I didn’t know a lot about Madam C. J. Walker prior to this book and that’s exactly while I love Rebel Girls. They are exposing my kids to so many woman of different experiences and backgrounds and providing so much inspiration.
These longer format books are of great value, and although my kids were a bit young for some of the content at this point, I still think they provided important exposure. I would definitely add a hard copy to my shelves and continue to read this as they grow.
Thank you Rebel Girls for the digital copy through NetGalley!

This is Sarah Breedlove Walker’s story. She managed to open her own business and she’s is the first female self-made millionaire! In 1919 her business was worth 6 million dollars.
Her family lived as a farmer in the cotton fields and then she moved on to being a laundress.
Her hard life didn't deny her the chance to dream and have ambitions, as she was denied an education.
So she learned to sell and created her own afro hair product that allowed afro hair to grow.

This is another favorite book of ours from Rebel Girls books! This one reads very much like the book about Ada Lovelace. There is mostly reading – and gorgeous drawings too. The story is well written, and engagingly told and there is enough detail in it to make it go way deeper than just surface level. Rebel Girls have done this again, this is another empowering book about a strong, smart, and resilient woman who did something amazing, and accomplished a lot.

Madam C. J. Walker Builds A Business by Denene Millner and Rebel Girls

This book focuses on Sarah Breedlove (aka Madam C. J. Walker). She was quite the amazing person! She was the first person in her family not born into slavery. She was also the first person to go to school in her family, even if it was only for a short amount of time. She learned the importance of education and made sure to send her daughter to a good school and then went to night school herself. It was once she met Annie Trunbo that her life changed forever. Annie had a hair care product that could help regrow hair! It was really a scalp treatment, but Sarah became a representative for Annie and sold her products. Eventually Sarah thought she could make a better product and went out on her own. She moved to Denver and experimented with different ingredients until she found the perfect mixture. She offered demonstrations and started going by Madam C. J. Walker as it had more of a mysterious feel to it which drew people in. Sarah’s husband and daughter (who went to a beauty college) started helping with the business. Eventually they were the number one hair care product for black women in the US and had distribution centers around the country. She also offered classes and helped women have the skills they needed to set up their own salons, in which they would sell her products. Sarah was also the first woman to be a self-made millionaire in the United States. She truly was and still is an inspiration for any woman, regardless of background, who wants to start her own business. Sarah faced many obstacles including racial discrimination and sexist behavior from male entrepreneurs, but that never stopped her from reaching her goals! She truly was an inspirational business pioneer of her time! Even now her mansion is owned by an organization who helps women become entrepreneurs!

I would like to thank NetGalley, Rebel Girls, and Denene Millner for allowing me to read this advanced copy of Madam C. J. Walker Builds A Business. I would also like to mention that the illustrations in this book by Salini Perera were great! They were very vibrant and helped enhance the story! I also enjoyed that the back of the book had activities to practice your business skills. I would definitely recommend this book to young and/or aspiring entrepreneurs!

Rebel Girls really knows how to serve up strong, inspirational women to wow a new generation of young ladies. A fan of the books and podcasts , these chapter books are a wonderful new addition, giving a more detailed overview of the extraordinary lives. Perfect for intermediate readers like my 9 year old, these books are split into short chapters, but still give lovely illustrations throughout, as well as favourites like the actives at the end that we love about Rebel Girls books. The story of Madam CJ Walker really is extraordinary, showing how someone who starts off as having very little to her name can become one of the most accomplished and wealthy business persons of her generation through hard work, and determination. She not only worked to help pull her and her family into skilled work and wealth, but trained an entire nation of young black women to empower them to become great business women in their own rights. Her business is hair and producing a shampoo suitable for black hair. She built that product into an empire of salons and representing across America. This story is extremely powerful and shows what great things can be achieved when we work hard towards our dreams. #MadamCJWalkerBuildsaBusiness #rebelgirls #netgalley #denenemillner

This book packed a LOT of information - and a lot of tough subjects - inside. I had planned to read it with my kiddo (8) but while he could read the text he isn't ready for the subject matter.

It was very well written and Sarah's journey from picking cotton to being one of the richest businesswomen in America because of her determination and drive was very compelling and fascinating reading. I enjoyed it a lot.

I would definitely recommend it to older chapter book readers (4th-6th grade) because of the content (lynching, among other things). It's an important subject to read about, and I think most older elementary school students *should* read it, but my sensitive 3rd grader is definitely not ready to handle it.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Rebel Girls for providing an early copy for review.

Rebel Girls books are among my favorites to show my elementary aged daughter. I cannot wait till the release of this one to read together with her. I highly recommend this book to anyone with elementary aged daughters, though to be fair, all children would enjoy this piece of Madam C J Walkers story.

