Women's History Month: Young Adult Picks

Updated February 27, 2026
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#NotYourPrincess : voices of Native American women
Leatherdale, Mary Beth
Paper Book
Whether looking back to a troubled past or welcoming a hopeful future, the powerful voices of Indigenous women across North America resound in this book.  In the same style as the best-selling Dreaming in Indian, #NotYourPrincess presents an eclectic collection of poems, essays...
Almost astronauts : 13 women who dared to dream
Stone, Tanya Lee.
Paper Book
They had the right stuff. They defied the prejudices of the time. And they blazed a trail for generations of women to follow. What does it take to be an astronaut? Excellence at flying, courage, intelligence, resistance to stress, top physical shape -- any checklist would include...
I am Malala how one girl stood up for education and changed the world
Yousafzai, Malala, 1997-
Audiobook
In this New York Times bestselling memoir, Malala Yousafzai--the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize--inspires young readers with her stunning story of resilience and power. I Am Malala. This is my story. Malala Yousafzai was...
Because I was a girl true stories for girls of all ages
De la Cruz, Melissa, 1971-
Paper Book
Because I Was a Girl is an inspiring collection of true stories by women and girls about the obstacles, challenges, and opportunities they've faced...because of their gender. Edited by #1 New York Times-bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz, the book is the perfect gift for girls of...
Biology Lessons
Kantor, Melissa
Paper Book
Biology Lessons is a heartfelt and profound contemporary young adult novel about the strength and importance of female friendship in a time when bodily autonomy is outlawed, from acclaimed author Melissa Kantor. "This is a book that Judy Blume would approve of." --...
Black girl you are Atlas
Watson, Ren?
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Honor Book Winner of the Walter Dean Myers Award A thoughtful celebration of Black girlhood by award-winning author and poet Renee Watson. In this semi-autobiographical collection of poems, Renee Watson writes about her experience...
Braiding sweetgrass for young adults : indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the teachings of plants
Kimmerer, Robin Wall
Paper Book
I could hand you a braid of sweetgrass as thick and shining as the braid that hung down my grandmother's back. But it is not mine to give, nor yours to take. Wiingaashk belongs to herself. I offer, in her place, a braid of stories meant to heal our relationship with the world. As a...
Brazen : rebel ladies who rocked the world
Bagieu, P
Paper Book
2019 Eisner Award Winner for Best U.S. Edition of International Material Throughout history and across the globe, one characteristic connects the daring women of Brazen: their indomitable spirit. With her characteristic wit and dazzling drawings, celebrated...
Changing the equation : 50+ US Black women in STEM
Bolden, Tonya
Paper Book
Changing the Equation is a celebratory and inspiring look at some of the most important Black women in STEM. Coretta Scott King Honor author Tonya Bolden explores Black women who have changed the world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and...
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. ...
Fitting Indian
Chand, Jyoti
Paper Book
This debut teen graphic novel from social media influencer Jyoti Chand and rising star illustrator Tara Anand follows one girl's journey navigating high school and her mental health within a traditional South Asian family. Perfect for fans of Netflix's Never Have I...
Furia
M©?ndez, Yamile Saied
Paper Book
A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB YA PICK Recipient of the 2021 Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Medal One of BuzzFeed's Must-Read YA Books of 2020 A Best Book of the Year: Cosmopolitan * Kirkus...
Fyrebirds
Armstrong, Kate J.
Paper Book
With tensions rising and their powers no longer a secret, the Nightbirds must decide for whom and for what they are willing to fight for and how far they will go in the spellbinding sequel to the international bestseller Nightbirds. The Nightbirds were once their city's...
Genesis begins again
Williams, Alicia
Paper Book
A Newbery Honor Book Winner of the Correta Scott King - John Steptoe for New Talent Author Award A Morris Award Finalist An NPR Favorite Book of 2019 A School Library Journal Best Middle Grade Book of 2019 A Kirkus Reviews...
Girls resist! : a guide to activism, leadership, and starting a revolution
Rich, KaeLyn
Paper Book
An activism handbook for teen girls ready to fight for change, social justice, and equality. Take on the world and make some serious change with this handbook to everything activism, social justice, and resistance. With in-depth guides to everything from picking a cause, planning...
A greater goal : the epic battle for equal pay in women's soccer-and beyond
Rusch, Elizabeth
Paper Book
More than 250 women have played on the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, and most contributed to the battle for equal pay. This narrative nonfiction book by the award-winning author and journalist Elizabeth Rusch traces the evolution of that fight, bringing this important rights...
Hearts unbroken
Smith, Cynthia Leitich
Paper Book
Winner of an American Indian Youth Literature Award New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith turns to realistic fiction with the thoughtful story of a Native teen navigating the complicated, confusing waters of high school -- and first love. ...
Here we are feminism for the real world
Jensen, Kelly
Paper Book
LET'S GET THE FEMINIST PARTY STARTED! Have you ever wanted to be a superheroine? Join a fandom? Create the perfect empowering playlist? Understand exactly what it means to be a feminist in the twenty-first century? You've come to the right place. ...
