Mary Walker Wears the Pants: The True Story of the Doctor, Reformer, and Civil War Hero

By Cheryl Harness and Carlo Molinari

2014 Amelia Bloomer list
The Best Children's Books of the Year 2014, Bank Street College

The story of Mary Edwards Walker, the doctor and women's rights activist who served in the Civil War and receive the Medal of Honor.

Mary Edwards Walker was unconventional for her time: She was one of the first women doctors in the country, she was a suffragist, and she wore pants! And when the Civil War struck, she took to the battlefields in a modified Union uniform as a commissioned doctor. For her service she became the only woman ever to earn the Medal of Honor. This picture book biography tells the story of a remarkable woman who challenged traditional roles and lived life on her own terms.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
• Release date: Mar 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9780807549919

Cheryl Harness

Cheryl Harness is the author of many books for young people, including Remember the Ladies: 100 Great American Women; Young Abe Lincoln; and M is for Mount Rushmore: A South Dakota Alphabet. She lives in Independence, Missouri.

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Reviews for Mary Walker Wears the Pants

[abbylibrarian_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A somewhat slight look at the life of Mary Walker, a female physician who served in the Union army during the Civil War. A note at the back of the book does something to provide additional info (dates, etc.), but no sources are cited. Pair this book with LOUISA MAY'S BATTLE for more on women in the Civil War. Skip it and pick up WHO SAYS WOMEN CAN'T BE DOCTORS? by Tanya Lee Stone if you're looking for information about early female physicians.