Grace Banker and Her Hello Girls Answer the Call

By Claudia Friddell, Elizabeth Baddeley (Illustrator)

A pioneering woman leads telephone operators in WWI, facing danger and earning a historic honor.

4.2/5 Goodreads · 285 ratings

40 pages· 1,465 words· Est. 12 min read-aloud

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Bookroo's summary

Grace Banker, a young telephone switchboard trainer, becomes the Chief Operator of the first female combat unit in WWI. Amidst the chaos of war-torn France, she and her team, the 'Hello Girls,' relay crucial orders and secret messages. Braving harsh conditions and constant threats, Grace's unwavering dedication earns her the Army's Distinguished Service Medal. How will she navigate the perils of war and lead her team to success?

From the publisher

NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade BookNCSS Septma Clark Award, Elementary Level HonoreeBank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year 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.

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