The Ballot Box Battle

This story takes place in the late 1800's when Mrs. Stanton-the famous women's rights activist-was still alive. It deals with a young girl, Cordelia, who wants to ride Mrs. Stanton's horse. Mrs. Stanton instead of letting her ride the horse tells her about her childhood experiences. Mrs. Stanton also also makes a great impact on Cordelia when she tries to vote and is not allowed. This in turn inspires Cordelia to stand up for herself.It is a well-written story that shows what life was like for women before they got to vote. It shows that injustices can be overcome when we put our minds to it and when we don't let what others say get in our way of realizing our dreams. This would be a good story to read to 5th and 6th graders as an introduction to American history in this century.The pictures are beautiful. They recall images of a by-gone era. It is interesting that men and boys are painted in darker colors, while Cordelia wears lighter colors.