Women's History

March is Women's History Month. Check out these stories of amazing women and their contributions and successes.

Updated October 6, 2023
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The women with silver wings : the inspiring true story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II
Landdeck, Katherine Sharp
Paper Book
"With the fate of the free world hanging in the balance, women pilots went aloft to serve their nation. . . . A soaring tale in which, at long last, these daring World War II pilots gain the credit they deserve."--Liza Mundy, New York Times bestselling author of Code...
The light we carry : overcoming in uncertain times
Obama, Michelle
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER * In an inspiring follow-up to her acclaimed memoir Becoming, former First Lady Michelle Obama shares practical wisdom and powerful strategies for staying hopeful and balanced in today's highly uncertain world.<...
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. ...
Educated : a memoir
Westover, Tara
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, AND BOSTON GLOBE BESTSELLER * One of the most acclaimed books of our time: an unforgettable memoir about a young woman who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University
There goes Patti McGee! : the story of the first women's national skateboard champion
Nienow, Tootie
Paper Book
2022 Texas Library Association's Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List Pick Tootie Nienow and Erika Medina's There Goes Patti McGee! is an uplifting picture book biography of the first-ever professional female skateboarder and winner of the 1964 National Skateboard...
The queens of animation : the untold story of the women who transformed the world of Disney and made cinematic history
Holt, Nathalia
Paper Book
From the bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls, the untold, "richly detailed" story of the women of Walt Disney Studios, who shaped the iconic films that have enthralled generations (Margot Lee Shetterly, New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Figures...
Because Claudette
Baptiste, Tracey
Paper Book
From NYTbestselling author Tracey Baptiste comes a singular picture book that is both a biography about Claudette Colvin, the teen whose activism launched the Montgomery bus boycott, and a celebration of collective action. When fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin boarded a...
The astronomer who questioned everything : the story of Maria Mitchell
Alary, Laura
Paper Book
Maria longed to travel beyond her small island of Nantucket. But she wasn't sure how. Her father taught her to look to the stars for guidance. If you knew how to read them, he said, the stars could tell you where you were, and where you needed to go. They spent hours scanning the night sky together...
We are the Supremes
Tucker, Zoë
Paper Book
The mother of a movement : Jeanne Manford, ally, activist, and co-founder of PFLAG
Sanders, Rob
Paper Book
The Mother of a Movement is a true story of parental support and unconditional love.  The Mother of a Movement tells the story of Jeanne Manford, the founder of PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). When her son Morty...
The woman who split the atom : Lise Meitner
Moss, Marissa
Paper Book
As a female Jewish physicist in Berlin during the early 20th century, Lise Meitner had to fight for an education, a job, and equal treatment in her field, like having her name listed on her own research papers. Meitner made groundbreaking strides in the study of radiation, but when...
The woman they could not silence : one woman, her incredible fight for freedom, and the men who tried to make her disappear
Moore, Kate, (Writer and editor)
Paper Book
From the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Radium Girls comes another dark and dramatic but ultimately uplifting tale of a forgotten woman hero whose inspirational journey sparked lasting change for women's rights and exposed injustices that still...
Corrections in ink : a memoir
Blakinger, Keri
Paper Book
"Brave, brutal . . . a riveting story about suffering, recovery, and redemption. Inspiring and relevant." --The New York Times An electric and unforgettable memoir about a young woman's journey--from the ice rink, to addiction and a prison sentence, to...
Fly girl : a memoir
Hood, Ann
Paper Book
An entertaining and fascinating memoir of "gifted storyteller" (People) Ann Hood's adventurous years as a TWA flight attendant. In 1978, in the tailwind of the golden age of air travel, flight attendants were the epitome of glamor and sophistication. Fresh out of college and...
Paper bullets : two artists who risked their lives to defy the Nazis
Jackson, Jeffrey H.
Paper Book
"A Nazi resistance story like none you've ever heard or read." --Hampton Sides, author of Ghost Soldiers and On Desperate Ground "Every page is gripping, and the amount of new research is nothing short of mind-boggling. A brilliant book for the ages...
To the front! : Clara Barton braves the Battle of Antietam
Friddell, Claudia
Paper Book
This powerful tribute to Civil War nurse Clara Barton and her heroic efforts during the Battle of Antietam reveals how she earned the name "The Angel of the Battlefield," and shows the beginnings of her journey as one of our country's greatest humanitarians and the founder of the American Red...
Saving American Beach : the biography of African American environmentalist MaVynee Betsch
King, Heidi Tyline
Paper Book
This heartfelt picture book biography illustrated by the Caldecott Honoree Ekua Holmes, tells the story of MaVynee Betsch, an African American opera singer turned environmentalist and the legacy she preserved. MaVynee loved going to the beach. But in the days of Jim Crow, she...
A girl named Rosita : the story of Rita Moreno: actor, singer, dancer, trailblazer!
