Women's History Month: Books for Kids, Middle Grades, and Families

Updated February 26, 2025
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Alia's mission : saving the books of Iraq : inspired by a true story
Stamaty, Mark Alan.
Paper Book
The inspiring story of an Iraqi librarian's courageous fight to save books from the Basra Central Library before it was destroyed in the war. It is 2003 and Alia Muhammad Baker, the chief librarian of the Central Library in Basra, Iraq, has grown worried given the increased likelihood of war...
I am Amelia Earhart
Meltzer, Brad
Paper Book
Groundbreaking American pilot Amelia Earhart is the 2nd hero in the New York Times bestselling picture book biography series for ages 5 to 8.  Amelia Earhart refused to accept no for an answer; she dared to do what no one had ever done before, and became the first...
I am Jane Goodall
Meltzer, Brad
Paper Book
This tenth book in the New York Times bestselling biography series profiles Jane Goodall, the scientist and conservationist who is famous for her work with chimpanzees. After receiving a stuffed animal chimpanzee for her first birthday, Jane Goodall's love of animals...
I Am Malala Yousafzai
Meltzer, Brad/ Eliopoulos, Christopher (ILT)
Paper Book
The youngest ever Nobel Prize laureate, Pakistani women's rights activist Malala Yousafzai, is the 26th hero in the New York Times bestselling picture book biography series for ages 5 to 8. Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17 for speaking out...
Art from her heart : folk artist Clementine Hunter
Whitehead, Kathy
Paper Book
A picture book biography of the remarkable folk artist Clementine Hunter. Can you imagine being an artist who isn't allowed into your own show? That's what happened to folk artist Clementine Hunter. Her paintings went from hanging on her clothesline to hanging in museums, yet...
Born reading : 20 stories of women reading their way into history
Krull, Kathleen
Paper Book
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds comes the "action-packed...banter-filled" (School Library Journal, starred review) sequel to his groundbreaking young adult novel Miles Morales: Spider-Man about the adventures of the unassuming, everyday kid who just...
Brave girl : Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909
Markel, Michelle.
Paper Book
The true story of the young immigrant who led the largest strike of women workers in U.S. history. This picture book biography about the plight of immigrants in America in the early 1900s and the timeless fight for equality and justice should not be missed. ...
Buffalo Bird Girl a Hidatsa story
Nelson, S. D.
Paper Book
This fascinating picture book biography tells the childhood story of Buffalo Bird Woman, a Hidatsa Indian born around 1839. Through her true story, readers will learn what it was like to be part of this Native American community that lived along the Missouri River in the Dakotas, a society that...
Buffalo dreamer
Duncan, Violet
Paper Book
Summer and her family always spend relaxed summers in Alberta, Canada, on the reservation where her mom's family lives. But this year is turning out to be an eye-opening one. First, Summer has begun to have vivid dreams in which she's running away from one of the many real-life residential schools...
Child of the flower-song people : Luz Jim?ez, daughter of the Nahua
Amescua, Gloria
Paper Book
She was Luz Jiménez, child of the flower-song people, the powerful Aztec, who called themselves Nahua- who lost their land but who did not disappear. As a young Nahua girl in Mexico during the early 1900s, Luz learned how to...
Coretta : the autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King
King, Coretta Scott
Paper Book
Celebrate the life of the extraordinary civil and human rights activist Coretta Scott King with this picture book adaptation of her critically acclaimed adult memoir. This is the autobiography of Coretta Scott King--wife of Martin Luther King, Jr.; founder of the Martin Luther...
Danza! Amalia Hernández and el Ballet Folklórico de Mexico
Tonatiuh, Duncan
Paper Book
Award-winning author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh tells the story of Amalia Hern\u00e1ndez, dancer and founder of El Ballet Folkl\u00f3rico de M\u00e9xico. Published in time for the 100th anniversary of Hern\u00e1ndez's birth, Danza! is the first picture book about the famous...
