Exceptional Women Environmentalists.

Sandy Campbell is a reference librarian in the Science and Technology Library at the University of Alberta.

This 11th volume in the Women’s Hall of Fame Series contains 10 mini-biographies. Some of the women, such as Rachel Carson and Jane Goodall, are synonymous with environmentalism and have made lifetime contributions.

Others, such as Olya Melen, who, at great personal risk, took on the government of the former Soviet Union to protect the Danube Delta and won, have made remarkable early contributions and have received environmental awards.

There are two Canadians represented: Sheila Watt-Cloutier and Severn Cullis-Suzuki. Watt-Cloutier is an Inuit who brought the issue of persistent organic pollutants in the north to the fore. She has received many environmental awards and held high-profile offices. One wonders, however, what the real impetus was for including Cullis-Suzuki, who has minimal environmental accomplishments of her own. If it was token Canadianism, the author could have included Maude Barlow or Ursula Franklin, both of whom have made remarkable contributions, yet are only referred to in passing.

Each of the mini-biographies is about eight pages long. The text is readable and appropriate to the recommended 9–13 age group, but would be useful for older readers as well. Each biography covers the subject’s early life, education, and the factors that influenced her path into environmental activism. There are several black-and-white photos included with each biography.

The volume concludes with a glossary and a brief bibliography for each of the subjects.

Overall, this book would be a good addition to junior high, high school, and public libraries. Recommended.