Grace Banker and Her Hello Girls Answer the Call

Grace Banker and her Hello Girls Answer the Call
By Claudia Friddell
Illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley
BOYDS MILLS & KANE
ISBN: 978-1585364558

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Led by twenty-five-year-old Grace Banker, thirty-two telephone operators — affectionately called “Hello Girls” back in the US — became the first female combatants in World War I.

Follow Grace Banker’s journey from her busy life as a telephone switchboard trainer in New York to her pioneering role as the Chief Operator of the 1st Unit of World War I telephone operators in the battlefields of France. With expert skill, steady nerves, and steadfast loyalty, the Signal Corps operators transferred orders from commanders to battlefields and communicated top-secret messages between American and French headquarters. After faithfully serving her country–undaunted by freezing weather and fires; long hours and little sleep, and nearby shellings and far off explosions–Grace was the first and only woman operator in the Signal Corps to be awarded the Army’s Distinguished Service Medal. Author Claudia Friddell and artist Elizabeth Baddely beautifully capture this true American story that celebrates the lives of this little-known heroic woman and her team of Signal Corps Operators.

Join the virtual zoom meeting for a family-friendly conversation about how Grace Banker’s grit and courage helped win the war and earned Grace the Army’s Distinguished Service Medal – and why it is important to have children’s books about it. March 20th 10:30am learn how to register here

Thank you, Elizabeth, for taking Grace Banker and Her Hello Girls Answer the Call to the National WWl Museum and Memorial in Kansas City on Veteran’s Day!

Marion M., Library Media Consultant, Mishawaka, IN
During World War I, Grace Banker and a group of female telephone operators volunteered to provide communication services between General Pershing's headquarters in France and the frontlines. In so doing, this Signal Corps, headed by Grace, actually became the first 23 female combatants. Over the course of their service, the group had to endure fires, explosions, long hours, and nearby shelling. Grace herself eventually became the first female awarded the Army's Distinguished Service Medal. Illustrator Elizabeth Baddeley did exhaustive research at the World War I Museum in Kansas to represent the period accurately. Her illustrations are rendered in blues, grays, browns, and sepias, employ a combination of dusty red ink, acrylic, and digital media, and are full of action and humor. They depict subtle details such as Banker's own uniform, period correct telephone switchboards, headsets, barracks, recruitment posters, bunkers, and even the clock showing 11:11 on November 11th when the cease fire occurred. Words from Banker's diary appear throughout the text either via speech bubbles or written in contrasting blue print. This picture book for older students provides material not readily available about the Signal Corps and the early role of women in the military. It also provides needed backdrop for the suffrage movement happening about the same time. Ample back matter is also included, providing additional information on such topics as the home front during WWI, the members of the Signal Corps, and a description of how switchboards operated. Bibliography. Timeline.

Danielle R. NetGalley
I absolutely loved learning about Grace Banker and the other Hello Girls. These were women I didn't learn about in school, and it was great getting to know this piece of history. The book does a good job with detailing the events of the switchboard operators in World War I, and how important these ladies were. The illustrations were great, and a lot of care and research went into creating this book. Though it is geared towards younger readers, it's very informative for adults as well. Especially if your school failed to teach about these tremendous women.

Megan S. NetGalley
Grace Banker and her Hello Girls Answer the Call is a beautiful tribute dedicated to the service of some really amazing women. Grace and her Hello Girls served diligently from the front lines. They worked every day to transfer the thousands of messages from the frontlines of WWI. They never stopped in times of danger. Instead, they bravely served their country as they pressed forward.

Kirkus
An overlooked hero of World War I is given her due. In a more innocent time, when going to war was considered an adventure, Grace Banker answered the U.S. Signal Corps’ call for women telephone operators. College educated when women generally weren’t and already training switchboard operators at 25, she was named chief operator of a group known as the Signal Corps Girls and sent overseas to connect military calls from England to France, sometimes from secret locations. Quotes from Banker’s diary and letters accompany Friddell’s straightforward, descriptive text, bringing to life her dedication, humor, and fearlessness. Baddeley’s appealing, comics-style illustrations provide a strong sense of time and place, depicting the White protagonist amid a mostly but not all-White cast; some of the doughboys are soldiers of color. The focus is on her accomplishments and the positive aspects of her story; the tale ends with a return home with headlines full of praise and a distinguished service medal while the endnotes reveal that women in her position were not recognized as service members and were not seen as veterans eligible for benefits until 1977, after her death. Overall, this overlooked piece of history—the role of women during World War I—is presented in engaging detail, and the result is a captivating depiction of a smart, spirited woman who found a way to use her skills and intelligence to benefit her country in an unexpected way. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11- by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 67.5% of actual size.) An absorbing look at one woman’s achievements during World War I. (timeline, notes, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 6-10)

