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Women have been writing, producing and directing movies since filmmaking began in the early 1900s. From taming wild dogs to filming from the open door of a plane to being nominated for an academy award, women directors have done amazing things in the world of film. Fantastic Female Filmmakers tells the stories of ten women who are some of the most creative and respected directors in the world.

Ten profiles of amazing young environmental activists. Each child is captured in a portrait, their achievements described, and filled out with photos. Ends with tips for kids to make a difference.

The women profiled here have become masters of their art, dancing and choreographing their way around the world. All of them have helped transform their style of dance, paving the way for the next generation. As you read about their lives, you will see that these women share a commitment to making a difference in the world of dance and beyond. Anna Pavlova, one of history’s greatest ballerinas, brought classical ballet to all corners of the globe. Geeta Chandran, a master of Indian Bharatanatyam, has used dance to protest violence against women.

The work of women designers touches every part of our lives. In the 1920s British furniture designer and architect Eileen Gray developed ideas for homes that still seem modern today. From chairs made of steel tubes to bare-basic rooms, she created an entirely new look. American Suzanne E. Vanderbilt was one of the first women to design cars for General Motors. Designer of cities Jane Jacobs caused controversy in the 1960s with her campaign against a New York expressway that revolutionized the way we understand urban life.

Marion Dewar could never ignore a person who was begging in the street. Along with money, she would offer words of encouragement and friendship. Perhaps it was her training as a nurse, her devout Catholic upbringing, or maybe it was simply because she was a genuinely compassionate woman. As mayor of Ottawa from 1978-1985, Marion Dewar worked tirelessly to bring about non-profit housing, better public transportation, support and encouragement for the arts, for peace, and for women’s rights.

Faye Schulman was a happy teenager learning to become a photographer when the Nazis invaded her small town on the Russian-Polish border. She had a loving family, good friends and neighbours, most of whom were soon lost in the horrors of the Holocaust. But Faye survived, becoming a Partisan and fighting against the Nazis. Her rare and powerful photographs attest to her experiences.

Irene Borins Ash captures the vitality of senior citizens in a series of photographs with biographical sketches and life philosophies. The fifty people featured represent a cross-section of the population, ranging from the famous to the physically and intellectually challenged. Included are June Callwood, David Suzuki, Dr. Jean Vanier and Oscar Peterson. Striking black-and-white photographs accompany the text that demonstrates the possibility of aging wonderfully, with purpose, joy and achievement

The true story of Emily Eaton. Born with severe cerebral palsy, Emily and her family had to fight for her right to go to school with non-disabled children in a regular classroom. Unwilling to take no for an answer, her fight would take her all the way to the Supreme Court. Eventually victorious, Emily’s story makes her an amazing role model for children everywhere - whether they are living with a disability or not.

A thirst for adventure, a deep desire to push themselves beyond their comfort zones, and an innate curiosity about the world and its peoples drive the biographies of the ten women explorers profiled here. As explorers they bring skills in cartography, geography, history, anthropology, botany, photography, linguistics and writing to their travels. Their stories begin with Sacagawea, a Native guide in the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1805, and end in the present, with Mattie McNair and Denise Martin, the Canadian leaders of Arctic and Antarctic expeditions.

For much of her adult life, Darlene believed she wouldn't make a good mother: "Besides, I couldn't admit to anyone that I didn't know how to do mother things. So I married someone who didn't want to have children either." Everything seemed fine for twelve years of her marriage, but then Darlene slowly came to realise that she really did want a child. At age forty, things weren't going to be that easy. In this humorous, warm and poignant book, Darlene takes the reader with her as she decides that the most sensible option left to her is adoption.