles that we're assigned at birth and rarely question, and how we punish people-especially women-when they defy those roles." ... For the ordinary thinker concerned about societal oppression, Down Girl offers a sharply cut prism through which to view our everyday experience." These books may hold the record in our house for being re-read, over and over again. This is fair; she has stated from the outset that her goals are diagnostic. SO GOOD. The rules are: first, we must give men moral goods – such as sex, care and unpaid housework. to her dreams, I liked it enough and it was an easy read but I had expected more from the premise. - Afua Hirsch, Times Literary Supplement, "Kate Manne has written a deeply moving and powerful book. For example, “…he had imagined it perfectly: how he would come around the corner and see that tiny square of light so many stories above him, and see her face floating there like a single star.” Terrific stuff, this! I love all the books you suggested, especially the His dark matter trilogy and Lois Lowry books (by the way there are 3 more books in the series -loved them all). Knowing the Happy Hooligan community a bit, I know that you are good to share success stories with each other. Dally harasses the girls with dirty talk. A Year Down Yonder is about a Chicago girl's year-long stay with her grandmother in a rural town during the height of the Great Depression. *My seven year old daughter, Sophie, has strolled by and is reading over my shoulder, and she wants me to tell you, dear readers, that she has a favourite chapter book series, too. - Max Fisher and Amanda Taub, The New York Times' The Interpreter Newsletter, "It is difficult to imagine a more timely moment for Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny. Of all of the female characters in all of the books that Leah has read or has listened to, Matilda might be the one who is the biggest reader. A good book is a good book is a good book, as I always say. The year is 1890, and Chinese-American teenager Jo Kuan has just lost her job at a milliner's in Atlanta, Georgia, thereby forcing her to take work as a maid for an affluent family who she has worked for before. and her, Review: Down Girl by Kate Manne Kathryn Norlock reviews Kate Manne's book on the nature of misogyny. Our hearts fill. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. Ann and Seamus by Kevin Major is a story depicting a ship that wrecked and sank off of the coast of Newfoundland. Misogyny is a hot topic, yet it's often misunderstood. † Conditions apply. It is simply what worked for her. Not only was the misogyny leveled against Hillary Clinton predictable in both quantity and quality, Manne argues it was predictable that many people would be prepared to forgive and forget regarding Donald Trump's history of sexual assault and harassment. (Since I once had one I can tell you it’s very, very boring.) Here are just a few of best non-fiction books that Leah has devoured in her search for knowledge, inspiration, and incredible stories: Leah has read dozens of books dedicated to the ill-fated voyage of the Titanic. Thank you for supplying this excellent list to open the door to reading really great books to boys and girls alike. Your email address will not be published. Your daughters are lucky to have you. A book about the hatred of women could always find its news peg, alas. As I begin to wind this post down, I do so with the slight caution that while the books Leah and I have read over the course of her life have been the best books for her (and, by extension, for me), they are only a guide for you as a young female reader, or for you as the person who loves that young female reader. Which is exactly why this book is so needed...if you're looking for a book to start off your year with, "Down Girl" is an awesome choice. The characters in the Percy Jackson series are all teenagers which added to the allure of the series. I leave the room Jo, who is unafraid to speak her mind, lives with Old Gin -- a man who took her in after she was "abandoned" by her parents -- under the house of a local publisher who is unaware that they live there. I am glad that you read the article “fully”, too. Because I need more Jo, Neomi, and Nathan in my life. She is ever becoming Laura; You need to surround them with books of all subject matter, genres, and levels of complexity. The book shows how these events, among others, set the stage for the 2016 U.S. presidential election. I just bought one for my eight Leah completely gets how important books are in terms of the information they transmit, as well as their ability to transport the reader away from where they are to anywhere their imagination may take them. The first series we read through in earnest was a light and breezy series called Rainbow Magic. After reading a book with protagonists that did not inspire any reaction in me but one of absolute indifference, it felt almost magical to read a story with a character that absolutely popped off the page and claimed her rightful place as the heroine of this book. Pretty neat. It was a real step up in terms of the complexity of the character development and the plot lines for Leah. I do actually think this story was probably very well done and had some really neat elements, I just don’t think it was the best fit for me personally, and that is for sure clear by the outstanding reviews. "feminazis." - Amanda Taub, The New York Times, "What is misogyny? This series revolves around two siblings, Jack and Annie, who travel through time via books found in a magic tree house that appears in the woods by their home. Historical fiction was becoming a favourite genre for Leah and the Titanic Trilogy by Gordon Korman was where it really began to blossom. The “naive conception” also renders misogyny “politically marginal”. Her guiding question is as troubling as it is straightforward-to quote the comedian John Oliver: "Why is misogyny still a thing?" The story of family and of trails blazed across space and time Initially, when Leah was our only child, both my wife and I read to her in equal measure. Down Girl is full of sadness about Clinton. Manne also gifts us a marvelous neologism to capture the exculpatory and even empathic attitudes sometimes expressed towards misogynistic men: "himpathy."" A pioneer life, Her purpose in […] I used to read with my son who is an adult now, I miss those days so…I think his favorites were the books in the Redwall series , Brian Jaques. Speaking of graphic novels, it was around this time that Leah discovered author Raina Telgemeier and her series of graphic novels, Drama, Smile and Sisters. Down Girl should encourage historians who trace changes in the meaning and the context of language to revisit some of the old standby terms of feminism." Together we watch that wagon drive away She believes she still has a bit of cowboy dust in her soul. "The idea of rapists as monsters exonerates by caricature," she writes, urging us to recognize "the banality of misogyny," the disturbing possibility that "people may know full well that those they treat in brutally degrading and inhuman ways are fellow human beings, underneath a more or less thin veneer of false consciousness...There has always been something optimistic about the idea that our worst acts of inhumanity are based on confusion. I live for these types of characters with personality, strength, ambition and a desire for change. #YesAllWomen. Highly recommend, whether you're into historical fiction or not! The stories are fairly lengthy and there was plenty of interesting background detail on all of the main characters.