1549 King Street North, P.O. Box 239, St. Jacobs, Ontario, N0B 2N0   |   416-364-8576
1549 King Street North, P.O. Box 239, St. Jacobs, Ontario, N0B 2N0   |   416-364-8576

At age 9, Isobel, is already an author and aspiring ballerina!

This International Women’s Day we want to honour and highlight women from all walks of life, professions and, all ages. Our youngest featured lady may only be 9 and a half years old, but she’s already a writer and activist.

Inspired by the diversity of her peers at daycare, two years ago Isobel McEwen-Parris launched her solo writing debut, with The Book of Girls, that showcased all the reasons why young girls should be appreciated for exactly who they are.

An ooey-gooey-macaroni-and-cheese-with-bacon aficionado with an affinity for chapter books, the Ottawa, Ontario native was drawn to explore themes of individuality and acceptance in her writing.

Following what can be viewed as her own take on postmodern feminism, Isobel embraces hallmarks of femininity (such as her admiration for dolls and the colour pink), yet ostensibly rejects the socially constructed hierarchy of beauty. Musing on hypothetical elitism over long hair, she’ll point out how in some parts of the world, people don’t have hair at all.

Outside of her writing, Isobel really loves dance, both ballet and tap, is excellent at math and is inspired by female characters who break the mold, like Carmen Sandiego.

Having overcome her fear of learning to do a handstand, Isobel dreams of one day becoming a ballerina. But for now, she wishes for a room of her own, free from the distractions inherent to being a big sister – a duty she loves, nonetheless. As for her future writing projects, we’ll just have to wait and see whether her inner muse is ready to compose a sequel.

Read The Books of Girls now!