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

Updated February 26, 2025
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Ablaze With Color : A Story of Painter Alma Thomas
Harvey, Jeanne Walker/ Wise, Loveis (ILT)
Paper Book
Celebrate the life-changing power of art in this inspiring and stunningly illustrated picture book biography of American artist Alma Thomas. Meet an incredible woman who broke down barriers throughout her whole life and is now known as one of the most...
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 woman to...
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 receivinga stuffed animal chimpanzee for her first birthday, Jane Goodall's love of animals only...
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...
Astronauts : women on the final frontier
Ottaviani, Jim
Paper Book
In the graphic novel Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier, Jim Ottaviani and illustrator Maris Wicks capture the great humor and incredible drive of Mary Cleave, Valentina Tereshkova, and the first women in space. The U.S. may have put the first man on the moon, but...
The belly song
Mother Moon
Paper Book
Sing along in this joyful celebration of your baby's perfect belly. Named one of the Best Books of 2024 by Chicago Public Library! "As the pages celebrate many different kinds of human bellies, they simultaneously model a wealth of loving connections...
Born reading : 20 stories of women reading their way into history
Krull, Kathleen
Paper Book
Once books kick-start their brains, girls change history. Discover the foundation of reading that empowered some of the world's most influential women in this informative and inspirational illustrated middle grade collection of twenty biographies. What do Cleopatra, Audre Lorde,...
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. When Clara...
Brave, black, first : 50+ African American women who changed the world
Hudson, Cheryl Willis
Paper Book
Published in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, discover over fifty remarkable African American women whose unique skills and contributions paved the way for the next generation of young people. Perfect for fans of Rad Women Worldwide,...
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...
Classified : the secret career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee aerospace engineer
Sorell, Traci
Paper Book
An American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award Honor Picture BookMary Golda Ross designed classified airplanes and spacecraft as Lockheed Aircraft Corporation's first female engineer. Find out how her passion for math and the Cherokee values she was raised with shaped her life and...
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...
Ellen takes flight : the life of astronaut Ellen Ochoa
Rappaport, Doreen
Paper Book
A Junior Library Guild Selection, Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year, and National Science Teaching Association Best STEM Book ● Celebrate the groundbreaking life of astronaut and Johnson Space Center director Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina in...
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...
Go forth and tell : the life of Augusta Baker, librarian and master storyteller
McDaniel, Breanna J.
Paper Book
Ezra Jack Keats Writer Award Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Kirkus Best Books of the Year Chicago Public Library Best Books of the Year New York Public Library Best Books of the Year Five Starred Reviews From an award-winning author and illustrator...
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...
Hidden figures : the true story of four black women and the space race
Shetterly, Margot Lee
Paper Book
Based on the New York Times bestselling book and the Academy Award-nominated movie, author Margot Lee Shetterly and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award winner Laura Freeman bring the incredibly inspiring true story of four black women who helped NASA launch men into space to picture book...
Ida B. Wells, voice of truth : educator, feminist, and anti-lynching civil rights leader
Duster, Michelle
Paper Book
Ida B. Wells was an educator, journalist, feminist, businesswoman, newspaper owner, public speaker, suffragist, civil rights activist, and women's club leader. She was a founder of the NAACP, the National Association of Colored Women, the Alpha Suffrage Club, and the Negro Fellowship League. Born in...
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...
Ketanji: Justice Jackson's Journey to the U.S. Supreme Court
Magoon, Kekla
Paper Book
From two Coretta Scott King Honor winners comes this uplifting picture book biography about Ketanji Brown Jackson, who is making history as the first Black woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice. Ketanji Brown Jackson is no stranger to overcoming obstacles. When a high school guidance...
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." ...
Ladies of liberty : the women who shaped our nation
Roberts, Cokie
Paper Book
"This collection succeeds in emphasizing that many unsung women left their mark well before the suffrage movement." --Publishers Weekly Fans of #1 New York Times bestselling author Cokie Roberts, who was also a celebrated journalist for ABC and NPR, will love this stunning nonfiction...
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...
Mary wears what she wants
Negley, Keith
Paper Book
From the award-winning creator of My Dad Used to Be So Cool and Tough Guys Have Feelings Too comes a charming picture book inspired by the true story of Mary Edwards Walker, a trailblazing 19th-century doctor who was arrested many times for wearing pants. Once upon a time (but not that...
Maryam's magic : the story of mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani
Reid, Megan
Paper Book
From Althea Gibson author Megan Reid and rising star artist Aaliya Jaleel, illustrator of Under My Hijab, comes the first picture book about trailblazing mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani, the first woman to win the world's most prestigious honor in mathematics. Perfect for fans of...
