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About The Book

Wonder Girls: Changing Our Worldis the first photographic book to document groups of activist girls (age 10 to 18) globally. It's award winning and inspiring!

Paola Gianturco and her eleven-year-old granddaughter documented the work of fifteen girl-led nonprofit groups in thirteen countries in Asia and Central Asia, North and Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. They interviewed and photographed 102 girls. If you think "girls are the future," prepare to be dazzled. These girls are changing our world right now.

Groups of activist girls age 10-18 are transforming our world: improving education, health, equality and the environment; stopping child marriage, domestic violence, trafficking and war. Their imagination and courage radiate through their stories, all told in their own words.

In this book, you will watch girls lobby U.S. senators; see Mexican girls invent mobile phone apps to solve social problems; meet Malawian girls who convinced Parliament to outlaw child marriage. You will eavesdrop on Ugandan girls as they advocate for girls' rights at a UN meeting. And you will meet other girls as they write blogs, petitions, poetry, create radio shows, videos, invent dances, songs and works of art to promote their causes.

Wonder Girls: Changing Our Worldis a call to action to help these girls accomplish their important work. Alex Sangster's sections, the finale of each chapter, tell you how.

The book's Foreword was written by Musimbi Kanyoro, President and CEO of the Global Fund for Women, the world's largest grant- making organization that benefits women and girls internationally.

The Global Fund for Women will receive 100% of the authors' royalties from this book.

About The Authors

Paola Gianturco, author-photographer, has documented women's issues in 62 countries for six powerHouse Books. Grandmother Power: A Global Phenomenon (2012) won four first place literary awards in categories as diverse as multicultural nonfiction and women's studies. Wonder Girls: Changing Our World is third in a triptych. Women Who Light the Dark described women activists; Grandmother Power told about grandmother activists. Paola's images have been exhibited at the United Nations, UNESCO, The US Senate, The Field Museum/Chicago, The Museum of the African Diaspora/San Francisco, The Norton Simon Museum/Pasadena, The Grand Rapids Public Museum and more. She lectures internationally, presented a TED talk in Dubai, and has been a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR and Voice of America programs among others. Paola serves on the advisory boards of two nonprofits: Rise Up/Let Girls Lead (which empowers girls to advocate for policy change) and Global Grandmothers (who support children in need internationally). In 2013 Paola was listed among "40 Women to Watch Over 40," and in 2014, Women's e-News named her one of 21 Leaders for the 21st Century.

Product Details

  • Publisher: powerHouse Books (October 10, 2017)
  • Length: 240 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781576878811

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Raves and Reviews

"Talk about inspirational, this book should be on every girl's reading list."

– About Her

"Wonder Girls: Changing Our World is the first book to document the passionate and peaceful activism of girl-led groups from around the world-which are improving health, education, gender equality and the environment and stopping child marriage, domestic violence, child trafficking and war."

– Ms. Magazine

"If you've ever felt inspired by the comic book character Wonder Woman and what she stands for, then you should get to know our world's real-life wonder girls."

– Santa Fe New Mexican

"I want every thinking person to have Wonder Girls."

– Elaine Petrocelli, founder of Book Passage bookstore

AS SEEN IN: ABC News, Baltimore Sun, Girl Talk HQ, Global Citizen, Global Fund for Women, L'Oeil de la Photographie, Pasatíempo, and Salon. Wonder Girls won three prizes in the Human Relations Indie Book Awards: Gold (in the Leadership category), and two Silvers (in the Cultural and Diversity, and Life Challenges, categories). Wonder Girls received first place in the 2017 Nautilus Book Award: Social Justice Category.

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High Resolution Images

More books from this author: Paola Gianturco