Books with author Shirin Yim Bridges

Ruby is unlike most little girls in old China. Instead of aspiring to get married, Ruby is determined to attend university when she grows up, just like the boys in her family. Based upon the inspirational story of the author's grandmother and accompanied by richly detailed illustrations, Ruby's Wish is an engaging portrait of a young girl who's full of ambition and the family who rewards her hard work and courage.

Athena, Greek Goddess of Wisdom, steps fully formed from her father's head into the already established world of the Olympians. A motherless newcomer, she has to find her own place and purpose. Her adventures bring her down to Earth, where she forms close bonds with the Greek Heroes. Her attachment to three in particular—Diomedes, Odysseus, and Achilles—draws her into the Trojan War. How will she protect her friends and end the conflict? What are the ramifications on Olympus? Where does Athena finally find herself at home—and where can you find her now?Told by Athena in the first person, this lively book gives young readers a unique entry into the world of Greek mythology and provides interesting cultural and historical context in a nonfiction section illustrated with a family tree of the Olympians, maps, and photographs.

In a twist on the classic fairy tale, a princess in fifteenth century Spain refused to wait to be rescued by a prince but instead chose one for herself. Even then, she would not marry him until they’d reached an agreement that was revolutionary for her time—their marriage would be an equal partnership captured in the motto: To stand as high, as high to stand, Isabella and Ferdinand. This book tells the real and remarkable story of the princess, Isabella of Castile. The partnership that she made with her prince was a happy and successful one. Without her, both Spain and America would not exist as we know them.Richly illustrated and narrated with humor, The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Real Princesses brings to life the stories of real and remarkable princesses who managed to do what few thought possible.

When Noot is finally allowed to paint umbrellas like the other women and girls in her village, she secretly hopes that she might be chosen as this year's Umbrella Queen. Carefully, she creates serene flowers and butterflies exactly as she has seen her mother and grandmother do for years.But soon her imagination takes over, and Noot finds herself straying from the old patterns, to the dismay of her family, who depend on the traditionally painted umbrellas for their livelihood.Her parents tell her she must go back to the old designs and Noot obeys, knowing that the King is coming soon to name the one who has painted the most beautiful umbrella. After all, the King would never choose a queen who breaks from tradition . . . would he?

In a twist on the classic fairy tale, a princess in fifteenth century Spain refused to wait to be rescued by a prince but instead chose one for herself. Even then, she would not marry him until they’d reached an agreement that was revolutionary for her time—their marriage would be an equal partnership captured in the motto: To stand as high, as high to stand, Isabella and Ferdinand. This book tells the real and remarkable story of the princess, Isabella of Castile. The partnership that she made with her prince was a happy and successful one. Without her, both Spain and America would not exist as we know them.Richly illustrated and narrated with humor, The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Real Princesses brings to life the stories of real and remarkable princesses who managed to do what few thought possible.

Combining the romance and enchantment of princesses with a message of youthful female empowerment, these books are about girls who didn’t just sit around waiting to be rescued. Against great odds, they changed their own lives—and their worlds. Stories of princesses from different cultures and different epochs in history are richly illustrated with photographs, maps, and lovely pen-and-watercolor paintings that help bring these fascinating females to life. Bringing to life the story of a woman who boldly declared herself pharaoh, this book tells of Hatshepsut, who lived in ancient Egypt. When explorers first chipped a hole through a wall and shined a light into Tutankhamun's tomb, everything it touched glinted with gold and gleamed with silver. The boy-king so surrounded by this treasure would become one of the most famous names in history. But the less-famous princess Hatshepsut had accumulated much of the wealth that was buried in the tomb. Answering such questions as How did she make Egypt so rich? and How did she come to be buried, like Tutankhamun, in the Valley of the Kings?, this book also has sections on the clothes Hatshepsut wore, the foods she ate, and why she is remembered today.

Ambitious Roman empress Agrippina murdered and married her way to the throne—and to being declared a goddess. She made many enemies, including her own son. But was she really all that atrocious?Gorgeous illustrations and an intelligent, evocative story bring to life a real dastardly dame whose lust for power lost her the love of her people, and eventually, her life.

Even the Queen of England has to get up and groomed to greet the day Get up, Elizabeth! It’s time for the future queen to get out of bed, scrub her face with almond paste, brush her teeth with soot, comb the tangles out of her unruly red hair, get dressed, and sit still while her ruff is sewn on and her sleeves are pinned. It’s rough rising and shining every day—for queens and kids alike.

In what could be a tale from the Arabian Nights, a girl grows up in thirteenth century Persia to be so desirable that she is kidnapped several times for her beauty. She finds refuge at last in the arms of a prince, who marries her and makes her a princess. With him she rules a nation and is so wise that, on his death, the people ask her to continue as their sovereign. But at the end of her long reign, she is remembered above all for her kindness and compassion. This book brings to life the story of Qutlugh Terkan Khatun, a real and remarkable princess who brought her people a golden age of peace and prosperity.Richly illustrated and narrated with humor, The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Real Princesses brings to life the stories of real and remarkable princesses who managed to do what few thought possible.

When explorers first chipped a hole through a wall and shined a light into Tutankhamun's tomb, everything it touched glinted with gold and gleamed with silver. The boy-king so surrounded by this treasure would become one of the most famous names in history. But it was a less-famous princess who had accumulated a lot of the wealth that was buried in that tomb. Her name was Hatshepsut. How did she make Egypt so rich? And how did she come to be buried, like Tutankhamun, in the Valley of the Kings? This book brings to life the story of a real and remarkable princess who had the nerve to declare herself Pharaoh.

In what could be a tale from the Arabian Nights, a girl grows up in thirteenth century Persia to be so desirable that she is kidnapped several times for her beauty. She finds refuge at last in the arms of a prince, who marries her and makes her a princess. With him she rules a nation and is so wise that, on his death, the people ask her to continue as their sovereign. But at the end of her long reign, she is remembered above all for her kindness and compassion. This book brings to life the story of Qutlugh Terkan Khatun, a real and remarkable princess who brought her people a golden age of peace and prosperity.Richly illustrated and narrated with humor, The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Real Princesses brings to life the stories of real and remarkable princesses who managed to do what few thought possible.

Thousands of years ago, in the world of the Ancient Greeks where women were expected to obey their husbands in all matters, to play no part in public life, and to stay inside the house, a princess grew up to be not only a sailor and a ship’s captain, but a famous admiral. Her name was Artemisia, and among all the commanders fighting on the Persian side during the great Persian Wars, she alone dared to give Xerxes an honest opinion that could have saved his entire fleet. This is the story of a real and remarkable princess whose spirit prompted the Persian Great King, Xerxes, to declare, "My men have become women, and my women men!"