“From the world of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls comes a story based on the life of Madam C.J. Walker: America’s first female self-made millionaire.”

This is the second book I’ve sampled from this Rebel Girl series. I love that they’ve taken their original idea, and expanded the information into middle school chapter books.

I enjoyed this one even more than the one about Ada Lovelace. I loved the (literal) rags to (literal) riches story of Sarah Breedlove. From the child born of formerly enslaved people, to the adult that saw a need in her community and built an empire around the opportunity.

The pictures are, as always, fantastic. The colours are bright, and the graphics simple, yet striking.

There was, of course, a tonne of information left out of the story – she married Moses at FOURTEEN – for obvious reasons, but I really feel like we got a good overview of this amazing woman’s life.

8/10

Thanks to NetGalley, Rebel Girls, and Penguin Random House Audio for this ARC.

I was first introduced to Madam C.J. Walker, the first self made female millionaire from the Netflix series. Her story is something I should have been familiar with long before, and I am glad this book will introduce her determination and spirit to young audiences.
Madam C.J. Walker, a black female, used her success to empower her community and to improve the wellbeing and lives of others. I look forward to this book continuing her legacy with all who read it.
The book has beautiful illustrations to accompany the incredible Madam C.J. Walker story.

I didn't know anything about Madam C.J. Walker before reading this book. Now I want to know more.

This was a great read. I love how amazing Sarah Breedlove Walker (Madam C.J. Walker) is. I think that anyone reading this book can find so many interesting things to take away.

What I love most about this book is that it is not a typical children's biography. So many series write about the same people. This book is refreshing. As a teacher, I can find so many themes in Walker's life that are relatable to my students. I also like that at the end of the book there is an activity that students can do as a "final project" after reading the book. The activity goes well with the book and helps students reflect on Walker's life and relate it to their own lives and ideas.

The reason that I give this book a 4 instead of a 5 are the time jumps. I understand that time jumps are necessary because it is a biography for kids. I would have liked some dates or more information as to how old Walker is at the time so that I could understand her life better. It doesn't take anything away from the story not to have a timeframe or age reference. It may be more of something that an adult would notice and not a child reading the book.

I recommend this to all readers. Everyone should know this uplifting true story.

I'm not the target audience for this one but it was an inspirational true story about the first black woman who was a self-made millionaire. It was great to read about what one woman can do with determination and hard work. I recommend for all young girls.

I would like to thank Rebel Girls for providing me with an ARC.

I liked this one better than the previous book I read in this series. The story feels a bit tighter, and we get to have a greater understanding of Madam C.J. Walker within the narrative. I loved that she continued to support other women after he massive success as a businesswoman. The illustrations were great. There were also some interesting activities in the back of the book for inspiring aspiring entrepreneurs.

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for this free eARC.
I have enjoyed reading Rebel girls series both to my two daughters as well as for myself.
Getting to know Madam C. J. Walker and her amazing life was truly an experience.
Knowing how the African-American people were treated (and still are unfortunately) in the US and finding how a woman overcame all the obstacles to create an empire was truly amazing.
This is a really good book for all.the girls and women around the world to remember to never give up on yourself and your dreams.

When looking in the dictionary for a definition of "boss", all you will find (or should find, in my opinion) is a photograph of Madam C.J. Walker. By the end of this fantastic biography, I was ready to throw on a pantsuit and take on man! Instead, I decided to write a review raving about how wonderful this book is.
I am officially a fan of any and all Rebel Girl biographies because each one I have read is immaculate. There is an equal balance between fact and story to keep the reader's engaged without the book appearing as a list of fact. Then, there is the gorgeous illustrations. Who doesn't love pictures with their stories?
This book will be a fabulous addition to the middle library. It will be in my cart on release day.

