I am continually impressed by the story of Madam C.J. Walker and her businesses as well as the tenacity and grit that took her to the top.

An excellent book for the young reader. I highly recommend this book for the teacher to have in their library or as a gift for a young history lover.

I had not heard of Madam C.J. Walker, America’s first female self-made millionaire and an inspiring Black role model prior to this book, but I will be researching more about her remarkable story. As with other titles in the Rebel Girls Chapter Book Series, this is written for a younger audience and finds a deeply engaging format to captivate the reader. 

It simplifies some of the more complex and dark aspects of the story, but doesn't erase and ignore them, which I appreciated.  It provides a jump point for parents/guardians/adults to delve into deeper conversation on racism, feminism, and other difficulties of the era while highlighting the remarkable strengths of Madam Walker and her journey to success against all odds. 

An inspiring and motivating novelization, it includes beautiful artwork to complement the story.  I would highly recommend for any library or gifting for young girls looking for positive female influence.

I received a complimentary copy of this title via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

This was a great historical and biographical book that introduces us to Sarah Breedlove who later becomes known as Madam C.J. Walker. I enjoyed learning all the information about her upbringing and seeing all the obstacles that she went through to become the successful businesswoman that we know her as. This was a very complex chapter book that also features many illustrations and it adds extra details and context. I recommend this book about the remarkable Madam C. J. Walker.

5 Stars (I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

With a similar art style to Ada Lovelace Cracks the Code (which I loved the art style and the colour palettes in both work well their stories) this was a great history lesson for me. I have heard the name Madam C.J. Walker but never knew her story. Her life starts being the first child to be born into her family, that is not born into slavery. This covers her first marriage, how she got into the beauty business, creating her signature product and opening her own business. As well as the issues she faced not just being a woman of colour but also being a business woman and being looked down on by black business man because she is a woman. Also her second marriage and the shows her in retirement. This is a good history book for kids especially for educating kids from all backgrounds as well as young black children.

I absotuely LOVED this book. I thought that it presented her story in a truthful way without glossing over the bad things, but in a way that is accessible for younger readers. I am glad to see the Rebel Girls brand expanding, as I am a fan of their adult mini-biographies. I look forward to purchasing this one for my library.

From the wonderful world of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls comes the inspirational tale of Madam C.J. Walker - America’s first female self-made millionaire.

Rooted in fact, the life of Sarah Breedlove (aka Madam C. J. Walker), from childhood as an orphan to a penniless washerwoman to a business empress in the hair care industry, is beautifully relayed throughout the pages of this inspiring chapter book. Gently touching on issues regarding racism, slavery, women in business and achieving your dreams, Sarah's story is one of liberation, empowerment and self acceptance.

Rich in detail, with charming illustrations showcasing Sarah's life throughout, this captivating narrative will have both rebel girls and boys feeling impressed and inspired.

Feauturing a fascinating afterword on Madam C.J. Walker’s lasting legacy, as well as fun activities on entrepreneurship, I applaud Rebel Girls for creating these in-depth chapter book spin offs, which I have no doubt will inspire the next generation of pioneers, champions, warriors, leaders and creators.

A beautifully illustrated and educational childrens’ book about an inspiring woman. The struggles of women and African Americans during this time period are described well, and it was so nice to read about the progress of these groups throughout the book. I didn’t know much about this story before reading the book, but it’s a great tale. Sarah is one of the first people in her family who wasn’t born a slave. She gets to go to school and doesn’t have to work in the fields all day. However, her life is not without hardship, but Sarah learns to how to overcome these trials and build a business and becomes very successful selling hair products. It’s a very short and simple book, but perfect for children to have fun learning about history and a good introduction to chapter books for young readers.

I just reviewed Madam C.J. Walker Builds a Business by Rebel Girls. #RebelGirlsSeries #NetGalley

The story started sad, and the very first pages made me pushed back reading it. But I was proofed wrong. This one is so very inspiring, and the sad beginning serves as a witness how a black woman can succeed. And you might fail again and again in your youth, but stand tall at the middle of your life. Madam C J Walker taught me not to give up, even when you're not young anymore. It is a good story and example to read and reread, to young and old. Let Madam Walker inspire you.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book as an ARC via NetGalley.

I was so pleased with this biography. It was the perfect length and detail to introduce readers to Madam C.J Walker and her impactful contributions to the beauty industry. I was not aware of the the tensions between Walker and Booker T Washington and the way Walker handled that is so representative of her grace. An inspiring business woman who fully knew her worth.

