In 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first American woman to obtain a medical degree. Following in her footsteps in the early 1980s, Brenda Berkman was the first woman to challenge New York City's ban on female firefighters. During the last few centuries, countless women have made amazing contributions to society. Women are now Nobel Peace Prize winners, world-class athletes, and talented inventors and adventurers. Some women, such as Shirley Muldowney-the first woman inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame-shattered perceptions about what women could accomplish. Others broke all the boundaries, such as Lynn Hill-the first person (man or woman!) to free climb the Nose at Yosemite National Park. Award winner Elizabeth Cody Kimmel's informative text will inspire kids to reach for their dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem. "The profiles ... are as inspiring as they are informative."-School Library Journal