Bad Girls: Sirens, Jezebels, Murderesses, Thieves & Other Female Villains
2 CD Set (see all formats)

"Author Yolen and her daughter Stemple collaborated on (and help narrate) this thought-provoking historical survey of women who have made questionable decisions. From Delilah to gangster girlfriends Bonnie Parker and Virginia Hill, 26 different "bad girls" are amusingly portrayed by additional narrators Barbara Rosenblat and Monte Belmonte, whose witty inflections and pitch fluctuations complement Yolen and Stemple's humorous wordplay. The period music and special effects accompanying each biography are a Live Oak Media signature and add to the overall mood. Yolen and Stemple do an admirable job adding to the narration here, as they follow each biography with lively banter about the guilt or innocence of the bad girl in question. Although listeners will miss Rebecca Guy's clever comic-strip illustrations, they will be caught up in the informative yet amusing character portraits and the skilled narration by Rosenblat, Belmonte, and the authors."

"Gr 4-8-Yolen and her daughter and cowriter Stemple gathered biographies of 26 infamous females in this romp with history's boldest women. From Delilah to Virginia Hill, listeners will meet brassy broads who operated outside the law, then hear the authors discuss whether the ladies were actually bad or merely misunderstood. Barbara Rosenblat's inviting narration is followed by Yolen and Stemple debating the merits of each historical crime. Their repartee enlivens these sassy tales of deception, murder, vanity, and self-preservation. Mother and daughter agree about shoes, but disagree about Cleopatra, Bloody Mary, Calamity Jane, and Mata Hari, along with other less well-known women, verbally jousting in a tolerant and humorous spirit. The two make it clear that history and community norms influence whether behaviors are acceptable or not. This collection will add just the right spice to history lessons for tweens and young teens."

"While a narration that is both elegant and playful might sound odd, that's just what esteemed narrator Barbara Rosenblat brings to this work about 26 women who, on first look, carried out unlawful deeds, but might have had other motives. Considering such figures as Bloody Mary I of England; Bonnie Parker; Belle Starr, spy for the Confederacy; and ancient history's Delilah and Cleopatra, the authors discuss in droll repartee what it is that made them "bad girls." Rosenblat furthers this banter and questioning of motives. She leaves sentences dangling, draws out phrases with key emphasis, and delivers tongue-in-cheek lines in a deadpan tone. Her clear, clipped elocution is a treat for listeners. Yolen and Stemple narrate their own conversations, which provide interludes between vignette."