Marika Marches for Equality

By Jen Green and Andrea Rossetto

Middle-schooler Marika is caught between two worlds. She and her friend Beth are passionate about women’s rights, and they plan to join a national rally to support the cause. But it’s 1970, and the equal rights movement has a lot of resistance—including from Marika’s parents. Marika wishes they were as supportive of equal rights as Beth’s parents, but Marika’s parents seem content with how things are. As the day of the Women’s Strike for Equality approaches, will Marika convince her parents to support her beliefs?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
• Release date: Jan 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781663911940

Jen Green

Salima Alikhan has been a freelance writer and illustrator for fourteen years. She lives in Austin, Texas, where she writes and illustrates children’s books. Salima also teaches creative writing at St. Edward’s University and English at Austin Community College. Her books and art can be found at www.salimaalikhan.net.

Book preview

Marika Marches for Equality by Salima Alikhan, Illustrated by Andrea Rossetto

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Chapter 1: Tradition

Chapter 2: A Different Set of Values

Chapter 3: Trouble

Chapter 4: A Feeling of Change

Chapter 5: Hope

Women’s Strike for Equality

Glossary

Becoming an Activist

About the Author

About the Illustrator

Copyright

Back Cover

Cover

Title Page

Table of Contents

Start of Content

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Chapter 1

Tradition

August 24, 1970

With a sigh, Marika put down her pencil. She watched it roll over her finished spelling homework, which was lit by the warm glow of her desk lamp.

Today had been the first day of seventh grade, and she could already tell she was one of the best in her class at spelling. But it wasn’t her favorite subject. She always got it out of the way first, so she could save her favorite thing for last—the big book that she had hidden under her mattress.

Marika tiptoed to her door and listened to make sure her parents were still in the living room, watching TV. She could hear her dad all the way down the hall, ranting at something on the news.

Ridiculous! he was shouting. Can’t believe it’s come to this!

Marika heard her mom quietly agree in her soft voice. Her mom was from India, and her accent was soothing and gentle.

Marika went to her bed and pulled the heavy book from its hiding spot—her favorite book in the world: World History of Economics. Her dad had bought it years ago at a used bookstore.

Marika knew that lots of kids her age would have thought this was the most boring book in the world. But Marika was fascinated by economics. Most people thought economics just meant money. But it was way more interesting than that. It was about how the whole world worked, and she wanted to know everything she could about