Hidden human computers : the black women of NASA
Edwards, Sue Bradford
Paper Book
Hidden Human Computers discusses how in the 1950s, black women made critical contributions to NASA by performing calculations that made it possible for the nation's astronauts to fly into space and return safely to Earth. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential...
Inheritance : a visual poem
Acevedo, Elizabeth
Paper Book
They tell me to "fix" my hair. And by fix, they mean straighten, they mean whiten; but how do you fix this shipwrecked history of hair? In her most famous spoken-word poem, author of the Pura Belpré-winning novel-in-verse The Poet X Elizabeth Acevedo embraces all the...
Last night at the Telegraph Club
Lo, Malinda
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD AND STONEWALL BOOK AWARD * From acclaimed author Malinda Lo comes a gripping, tender coming-of-age novel exploring identity, queerness, and historical upheaval set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the 1950s. ...
Lucy and Linh
Pung, Alice
Paper Book
From an author Amy Tan calls "a gem," this is a witty, highly acclaimed novel that's "part Mean Girls, part Lord of the Flies" (The Bulletin, Starred review) about navigating life in private school while remaining true to yourself. ...
Moxie
Mathieu, Jennifer
Paper Book
Now a Netflix Original Film directed by Amy Poehler! "Moxie is sweet, funny, and fierce. Read this and then join the fight."--Amy Poehler An unlikely teenager starts a feminist revolution at a small-town Texas high school in this novel from...
Ms. Gloria Steinem : a life
Conkling, Winifred
Paper Book
Throughout the years, Gloria Steinem is perhaps the single-most iconic figure associated with women's rights, her name practically synonymous with the word "feminism." Documenting everything from her boundary-pushing journalistic career to the foundation of Ms. magazine to...
Ms. Marvel / Mecca
Wilson, G. Willow
Paper Book
An enemy from Ms. Marvel's past resurfaces and begins targeting those closest to Kamala. As the world around her is spinning out of control, it becomes clear that this time there's something more sinister at work...Kamala's no stranger to fighting for what's right, but in facing down this challenge,...
The Nowhere Girls
Reed, Amy Lynn
Paper Book
"A call-to-action to everyone out there who wants to fight back." --Bustle "Subversive anti-sexism--just try to put it down." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Cuts straight to the core of rape culture--masterfully fierce, stirring, and deeply empowering."...
One step forward
Atkins, Marcie Flinchum
Paper Book
One Step Forward is a compelling debut YA historical fiction novel in verse about Matilda Young--the youngest American suffragist imprisoned for picketing the White House to demand women's right to vote. Raised in a politically divided family, Matilda wondered if she...
Radioactive! : how Irene Curie and Lise Meitner revolutionized science and changed the world
Conkling, Winifred
Paper Book
The fascinating, little-known story of how two brilliant female physicists' groundbreaking discoveries led to the creation of the atomic bomb. In 1934, Irène Curie, working with her husband and fellow scientist, Frederic Joliot, made a discovery that would change the world:...
The rebellious life of Mrs. Rosa Parks
Theoharis, Jeanne
Paper Book
"Jeanne's book not only inspired the documentary but has been a catalyst in changing our national understanding of Rosa Parks. Highly recommend!"-Soledad O'Brien, executive producer of the Peabody Award-winning documentary The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks "A must...
Rick Riordan Presents: A Touch of Blood
Patel, Sajni
Paper Book
Read the Persephone myth like never before in this companion to A Drop of Venom by Sajni Patel, where Greek mythology meets Indian lore. Gods are made, not born. Before Manisha, the youngest of three sisters, was sent to hide on the floating mountain,...
Roses and radicals : the epic story of how American women won the right to vote
Zimet, Susan
Paper Book
The United States of America is almost 250 years old, but American women won the right to vote less than a hundred years ago. And when the controversial nineteenth amendment to the U.S. Constitution-the one granting suffrage to women-was finally ratified in 1920, it passed by a...
Sisters in the Wind
Boulley, Angeline.
Paper Book
A Printz Honor Book! An AIYLA Honor Book! A Good Morning America Book Club Pick! From the instant New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper's Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed comes a daring new mystery about a foster teen claiming her heritage on her own...
Six angry girls
Kisner, Adrienne
Paper Book
Adrienne Kisner's Six Angry Girls is a story of mock trial, feminism, and the inherent power found in a pair of knitting needles. Raina Petree is crushing her senior year, until her boyfriend dumps her, the drama club (basically) dumps her, the college of her dreams...
The suffragist playbook : your guide to changing the world
Robb, Lucinda
Paper Book
Do you have a cause you're passionate about? Take a few tips from the suffragists, who led one of the largest and longest movements in American history. The women's suffrage movement was decades in the making and came with many harsh setbacks. But it resulted in a permanent...