Sarah Breedlove was born in 1867 and was the first in her family to attend school, where she flourished. When she was 8, however, her parents passed away and she had to live with an older sister who was more interested in having her help with household chores. She married young, and had a baby, Leila, but faced another challenge when her husband was lynched. She moved to St. Louis andmanaged to earn a living, but when a door to door saleswoman, Annie Turnbo, came to her door selling hair products, her life was changed. Sarah's hair had always been fragile, and she didn't have a lot of time or energy to put into caring for it, but Annie's products made such a difference that Sarah decided to work for her. She sold her products, but eventually branched out on her own. Annie then accused her of stealing her recipes, even though Sarah had changed them quite a bit. This rivalry led to Sarah moving around quite a bit to steer clear of competition. She married again, and her business became very successful. She was passionate about her products, and also about opportunities for women. She was not happy when Booker T. Washington of the National Negro Business League did not take her seriously as a business person just because she was a woman. Her daughter eventually worked with her, and Sarah, who took on the professional name of Madame C.J. Walker, became the first Black, female millionaire. Sadly, she died at the age of 52, but her legacy as an entrepreneur and civil rights advocate is impressive.
Strengths: I was a huge fan of biographies as a child, and learned so much from reading the Childhodd of Famous Americans series. This was a fast-paced, highly readable book that reminded me a bit of those biographies, but which did a better job at looking at Walker's whole life, and well as her legacy. The illustrations are in full color and are beautifully rendered; I always like a few photographs when they exist, but loved the bright colors and attractive design of these illustrations. I've liked other Rebel Girls books, like Favilli's Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Immigrant Women Who Changed the World , but this series is a little more like a fictional chapter book, perfect for readers who have to be persuaded to read nonfiction.
Weaknesses: The activities at the end are interesting, but I would also have liked to see a time line included.
What I really think: This is a great series for middle schoolers who liked the Penguin Who Was biography series but want to branch out with some lesser known women historical figures. These are a little longer and include more in depth information than Clinton's She Persisted series. I'm definitely looking into buying some of these! I don't know anything about Junko Tabei!

Long live the Rebel Girls! I am in love with the series. Not only does it tell fascinating stories, in completely accessible yet engaging language, but it focuses on phenomenal women that are not usually spotlighted in history.
As a teacher who has worked most of her career in inner city schools with primarily minority students, this book made me cry. FINALLY there are some inspirational stories being published about heroes of all colors, shapes, sizes, and ethnicities.
I was fortunate enough to have my students teach ME about Madam CJ Walker because I had certainly never learned about her in my school years. She is an inspiration for everyone and yet largely ignored in most public school systems. Now, she is getting some of the spotlight she deserves.
For all the young women out there, especially (but certainly not limited to) those interested in entrepreneurship (and, if they don't know what that means, this is the perfect introduction!), Madam CJ Walker is an inspiration. But, sadly, most classes don't talk about her, nor her contributions to the business world, much less her rags-to-riches story.
Although most of the Rebel Girls books are too young for my middle and high school students, I will still purchase each and every one and include it on my classroom shelves. (This is in addition to the entire series I will purchase for my infant niece and best friends' kids!)
Keep it up Rebel Girls... you've got a rebel fan base that will just keep growing!
Thank you to NetGalley and Rebel Girls for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This was a wonderful book! An uplifting story of the first black self made millionaire in America. It is a story of her life from a child throughout her many struggles and victories. While the book is written for young girls, it's a great read for everyone.

An incredible installment from the Rebel Girls regarding an incredible woman! I always learn so much about amazing women in history everytime I pick up a Rebel Girls book and this time is no different. Madam C. J. Walker's legacy of not only the products she created but how she was such a philanthropic woman is so incredible.

Rebel Girls is a global brand dedicated to inspiring girls all over the world. Rebel Girls publishes a collection of illustrated awesomesauce stories of what I call: Women We Should Know. They feature creative trailblazing women and girls; perfect for children and young adults, especially of color. The latest release is about the talented Madam C.J. Walker. If you don't know about this great black wonder woman, then get settled and read further.

Madam C.J. Walker Builds a Business is just over 100 pages long but very informative. Born Sarah Breedlove in 1867, she was the first member of her family not born into slavery and to go to school. Although being a schoolgirl was short-lived, she still dreamed of possibility. Sarah lost loved ones, worked hard at multiple jobs, became a young widow and struggled with her own hair growth but never gave up the dream.

This book is perfect for any young reader needing inspiration! A surprise was the equal rights element and mention of other historical figures. The illustrations are colorful, beautiful and detailed down to the hair edges carefully tucked into bonnets. The story moves along clearly into a motivating finish with suggested activities designed to help readers brainstorm an exciting new product. There is no better book for young female entrepreneurs than the story of America's first female self-made millionaire.

Happy Early Pub Day! Madam C.J. Walker Builds a Business will be available Tuesday, January 17, 2023.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Just because this has been rebranded, my thoughts would not have changed in two years:-

A heavily fictionalised biography of a woman who made it big from the scurfy hair of her black compatriots in Victorian-era USA. (That's not to say it features anything that's untrue, but the everyday actions and dialogue are right out the novel genre.) It's a reasonable book, but felt rather long for me – the original Rebel Girls compilations had a lot more brevity, and while this is admittedly for a young audience, the story featured very little in the way of downswings. Only the woman's old mentor and Booker T Washington's belligerence were negatives in her relentless upward rise. Still, the background of lynching and inherent racism is accurately portrayed for the target reader.