Milloo's mind : the story of Maryam Faruqi, trailblazer for women's education
Faruqi, Reem
Paper Book
From the author of Lailah's Lunchbox and Unsettled comes a powerful picture book biography about Maryam Faruqi, the founder of the Happy Home Schools, which provided education to thousands of girls across Pakistan at a time when girls weren't encouraged to go to school. ...
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)...
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...
The power of her pen : the story of groundbreaking journalist Ethel L. Payne
Cline-Ransome, Lesa
Paper Book
"A powerful story." --The Horn Book "A worthy addition to children's biography collections." --Booklist "A solid treatment of an important but little-known figure, and it may prompt kids to think about the role and composition of a free press....
Ready to fly : how Sylvia Townsend became the bookmobile ballerina
Lyon, Lea
Paper Book
Lyrical, inspiring, and affecting text paired with bright, appealing illustrations make Ready to Fly perfect for aspiring ballerinas everywhere who are ready to leap and to spread their wings! Ready to Fly is the true story of Sylvia Townsend, an African American girl...
Rebel girls powerful pairs : 25 tales of mothers and daughters
Rebel Girls (COR)
Paper Book
What do Beyonce and Blue Ivy or Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst have in common? What about Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton or Karen E. Laine and Mina Starsiak Hawk? They're all incredible mother-daughter duos who have used their creativity, cleverness, and unique talents to do something...
Remembering Rosalind Franklin : Rosalind Franklin & the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA
Stone, Tanya Lee
Paper Book
A CBC-NSTA Editors' Outstanding Science Trade Book for 2025 * An inspiring picture book biography about Rosalind Franklin, the groundbreaking chemist who helped discover the structure of DNA, by the award-winning, bestselling author of Who Says Women Can't Be...
Rock, Rosetta, rock! Roll, Rosetta, roll! : presenting sister Rosetta Tharpe, the godmother of rock & roll
Bolden, Tonya
Paper Book
"A profile as bold and vivacious as the singer herself." --Kirkus (starred review) "Terrific for all collections that want to inspire the musically inclined and highlight innovative pioneers." --Booklist (starred review) "Bolden uses alliteration, assonance, repetition...
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
This acclaimed picture book autobiography tells the triumphant story of Sharice Davids, one of the first Native American women elected to Congress, and the first LGBTQ congressperson to represent Kansas. When Sharice Davids was young, she never thought she'd be in Congress....
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...
The six : the untold story of America's first women astronauts
Grush, Loren
Paper Book
Two starred reviews! The extraordinary true story of America's first female astronauts hailed as "suspenseful, meticulously observed, enlightening" by Margot Lee Shetterly, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Figures, now adapted for young readers....
Spying on spies : how Elizebeth Smith Friedman broke the Nazis' secret codes
Moss, Marissa
Paper Book
Bestselling and award-winning author-illustrator Marissa Moss tells the gripping story of America's first female cryptanalyst, Elizebeth Smith Friedman, who busted Nazi spy rings. Praised for her accessible blend of narrative nonfiction with graphic novel-style chapter openers...
Stacey Abrams and the Fight to Vote
Todd, Traci N./ Freeman, Laura (ILT)
Paper Book
"A brilliant introduction to a powerful Black female politician and voting rights activist. Todd and Freeman bring this to life in their creative biography of Georgia-based politician Abrams." --Kirkus Reviews (starred reviews) "Freeman's airbrush-style digital art leans into...
Three summers : a memoir of sisterhood, summer crushes, and growing up on the eve of war
Sabic-El-Rayess, Amra
Paper Book
An epic middle-grade memoir about sisterhood and coming-of-age in the three years leading up to the Bosnian Genocide. Three Summers is the story of five young cousins who grow closer than sisters as ethnic tensions escalate over three summers in 1980s Bosnia. They navigate the joys and pitfalls of...
To boldly go : how Nichelle Nichols and Star trek helped advance civil rights
Dalton, Angela
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of Hidden Figures and Mae Among the Stars! To Boldly Go tells the true story of Nichelle Nichols and how she used her platform on Star Trek to inspire and recruit a new generation of diverse astronauts and many others in the space and STEM fields. As...
When I wrap my hair
Grant, Shauntay
Paper Book
In the vein of I Am Enough and Hold Them Close, this inspiring and beautiful picture book celebrates how hair wrapping ties together past and present. When I wrap, my roots run deep. As deep as an African marketplace or a city sidewalk or the...
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...

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