Drum dream girl : how one girl's courage changed music
Engle, Margarita
Paper Book
Girls cannot be drummers. Long ago on an island filled with music, no one questioned that rule--until the drum dream girl. In her city of drumbeats, she dreamed of pounding tall congas and tapping small bongós. She had to keep quiet. She had to practice in secret. But when at...
Exquisite : the poetry and life of Gwendolyn Brooks
Slade, Suzanne
Paper Book
A picture-book biography of celebrated poet Gwendolyn Brooks, the first Black person to win the Pulitzer Prize Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000) is known for her poems about "real life." She wrote about love, loneliness, family, and poverty-showing readers how just about anything could become a beautiful...
Finding Junie Kim
Oh, Ellen
Paper Book
For fans of Inside Out and Back Again and Amina's Voice comes a breathtaking story of family, hope, and survival from Ellen Oh, cofounder of We Need Diverse Books. When Junie Kim is faced with middle school racism, she learns of her grandparents' extraordinary...
Finish the fight! : the brave and revolutionary women who fought for the right to vote
Chambers, Veronica
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller! In collaboration with the New York Times, Finish the Fight! reveals untold stories of diverse heroines who fought for the 19th amendment--celebrate the historic win for women's rights and voting rights that changed the fabric of America. ...
The first rule of punk
P
Paper Book
A2018 Pura Belpre Author Honor Book The First Rule of Punk is a wry and heartfelt exploration of friendship, finding your place, and learning to rock out like no one's watching. There are no shortcuts to surviving your first day at a new school-you can't fix...
Gaga mistake day
Straub, Emma
Paper Book
When Grandma comes for a visit, silliness and creativity are guaranteed, in this funny and endearing book by bestselling novelist Emma Straub; her kids' gaga, Susan Straub; and award-winning illustrator Jessica Love. Gaga days are the best! That's when this eccentric, mischievous...
Grace for president
DiPucchio, Kelly.
Paper Book
A fresh, fun, and "thought-provoking" New York Times bestseller about the American electoral college and why every vote counts from bestselling and award-winning duo Kelly DiPucchio and LeUyen Pham. "Where are the girls?" When Grace's teacher reveals that the...
Helen Keller
Sheinmel, Courtney
Paper Book
Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, a chapter book series about women who stood up, spoke up and rose up against the odds--including Helen Keller! In this chapter book biography by acclaimed author...
HerStory : 50 women and girls who shook up the world
Halligan, Katherine (Children's book editor)
Paper Book
Move aside history--it's time for herstory. Celebrate fifty inspiring and powerful women who changed the world and left their mark in this lavishly illustrated biography compilation that's perfect for fans of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls and She...
How women won the vote : Alice Paul, Lucy Burns, and their big idea
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell
Paper Book
This is how history should be told to kids--with photos, illustrations, and captivating storytelling. From Newbery Honor medalist Susan Campbell Bartoletti and in time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in America comes the page-turning, stunningly...
Kamala Harris : rooted in justice
Grimes, Nikki
Paper Book
Discover the incredible story of a young daughter of immigrants who would grow up to be the first woman, first Black person, and first South Asian American ever elected Vice President of the United States--and in a history-making turn of events, became the Democrats' 2024 Presidential...
A kind of spark
McNicoll, Elle
Paper Book
Perfect for readers of Song for a Whale and Counting by 7s, a neurodivergent girl campaigns for a memorial when she learns that her small Scottish town used to burn witches simply because they were different. "A must-read for students and adults alike." ...
The Last Cuentista
Higuera, Donna Barba
Paper Book
Winner of the John Newbery Medal Winner of the Pura Belpré Award From Pura Belpré Award winner and Newbery Medalist, Donna Barba Higuera--a brilliant journey through the stars, to the very heart of what makes us...
Mae among the stars
Ahmed, Roda
Paper Book
A beautiful picture book for sharing and marking special occasions such as graduation, inspired by the life of the first African American woman to travel in space, Mae Jemison. An Amazon Best Book of the Month! A great classroom and bedtime read-aloud, Mae Among the Stars is the...
Malala's magic pencil
Yousafzai, Malala
Paper Book
Nobel Peace Prize winner and New York Times bestselling author Malala Yousafzai's first picture book, inspired by her own childhood. Malala's first picture book will inspire young readers everywhere to find the magic all around them. As a child in Pakistan, Malala...