Denise, Anika
Paper Book
The inspiring biography of the incredibly talented Rita Moreno, actor in and executive producer of Steven Speilberg's upcoming West Side Story. "An inspirational title for young elementary children. This energetic, illustrated biography honors her determined spirit with...
An equal shot : how the law title IX changed America
Becker, Helaine
Paper Book
"The book we needed right now." --Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production Helaine Becker's An Equal Shot is a nonfiction picture book introduction to the history and importance of Title IX as civil rights legislature, featuring illustrations by Dow Phumiruk.
Grace Banker and her Hello Girls answer the call : the heroic story of WWI telephone operators
Friddell, Claudia
Paper Book
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...
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. ...
Indelible Ann : the larger-than-life story of Governor Ann Richards
Browne, Meghan P.
Paper Book
A folksy, larger-than-life picture book biography about Ann Richards, the late governor of Texas who has inspired countless women in politics today. Dorothy Ann Willis hailed from a small Texas town, but early on she found her voice and the guts to use it. During her...
Lady Bird Johnson, that's who! : the story of a cleaner and greener America
Maurer, Tracy Nelson
Paper Book
Lady Bird Johnson, That's Who! is Tracy Nelson Maurer's lively picture book biography of Lady Bird Johnson, with a focus on her environmentalist passion and legacy as First Lady. Who fought to stop pollution? Who helped make America cleaner and greener? Lady...
Shirley Chisholm is a verb!
Chambers, Veronica
Paper Book
A timely picture book biography about Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman in Congress, who sought the Democratic nomination to be the president of the United States. Shirley Chisholm famously said, "If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair." This...
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...
The book of Rosy : a mother's story of separation at the border
Pablo Cruz, Rosayra
Paper Book
"Offers hope in the face of desperate odds" - ELLE Magazine, ELLE's Most Anticipated Books of Summer 2020 "[D]isturbing and unforgettable memoir...This wrenching story brings to vivid life the plight of the many families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border." - ...
On this day she : putting women back into history one day at a time
Bell, Jo
Paper Book
A fascinating page-a-day collection profiling extraordinary women of all races, eras, and nationalities. Our past is full of influential women. Whether politicians, troublemakers, explorers, artists, and even the odd murderer, women have shaped society around the globe. But too...
Up to speed : the groundbreaking science of women athletes
Yu, Christine
Paper Book
Over the last 50 years, women have made extraordinary advances in athletics, accomplishing incredible feats and smashing long-held beliefs about the limits of their physical capabilities. Today, more women than ever are playing sports and staying active longer. Whether they're elite athletes looking...
Femina : a new history of the Middle Ages, through the women written out of it
Ramirez, Janina
Paper Book
THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 CUNDIL HISTORY PRIZE A "Next Big Idea Book Club" Must Read? A groundbreaking reappraisal of medieval femininity, revealing why women have been written out of history and why it matters ...
Between two kingdoms : a memoir of a life interrupted
Jaouad, Suleika
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A deeply moving memoir of illness and recovery that traces one young woman's journey from diagnosis to remission to re-entry into "normal" life--from the founder of The Isolation Journals and a subject of the Netflix documentary American Symphony ...
It's always been ours : rewriting the story of Black women's bodies
Wilson, Jessica
Paper Book
WE WILL REWRITE THE NARARTIVE OF BLACKNESS THAT CENTERS AND CELEBRATES OUR JOY. In It's Always Been Ours eating disorder specialist and storyteller Jessica Wilson challenges us to rethink what having a "good" body means in contemporary...
Her story, her strength : 50 God-empowered women of the Bible
Rubio, Sarah Parker
Paper Book
Girls are beautifully and wonderfully made in God's image. This comprehensive collection of stories focused on 50 women of the Bible shows how God worked in their lives and continues to have a plan and a purpose for his beloved daughters today. In a world that too often tells...
Squad goals : the unstoppable women of the US Women's National Soccer team
Calkhoven, Laurie
Paper Book
Get to know some of the many groundbreaking and legendary women in US soccer in this fascinating nonfiction Level 3 Ready-to-Read, part of a series of biographies about people "you should meet!" Read about some amazing and unstoppable women who changed soccer in America like...
Sisters in science : Marie Curie, Bronia Dluska, and the atomic power of sisterhood
Marshall, Linda Elovitz
Paper Book
Discover the fascinating true story of Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie and her sister Bronia, two trailblazing women who worked together and made a legendary impact on chemistry and health care as we know it. Marie Curie has long been a well-known name around the world. Though...
Valiant women : the extraordinary American servicewomen who helped win World War II
Andrews, Lena S.
Paper Book
National Bestseller * Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist "An ingenious look at WWII." --Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) A groundbreaking new history of the role of American servicewomen in WWII, illuminating their forgotten yet essential contributions to the Allies' victory. ...
