Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors? by Tanya Lee Stone

Priceman’s illustrations done in gouache and India ink are filled with bright colors. Stone’s author’s note continues Blackwell’s story and offers a photograph of the real Dr. She is an inspiring figure for youth, someone who discovered her dream and stood by it despite the many obstacles in her way and the mockery she endured. I love the image of a spunky young girl who just wants to explore and demonstrates determination from a very young age.

Much of the story is spent on her childhood and the challenges she faced getting into medical school. Stone has written a very engaging biography of Blackwell. This is the story of a woman who would not take no for an answer and the way that she changed the face of medicine along the way. She applied to school after school, until finally the 29th school she applied for said yes! But Elizabeth would have to face additional challenges in school and beyond as well.

When Elizabeth started talking about her new dream, people mocked her and told her it was impossible. Elizabeth had not dreamed of becoming a doctor, but she was inspired when an friend mentioned how much nicer it would have been to be examined by a woman. Elizabeth Blackwell was not particularly well behaved: she was always exploring, working to toughen herself up, and even carried her brother over her head until he backed down. But also growing up in the 1830s was a young girl who would end up changing that. Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Marjorie Pricemanīack in the 1830s, there were no women doctors, only men could have that career.

Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors? by Tanya Lee Stone