Net Galley
Did you know that women were called to serve in the US Army's first telephone operators unit in France during WWI? Before women were even allowed to vote? I didn't either! This nonfiction picture book brings a little known piece of history to children of all ages. The author and illustrator researched archives and artifacts and collaborated with Grace Banker's granddaughter to share the story of the "Hello Girls" in World War 1. The narrative moves along at a good pace, without overwhelming younger readers. Scattered throughout are quotes from Grace's diaries and interviews, which lends a personal touch to the story. The illustrations are detailed and historically accurate, yet subdued, using tones from only a few colors, which fits very well with the time period of the early 1900s. The book includes an afterword, a timeline, further information, a bibliography, and even a short note from the artist. These extra components add additional information in helping the young reader further their understanding of the story, people, and time period involved in this snapshot of WWI. Most intriguing is what happened to Grace and her fellow "Hello Girls" after the war and their return home. Read to the very end to find out! Overall, this is an excellent American history resource for children of all ages - showing that regular people living regular lives (men and women both!) served our country with honor and integrity, helping to defend our country and win the war. The publisher and NetGalley provided me with an advanced reader's copy. This review and opinions are entirely my own. the early 1900s. The book includes an afterword, a timeline, further information, a bibliography, and even a short note from the artist. These extra components add additional information in helping the young reader further their understanding of the story, people, and time period involved in this snapshot of WWI. Most intriguing is what happened to Grace and her fellow "Hello GIrls" after the war and their return home. Read to the very end to find out! Overall, this is an excellent American history resource for children of all ages - showing that regular people living regular lives (men and women both!) served our country with honor and integrity, helping to defend our country and win the war. The publisher and NetGalley provided me with an advanced reader's copy. This review and opinions are entirely my own.

BCCB
America entered World War I and recruitment kicked into high gear not just for soldiers but also for overseas support services, including communication workers. Grace Banker, a twenty-five-year-old switchboard operator and trainer with a college degree and fluency in French, was an easy pick, and soon after her application to the Signal Corps was accepted she was appointed chief operator at General Pershing’s First Army Headquarters in France. As the front moved, so did General Pershing, and as Pershing moved, so did Banker and her operators (nicknamed Hello Girls), connecting hundreds of daily combat commands while dodging shrapnel or glued to their posts in a burning wooden office. After the war Banker was awarded a Distinguished Service medal, and she and her “girls”—recruited, uniformed, and trained by the military—were sent home as civilians, not veterans. Baddeley’s mixed-media scenes are packed with visual references to homefront hype as well as to the perils of life for these women adventurers at the edge of the fighting. End matter is well worth exploring, with a finely tuned timeline, photographs, bibliography, and extra information ranging from the long road toward recognition for the operators’ military service to how a switchboard worked. This picture book should hold strong appeal for both independent readers and middle grade listeners, making it an excellent selection for curricular use. EB

Lisa Simon-Gerin (Educator)
This lovely picture book about a highly unknown group of women in WWI was a delight to read. I had never heard of these women who helped out as phone operators during WWI, unsung heroes. The book is so extensively researched and well written, and is bound to keep young girls or boys interested throughout until the end. It is worth mentioning that EA Baddeley's artwork is appealing in a graphic common book style, with some spreads having three or more panels on a page. Also, the use of direct quotes from Grace throughout the text is interesting. I would recommend for kids, a bit older than the usual pb age, as this historical story might be better suited for upper elementary readers.

Booklist
Recounted with the same plucky spirit as its heroine, this picture-book biography of Grace Banker is a heartening story of grit, charm, and bravery. At the age of 25, Banker replied to a newspaper ad for female telephone operators willing to help the war effort in France during WWI. Banker was promptly hired and put in charge of 33 other young women, collectively referred to as Signal Corp Girls or Hello Girls. Saturated illustrations use action-packed panels and show Banker and her "girls" maintaining upbeat attitudes in the face of inhospitable and often dangerous surroundings. All told, these women played a vital role in keeping army headquarters in communication with the battlefront, and Banker received the Distinguished Service Medal for her work. Back matter expounds upon the general lack of gratitude shown to the Hello Girls, who were denied veterans’ benefits on the technicality that they weren’t soldiers. This section also features a detailed time line and facts about WWI and how switchboards worked, the latter being worth a glance before reading the main text.