Climate champions : 15 women fighting for your future
Sarah, Rachel
Paper Book
These 15 contemporary climate champions are on the frontlines of science to create a sustainable future on Earth. They are climate scientists, journalists, professors, academics, researchers, and policy makers from around the world who draft policies with real-world...
I swear : politics is messier than my minivan
Porter, Katie
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER .A "high-octane, no-bullshit" (The New Republic) memoir about re-energizing our politics and standing up to corporate America-while carting three kids around in a minivan. "Just like her whiteboard schoolings of CEOs, this book showcases...
The exceptions : Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the fight for women in science
Zernike, Kate
Paper Book
A New York Times Notable Book As late as 1999, women who succeeded in science were called "exceptional" as if it were unusual for them to be so bright. They were exceptional, not because they could succeed at science but because of all they accomplished despite the...
Fantastic tales for fearless girls
Newman, Samantha
Paper Book
There is increased demand for empowering, heroine-oriented stories with positive female role models that will inspire both girls and boys. Draws on tales and folklore from a wide variety of cultures from around the world.
Revolutionary women : 50 women of color who reinvented the rules
Shen, Ann
Paper Book
Revolutionary Women celebrates the amazing stories of 50 women of color who pushed boundaries, rewrote the rules, and inspired women everywhere to follow in their footsteps. Discover the remarkable true stories of a diverse group of women who were trailblazers and leaders...
The odyssey of Phillis Wheatley : a poet's journeys through American slavery and independence
Waldstreicher, David
Paper Book
Admired by George Washington, ridiculed by Thomas Jefferson, published in London, and read far and wide, Phillis Wheatley led one of the most extraordinary American lives. Seized in West Africa and forced into slavery as a child, she was sold to a merchant family in Boston, where she became a noted...
The only woman in the photo : Frances Perkins & her New Deal for America
Krull, Kathleen
Paper Book
Discover the incredible life of Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet and the mastermind behind Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, in this fascinating picture book biography that's perfect for fans of I Dissent. Most people know about President...
Finding me
Davis, Viola
Paper Book
OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK * A HARPERS BAZAAR BEST BOOK OF 2022 * A PARADE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK * A MARIE CLAIRE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK "It's clear from the first page that Davis is going to serve a more intimate, unpolished account than is typical of the average (often ghost-written)...
The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks
Skloot, Rebecca
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "The story of modern medicine and bioethics--and, indeed, race relations--is refracted beautifully, and movingly."--Entertainment Weekly NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM HBO® STARRING OPRAH WINFREY AND ROSE BYRNE ...
Rise : my story
Vonn, Lindsey
Paper Book
The first ever memoir from the most decorated female skier of all time, revealing never-before-told stories of her life in the fast lane, her struggle with depression, and the bold decisions that helped her break down barriers on and off the slopes. 82 World Cup wins. 20...
Broken horses : a memoir
Carlile, Brandi
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER . The critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, producer, and six-time Grammy winner opens up about faith, sexuality, parenthood, and a life shaped by music in "one of the great memoirs of our time" (Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed). NAMED...
Being Seen: One Deafblind Woman's Fight to End Ableism
Sjunneson, Elsa
Paper Book
A Deafblind writer and professor explores how the misrepresentation of disability in books, movies, and TV harms both the disabled community and everyone else. As a Deafblind woman with partial vision in one eye and bilateral hearing aids, Elsa Sjunneson lives at the crossroads...
Once I was you
Hinojosa, Maria
Paper Book
"When Maria speaks, I'm ready to listen and learn." --Lin-Manuel Miranda Emmy Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa has created a brand-new, unique version of her adult memoir, which was an NPR Best Book of 2020, for young readers, blending her story with...
Quietly hostile : essays
Irby, Samantha
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A GLAMOUR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR * A hilarious new essay collection from Samantha Irby "engages readers with her characteristic combination of laugh-out-loud moments, heartfelt passages and plenty of awkward experiences.... Quietly Hostile will...
When women ruled the world : six queens of Egypt
Cooney, Kara
Paper Book
This riveting narrative explores the lives of six remarkable female pharaohs, from Hatshepsut to Cleopatra--women who ruled with real power--and shines a piercing light on our own perceptions of women in power today. Female rulers are a rare phenomenon--but thousands of years ago...
The radium girls : the dark story of America's shining women
Moore, Kate (Writer and editor)
Paper Book
A New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Charts Bestseller! "The glowing ghosts of the radium girls haunt us still." --NPR Books  Discover the gripping and inspiring true story of The Radium Girls, a groundbreaking work by acclaimed author Kate Moore....
Squad goals : the unstoppable women of the US Women's National Soccer Team
Calkhoven, Laurie
Paper Book
Get to know some of the many groundbreaking and legendary women in US soccer in this fascinating nonfiction Level 3 Ready-to-Read, part of a series of biographies about people "you should meet!" Read about some amazing and unstoppable women who changed soccer in America like...

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