Ok so it’s not strictly primary school related or a fun, fictional read for Workd Book Day, but enlightening my class on inspiring women such as Emmelinre Pankhurst (last year) was a worthwhile decision. Our school has a “bedtime read” theme this year, so pyjamas it is.

Let’s be honest, this was an incentive to become a teacher. I look forward to the annual opportunity to celebrate the power of books and support the charity aiming to improve social mobility through reading. Designed by UNESCO, they ensure every child owns a book of their own to make reading a habit thus increasing children’s life chances. It is marked in over 100 countries around the globe.

Now to the book review; Penguin released a twenty book collection entitled “Great Ideas” to celebrate the work of radical, prodigious thinkers. They have striking covers, which caught my eye (a classic case of judging a book by its cover!). The Penguin Suffragette Manifesto is a collection of documentation during the iconic “Votes for women” campaign fighting for the right to vote in the U.K in the 19th and 20th century. It’s a slim book, with a traditional typeface made up of speeches to pamphlets from notable suffragettes such as Emmiline Pankhurst.

What I loved most was the range of writers and speakers including union workers, actresses, mill workers and aristocrats. The broad range of text makes each new piece a thought-provoking experience. It was hard to read at times based upon the injustice of how women were treated and the language based on the time written. The power of words is rife throughout the text as they passionately encouraged men and women around the country for support.

Next on my reading list is more books on the Suffragists which were more peaceful in their protests, however I am in awe of the dedication of the suffragettes’ forms of protests including hunger strikes, throwing bricks at parliament and countless demonstrations. There is still a long way to go in terms of gender equality in the U.K. and across the globe. I recommend the film Suffragettes as an insightful portrayal of the movement. I read the Big People, Little Dreams children’s book about Emmeline Pankhurst which is more child friendly and a lighter read. Overall I’d give it a 5/5 because how could I not?!