Cordelia, the heroine of this picture story which takes place in 1880, loves horses so much that she willingly volunteers to help her elderly neighbor Mrs. Stanton care for her horse in exchange for daily riding lessons. More than anything, Cordelia would like to learn to jump a four-foot fence, although she can't imagine the old woman teaching her to do something quite so daring. But Mrs. Stanton, it seems, is quite a dare-devil in her own right. In a smoothly executed flashback sequence, the woman recounts some events from her early 19th century childhood when she broke a social taboo by attending a boys' academy where she became one of the school's best pupils. This childhood experience set her on her life-long struggle for women's rights. Mrs. Stanton, of course, is Elizabeth Cady Stanton, shown here as both a child and as a mature woman who tried -- unsuccessfully -- to cast a ballot whenever there was an election. Through the eyes of young Cordelia, perceptive readers will see that Mrs. Stanton was every bit as courageous as those who jump four-foot fences. McCully's style, both verbal and visual, is understated but her message about equal rights is clear. Most of today's young readers will no doubt be amazed that the right to vote was something women fought long and hard to attain. (Ages 5-8)

Illustrated in full color. Just in time for the presidential election comes Caldecott medalist Emily Arnold McCully's stirring tale of a young girl's act of bravery inspired by the great Elizabeth Cady Stanton. It is the fall of 1880, and Cordelia is more interested in horse riding than in hearing her neighbor, Mrs. Stanton talk about her fight for women's suffrage. But on Election Day, Mrs. Stanton tells the heart-wrenching story of her childhood. Charged with the story's message, Cordelia determines to go with Mrs. Stanton to the polls in an attempt to vote--above the jeers and taunts of the male crowd. With faces, landscapes, and action scenes brought to life by McCully's virtuosic illustrations, Cordelia's turning-point experience is sure to inspire today's young girls (and boys) everywhere.