Children's Book Suggestions | Women's History Month

Celebrate Women's History Month in March with biographies of women who influenced the world!

Find more books by browsing our biographies in the online catalog or the 921 section in Children's Nonfiction here in the library.

Updated February 15, 2024
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Flying high : the story of gymnastics champion Simone Biles
Meadows, Michelle
Paper Book
A lyrical picture book biography of Simone Biles, gymnastics champion and Olympic superstar. Before she was a record-breaking gymnast competing on the world stage, Simone Biles spent time in foster care as a young child. Nimble and boundlessly energetic, she cherished every...
She persisted : 13 American women who changed the world
Clinton, Chelsea
Paper Book
Chelsea Clinton introduces tiny feminists, mini activists and little kids who are ready to take on the world to thirteen inspirational women who never took no for an answer, and who always, inevitably and without fail, persisted. Throughout United States history, there...
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...
Little leaders : bold women in black history
Harrison, Vashti
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Meet the little leaders. They're brave. They're bold. They changed the world. Featuring 40 trailblazing black women in history, this book educates and inspires as it relates true stories of women...
If you were a princess
Homzie, Hillary
Paper Book
Not All Princesses Dress in Pink meets Herstory in this inspiring and educational picture book about princesses, past and present, as three girls wonder what it would be like to be princesses themselves. If you were a princess, what would you be? Maybe...
Born curious : 20 girls who grew up to be awesome scientists
Freeman, Martha
Paper Book
"An inspiring look at women who realized curiosity plus tenacity equals success." --Kirkus Reviews "[A] captivating compendium." --Publishers Weekly Discover the histories of twenty incredible female scientists in this inspiring biography collection...
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...
Pencils, pens & brushes : a great girls' guide to Disney animation
Johnson, Mindy
Paper Book
Based on Mindy Johnson's critically acclaimed Disney Editions title, Ink & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney's Animation, this nonfiction picture book is a fun and inspiring look at many of the amazing women who have worked at Disney Animation over the years. ...
Latinitas : celebrating 40 big dreamers
Menéndez, Juliet
Paper Book
Dream big with the Latinitas in Latinitas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers. Discover how 40 influential Latinas became the women we celebrate today! In this collection of short biographies from all over Latin America and across the United States, Juliet Menéndez explores the...
Rejected princesses : tales of history's boldest heroines, hellions, and heretics
Porath, Jason
Paper Book
Blending the iconoclastic feminism of The Notorious RBG and the confident irreverence of Go the F**ck to Sleep, a brazen and empowering illustrated collection that celebrates inspirational badass women throughout history, based on the popular Tumblr blog. Well-behaved women...
Hidden figures : the true story of four black women and the space race
Shetterly, Margot Lee
Paper Book
Katherine, Dorothy, Mary, and Christine were all good at math. Really good. And it was their understanding of numbers that helped them do what seemed impossible. They were African-American women, living during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do....
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. ...
One wish : Fatima al-Fihri and the world's oldest university
Yuksel, M. O.
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...
Dragon bones : the fantastic fossil discoveries of Mary Anning
Marsh, Sarah Glenn
Paper Book
Dragon Bones is a picture book biography of fossil-hunter Mary Anning, who discovered a dinosaur skeleton that changed the landscape of paleontology. At home in her seaside town in England, little Mary Anning stared out her window. Unlike other children, Mary couldn't...
Who was Jane Austen?
Fabiny, Sarah
Paper Book
Step into the world of Georgian England and learn more about the genteel life of this beloved author. Although Jane Austen's works were first published anonymously and brought her little personal recognition, today they are rarely out of print and have inspired movies, television shows...
Shaped by her hands : potter Maria Martinez
Freeman, Anna Harber
Paper Book
Chicago Public Library Best Informational Books for Younger Readers 2021 A Junior Library Guild Selection April 2021 Kirkus Best Picture-Book Biographies of 2021 Great Reads from Great Places 2022: New Mexico Land of...
Planting stories : the life of librarian and storyteller Pura Belpre
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...
Fall down seven times, stand up eight : Patsy Takemoto Mink and the fight for Title IX
Bryant, Jen
Paper Book
The only picture book biography about unsung hero Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first Asian American woman elected to Congress. From a young age, Patsy Takemoto Mink learned that striving for goals came with challenges. But she also learned to never give up. As the Japanese...
Spring after spring : how Rachel Carson inspired the environmental movement
Sisson, Stéphanie Roth
Paper Book
From Stephanie Roth Sisson, the creator ofStar Stuff,comes a picture book biography of Rachel Carson, the iconic environmentalist who fought to keep the sounds of nature from going silent. As a child, Rachel Carson lived by the rhythms of the natural world. Spring after...
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...
A life of service : the story of Senator Tammy Duckworth
Soontornvat, Christina
Paper Book
Thai American creators portray the inspirational and barrier-breaking life of Senator Tammy Duckworth in a picture-book tribute to an extraordinary woman. Senator Tammy Duckworth has logged a long list of "firsts" during her tenure as the first Thai American woman elected to...
All the way to the top : how one girl's fight for Americans with disabilities changed everything
Pimentel, Annette Bay
Paper Book