Miss Mary reporting : the true story of sportswriter Mary Garber
Macy, Sue
Paper Book
"A heartfelt, informative, and thoroughly engaging picture book biography." --School Library Journal (starred review) From beloved author Sue Macy comes an illustrated biography of Mary Garber, one of the first female sports journalists in American history! ...
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales 11 : Cold War Correspondent
Hale, Nathan
Paper Book
Discover the Korean War through the eyes of a journalist who covered it in author-illustrator Nathan Hale's Cold War Correspondent, a Hazardous Tale in the New York Times bestselling graphic novel series. In 1950, Marguerite Higgins (1920-1966) was made bureau...
Nina : a story of Nina Simone
Todd, Traci N.
Paper Book
A 2022 Coretta Scott King Book Award Honoree!   This luminous, defining picture book biography illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Christian Robinson, tells the remarkable and inspiring story of acclaimed singer Nina Simone and her bold, defiant, and exultant legacy. ...
The oldest student how Mary Walker learned to read
Hubbard, Rita L.
Paper Book
Imagine learning to read at the age of 116! Discover the true story of Mary Walker, the nation's oldest student who did just that, in this picture book from a Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator and a rising star author. In 1848, Mary Walker was born into slavery. At age 15, she...
One Wish : Fatima Al-fihri and the World's Oldest University
Yuksel, M. O./ Quraishi, Mariam (ILT)
Paper Book
A Horn Book selection for "Picture Book Biographies for Women's History Month 2022" Fatima had one wish . . . Fatima al-Fihri loved to learn. She wanted to know everything, like how birds flew, why the sky was blue, and how flowers grew. But more than anything, she...
The partition project
Faruqi, Saadia
Paper Book
In this engaging and moving middle grade novel, Saadia Faruqi writes about a contemporary Pakistani American girl whose passion for journalism starts a conversation about her grandmother's experience of the Partition of India and Pakistan--and the bond that the two form as she helps...
Planting stories the life of librarian and storyteller Pura Belpré
Denise, Anika
Paper Book
RECIPIENT OF THE PURA BELPRÉ HONOR  * A Today Show's Best Kids' Books of 2019 * Indie Next List Pick * Junior Library Guild Selection *  "An appealing tribute and successful remedy to the lack of titles about the groundbreaking librarian...a must...
Ruth Bader Ginsburg : the case of R.B.G. vs. inequality
Winter, Jonah
Paper Book
To become the first female Jewish Supreme Court Justice, the unsinkable Ruth Bader Ginsburg had to overcome countless injustices. Growing up in Brooklyn in the 1930s and '40s, Ginsburg was discouraged from working by her father, who thought a woman's place was in the home. Regardless, she went to...
Sharice's big voice : a native kid becomes a congresswoman
Davids, Sharice
Paper Book
She caught the light : Williamina Stevens Fleming, astronomer
Lasky, Kathryn
Paper Book
From Newbery Honor-winning author Kathryn Lasky comes a nonfiction picture book about the stars! Lasky tells the inspiring true story of astronomer Williamina Fleming, who helped lay the foundations for modern astronomy and overcame impossible odds as an immigrant and a woman. For stargazers...
That Book Woman
Henson, Heather.
Paper Book
An exquisitely illustrated paean to everyone who struggles to learn how to read, and to everyone who won't give up on them. Cal is not the readin' type. Living way high up in the Appalachian Mountains, he'd rather help Pap plow or go out after wandering sheep than try some book...
When the Schools Shut Down : A Young Girl's Story of Virginia's Lost Generation and the Brown V. Board of Education of Topeka Decision
Pizzoli, Tamara/ Morris, Keisha (ILT)/ Gladden, Yolanda
Paper Book
A 2023 Jane Addams Children's Book Award Finalist An awe-inspiring autobiographical picture book about a young African American girl who lived during the shutdown of public schools in Farmville, Virginia, following the landmark civil rights case Brown vs. Board of...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.