Just, wow. What an amazing woman Sarah Breedlove Walker was! I can only imagine the kind of strength and perseverance it took to become Madam C.J. Walker. She was the first in her family to be born after slavery was abolished, but by the age of 8, she was an orphan. She went to live with her older sister and brother-in-law, and was forced to work hard, cleaning their house, cooking meals, babysitting her nephew, picking cotton, and doing laundry work in town. At age 14, she married; she gave birth to a daughter, Lelia, at 17; and was widowed at age 20, when her husband was lynched. She moved to St. Louis to be with her brothers, who owned a barbershop there. She worked hard and was able to put her daughter through college, and took night classes while her daughter was away at school. She eventually met and went to work for Annie Turnbo, a pioneer in hair products for African-American women. Soon, Sarah decided to create her own products; she moved to Denver, where one of her brothers now lived, and started experimenting with ingredients in her kitchen at night. There is so much more to the story, but you'll have to read the book to learn how she built her business empire! She did so much good for the African-American community in her time, especially for women, helping them to open their own businesses and be successful, to know that they could be powerful, and the effects of her work are still felt today.
This fictionalized biography presents the life of Sarah Breedlove Walker in a very engaging and inspiring way, and while it mentions some of the tougher subjects in her life, it does so in a way that's appropriate for intended audience. The illustrations add warmth and character to the text, and bring the words alive. Highly recommended!

#RebelGirlsSeries #NetGalley

Such a wonderful read! It's nice to read about the effects of slavery, but slightly post-slavery/abolition type tale. Simple and easy to read, I hope Rebel Girls continues expanding their stories

I got a digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. I really liked the simple narration of the life of Sarah and the accompanying graphic depictions.

Good read if you really want to learn about the history of black, women entrepreneurs & the spirit of entrepreneurship!

She achieved a lot with all the odds stacked against her. If she could do it in an environment non-conducive to neither black people Nor women, so can all of us!!

Until reading this, I had never heard of Madam C.J. Walker (nee Sarah Breedlove), but she is America's first self-made female millionaire! The first of her family not born into slavery, life was extremely hard during her formative years, but her whole family had big dreams. One thing lead to another (read the book to find out what and how!) and Sarah went above and beyond their wildest expectations, creating a business of natural hair care products for African Americans across the country. As a woman, and especially an African American woman, she had to fight tooth and nail every step of the way but she would stop at nothing to be heard, and to fight for her rights and the rights of other African Americans. I'm thrilled that Rebel Girls has told her story so that children today can look up to such an inspiration such as Sarah.

"Madam C.J. Walker Builds a Business" is a great read that teaches kids history and entrepreneurialism at the same time. Madam C. J. Walked perseveres against all odds and severs as a perfect role model to both girls and boys. She shows that if one can envision a different future, one can achieve it. This read is a true inspiration.

Thanks to Rebel Girls for the ARC!

Sarah was the first member of her family who hadn't been born into slavery. She was the first to go to school. That was already a challenge, but she still had a very long, complicated future ahead of her. She lost her parents when she was only 8 years old and started working really young. She didn't have a good relationship with her husband, so they ended up getting divorced. People always told her that she wouldn't succeed, because she was a poor, black woman. Life was never easy for her.

But she became the first female self-made millionaire, creating haircare products for black women.

I really enjoyed this read and I think it's a great book for young readers. It'll give them a nice perspective of life, racism, feminism and how important it is to believe in yourself and in your dreams, even when everyone is against you.

Madam CJ Walker AKA Sarah Breedlove, America's first selfmade millionaire. She was the first child in her family born free. She was a wife and mother by 18.
Experimented with different things to help keep her hair from falling out. She finally, comes up with a formula and tries to sell it. It doesn't sell under her name of Sarah. She changes her name to Madam CJ Walker giving herself an air of sophistication.
Wonderful book great start of information about Ms Walker

After reading and loving another title in the Rebel Girls series (Ada Lovelace), I was excited to see another book telling the story of Madam C.J. Walker, another woman in history I was not familiar with.

Set in the mid to late 1880s, this story tells the often heart-breaking story of Sarah growing up in Mississippi, from having a loving family, to losing her parents and having to work at just eight years old. It shows the terrible things happening to the Afrtican American community through the eyes of a child and then an adult.

Sarah/C.J. has a fascinating and amazing story! I cannot recommend this series enough.

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.

Madam C.J. Walker Builds a Business
by Rebel Girls

Rebel Girls

Children’s Fiction , Middle Grade

Pub Date 12 Nov 2019

I am reviewing a copy of Madam C.J Walker Builds a Business through Revell Girls and Netgalley:

Sarah Breedlove who later reinvented herself and rebranded herself as Madam C.J Walker a forceful entrepreneur whose products still dominate the black hair care industry. Sarah was Ben on the same plantation her family had once been enslaved on, and she was the first child in her family to be born free. As a little girl Sarah learns the value of hard work. She cooks, she cleans, she picks cotton, she does laundry, and she babysits. At only 14 Sarah is married and when she is only eighteen she has her first child. From the stress of backbreaking labor and having to grow up so quickly, Sarah’s hair begins to fall out! Instead of falling into despair, Sarah learns how to take care of her hair and invents her own recipe to encourage her hair to grow.

Sarah has a problem at first though she cannot get people to buy her products at first so she reinvents herself as Madam C.J Walker a high-society lady with the authority to help black woman with their hair care needs. Madam C.J Walker builds a business empire and she dominates the black hair care market with her natural products, and offers opportunities for other poor washerwomen in her community to have a path to financial freedom. With her immense wealth, she treats herself too. She buys herself cars, fancy dresses, and a mansion with 34 rooms!

This story will encourage girls and women of all ages to work hard, in order to reach their dreams.

I give Madam C.J Walker Builds A Business five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!