2021 Schneider Family Book Award Young Children's Honor Book (American Library Association) Experience the true story of lifelong activist Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins and her participation in the Capitol Crawl in this inspiring autobiographical picture book. This beautifully illustrated story...
Unstoppable : women with disabilities
Wolfe, Helen
Paper Book
Around the world, people living with disabilities face barriers in the built environment, in employment and education, and in social attitudes and policies that can make it hard to live a full and satisfying life. The ten women we meet in this book face physical and mental health...
Her name was Mary Katharine : the only woman whose name is on the Declaration of Independence
Schwartz, Ella
Paper Book
A rousing picture book biography of the only woman whose name is printed on the Declaration of Independence. Born in 1738, Mary Katharine Goddard came of age in colonial Connecticut as the burgeoning nation prepared for the American Revolution. As a businesswoman and a...
All rise : the story of Ketanji Brown Jackson
Weatherford, Carole Boston
Paper Book
Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, is an inspiration and role model to children of all ages. Award-winning author Carole Boston Weatherford tells her story of perseverance, dignity, and honor in this uplifting picture book biography filled with...
Child of the flower-song people : Luz Jiménez, 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...
Mother Jones and her army of Mill Children
Winter, Jonah
Paper Book
A stunning picture book about Mary "Mother" Jones and the 100 children who marched from Philadelphia to New York in a fiery protest against child labor. Here's the inspiring story of the woman who raised her voice and fist to protect kids' childhoods and futures-- and changed...
I am Frida Kahlo
Meltzer, Brad
Paper Book
The famous Mexican painter Frida Kahlo is the 23rd hero in the New York Times bestselling picture book biography seriesfrom Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos. This friendly, fun biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great--the traits that kids...
Women in sports : 50 fearless athletes who played to win
Ignotofsky, Rachel
Paper Book
A charmingly illustrated and inspiring book, Women in Sports highlights the achievements and stories of fifty notable women athletes--from well-known figures like tennis player Billie Jean King and gymnast Simone Biles, to lesser-known athletes like skateboarding pioneer Patti McGee and Toni...
Sanctuary : Kip Tiernan and Rosie's Place, the nation's first shelter for women
McDonnell, Christine
Paper Book
Before Kip Tiernan came along, the US had no shelters for women. Here is the inspirational story of a singular woman and what her vision and compassion have brought to life. "Justice is not three hots and a cot. Justice is having your own key." --Kip Tiernan ...
The fearless flights of Hazel Ying Lee
Leung, Julie
Paper Book
An inspiring picture book biography about Hazel Ying Lee, the first Chinese American woman to fly for the US military. Hazel Ying Lee was born fearless -- she was not afraid of anything, and the moment she took her first airplane ride, she knew where she belonged. When...
Maya Lin : artist-architect of light and lines
Harvey, Jeanne Walker
Paper Book
The bold story of Maya Lin, the visionary artist-architect who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. You may be familiar with the iconic Vietnam Veterans Memorial. But do you know about the artist-architect who created this landmark? As a child, Maya Lin loved...
Fancy party gowns : the story of fashion designer Ann Cole Lowe
Blumenthal, Deborah
Paper Book
A beautiful picture book about Ann Cole Lowe, a little-known African-American fashion designer who battled personal and social adversity in order to pursue her passion of making beautiful gowns and went on to become one of society's top designers. Wisps of cloth would fall...
Wilma's way home : the life of Wilma Mankiller
Rappaport, Doreen
Paper Book
As a child in Oklahoma, Wilma Mankiller experienced the Cherokee practice of Gadugi, helping each other, even when times were hard for everyone. But in 1956, the federal government uprooted her family and moved them to California, wrenching them from their home, friends, and traditions. Separated...
Miss Paul and the president : the creative campaign for women's right to vote
Robbins, Dean
Paper Book
"Robbins makes clear for a quite young audience through both main narration and endnote that there were very specific obstacles that had to be overcome to extend the vote to women, and winning the endorsement of the president was a vital first step." --The Bulletin of the Center for...
Sing with me : the story of Selena Quintanilla
López, Diana
Paper Book
An exuberant picture book celebrating the life and legacy of Selena Quintanilla, beloved Queen of Tejano music. From a very early age, young Selena knew how to connect with people and bring them together with music. Sing with Me follows Selena's rise to stardom, from front...
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...
Unbound : the life + art of Judith Scott
Scott, Joyce
Paper Book
A moving and powerful introduction to the life and art of renowned artist, Judith Scott, as told by her twin sister, Joyce Scott and illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist, Melissa Sweet. Judith Scott was born with Down syndrome. She was deaf, and never learned to speak. She was...
Ida B. Wells, voice of truth : educator, feminist, and anti-lynching civil rights leader
Duster, Michelle
Paper Book
Ida B. Wells, Voice of Truth is an inspiring picture book biography of the groundbreaking journalist and civil rights activist as told by her great-granddaughter Michelle Duster and illustrated by Coretta Scott King Award Honoree artist Laura Freeman. Ida B. Wells was...
Revolutionary Prudence Wright : leading the Minute Women in the fight for independence
Anderson, Beth
Paper Book
Here is the first-ever picture book about female Revolutionary War activist Prudence Wright, who rallied the first and only group of "minute women" to fight the British, changing history in the process. Prudence Wright had a spark of independence.   Annoyed when...

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