A Suffragist's Guide to the Antarctic
Lai, Yi Shun
Paper Book
Two starred reviews! A teen's fight for suffrage turns into one of survival when her crew's Antarctic expedition ship gets stuck in the ice in this historical "gripping--and sometimes gut-wrenching--adventure tale" (Shelf Awareness, starred review) told in journal...
The Sun and the Starmaker
Griffin, Rachel
Paper Book
There once was a village so far north that most considered it the top of the world... and in that village, the Sun fell in love with her Starmaker. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Witches comes a whimsical and sweeping romantic fantasy. Nestled deep in the snowy...
Teen trailblazers : 30 fearless girls who changed the world before they were 20
Calvert, Jennifer
Paper Book
True stories of young women who made a big difference! From authors to activists, painters to politicians, inventors to icons, these inspiring teenagers are proof that girls can change the world. Joan of Arc. Anne Frank. Cleopatra. Pocahontas. Mary Shelley. Many of these...
A thousand sisters : the heroic airwomen of the Soviet Union in World War II
Wein, Elizabeth
Paper Book
Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist! The gripping true story of the only women to fly in combat in World War II--from Elizabeth Wein, award-winning author of Code Name Verity In the early years of World War II, Josef Stalin issued an order that made the...
Thrill seekers : 15 remarkable women in extreme sports
McCallum Staats, Ann
Paper Book
"Ann McCallum Staats has written an uplifting book profiling a handful of extraordinary women whose example proves that nothing can or should hold women back. These women push the boundaries of what was believed possible, achieving the impossible." --Milbry Polk, author of ...
Tomboy a graphic memoir
Prince, Liz
Paper Book
A memoir about friendship, gender, bullies, growth, punk rock, and the power of the perfect outfit . . . Growing up, Liz Prince wasn't a girly girl, but she wasn't exactly one of the guys either (as she learned when her little league baseball coach exiled her to the distant outfield). She...
A tyranny of petticoats : 15 stories of belles, bank robbers & other badass girls
Spotswood, Jessica
Paper Book
From an impressive sisterhood of YA writers comes an edge-of-your-seat anthology of historical fiction and fantasy featuring a diverse array of daring heroines. Crisscross America -- on dogsleds and ships, stagecoaches and trains -- from pirate ships off the coast of the...
Under a painted sky
Lee, Stacey
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Downstairs Girl, Stacey Lee's debut novel is a powerful story about love, friendship, and sacrifice, perfect for fans of Code Name Verity. "This moving novel will captivate you."--Buzzfeed.com  ...
The Underground abductor : an abolitionist tale
Hale, Nathan
Paper Book
In The Underground Abductor, #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Nathan Hale tells an abolitionist tale about Harriet Tubman in the Hazardous Tales graphic novel series! "These books are, quite simply, brilliant. . . . Thrilling,...
The unexpected consequence of bleeding on a Tuesday
Toney, Kelsey B.
Paper Book
Delia Bridges is striving to become the compassionate doctor she's been unable to find in her journey to diagnose her excruciating period pain--but when a single rule-breaking incident jeopardizes her future, she must find a way to reclaim her dreams in this funny, period-positive novel.
Votes for women! American suffragists and the battle for the ballot
Conkling, Winifred
Ebook
"Lively . . . Defiant . . . Pulling back the curtain on 100 years of struggle . . . The women who shaped the American narrative come to life with refreshing attention to detail." --The New York Times Book Review For nearly 150 years, American women did not have the right...
Wake the wild creatures
Suma, Nova Ren
Paper Book
A Washington Post Best Book of the Year! A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year! This extraordinary, timely, and must-read novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nova Ren Suma explores freedom and rage as a...
Warrior Girl Unearthed
Boulley, Angeline
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times bestseller! A #1 Indies Bestseller! Six Starred Reviews! #1 New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper's Daughter Angeline Boulley takes us back to Sugar Island in this high-stakes thriller about the power of discovering your stolen...
We should all be feminists
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi, 1977-
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The highly acclaimed, provocative essay on feminism and sexual politics--from the award-winning author of Americanah "A call to action, for all people in the world, to undo the gender hierarchy." --Medium<...
What would she do? : 25 true stories of trailblazing rebel women
Woodward, Kay
Paper Book
Covering 25 diverse women from early world leaders to modern day heroes, What Would She Do? is an inspiring and empowering illustrated guide for today's budding young feminists.From historic world leaders to brilliant scientists, artists, and modern-day pioneers, What Would She Do?...
Where you see yourself
Forrest, Claire (Young adult author)
Paper Book
A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book What does it take to follow your dreams? Where You See Yourself is a relatable, romantic, and necessary story about a girl who has to figure out what--and who--will bring her the happiness she deserves. By the time Effie...
Woman rebel : the Margaret Sanger story
Bagge, Peter
Paper Book
The alternative-comics master offers an indelible and idiosyncratic take on the protofeminist "[Woman Rebel] is fine work from an excellent cartoonist and I urge you to jump right in."-Tom Spurgeon of The Comics Reporter, from his introduction Peter...

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