Women's History

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

Updated March 6, 2025
Lewisville Public Library
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The enigma girls : how ten teenagers broke ciphers, kept secrets, and helped win World War II
Fleming, Candace
Paper Book
    From award-winning author Candace Fleming, comes the powerful and fascinating story of the brave and dedicated young women who helped turn the tides of World War II for the Allies, with their hard work and determination at Bletchley Park.<...
On the line : my story of becoming the first African American Rockette
Jones, Jennifer
Paper Book
"Though this tale explores painful emotions, its focus on Jennifer's personal experience and the pleasure she found in dance make it an absolute delight."--Kirkus Reviews From the first Black Radio City Rockette dancer, Jennifer Jones, comes an inspiring picture book...
Brave the wild river : the untold story of two women who mapped the botany of the Grand Canyon
Sevigny, Melissa L.
Paper Book
In the summer of 1938, botanists Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter set off to run the Colorado River, accompanied by an ambitious and entrepreneurial expedition leader, a zoologist, and two amateur boatmen. With its churning waters and treacherous boulders, the Colorado was famed as the most...
Better, faster, farther : how running changed everything we know about women
Mertens, Maggie
Paper Book
*NATIONAL BESTSELLER* "From foot-binding to corsets, patriarchal societies have found ways to immobilize women, but now, marathoners and Olympians are proving that women can run like the wind!" --GLORIA STEINEM "A look behind the curtain that all women who love...
How women made music : a revolutionary history from NPR Music
Fensterstock, Alison
Paper Book
Drawn from NPR Music's acclaimed, groundbreaking series Turning the Tables, the definitive book on the vital role of Women in Music--from Beyoncé to Odetta, Taylor Swift to Joan Baez, Joan Jett to Dolly Parton--featuring archival interviews, essays, photographs, and illustrations. Turning...
The Cleopatras : the forgotten queens of Egypt
Llewellyn-Jones, Lloyd
Paper Book
The definitive story of the seven Cleopatras, the powerful goddess-queens of ancient Egypt   One of history's most iconic figures, Cleopatra is rightly remembered as a clever and charismatic ruler. But few today realize that she was the last in a long line...
A history of women in 101 objects
Hirsch, Annabelle
Paper Book
Discover the hidden history of women--and the world--through this visual exploration of intimate objects and the surprising, sometimes shocking stories behind them. "I adored this book!"--Olivia Colman This is a neglected history. Not a sweeping,...
Woman, life, freedom
Satrapi, Marjane
Paper Book
Winner, ALA ALEX Award An urgent, groundbreaking and visually stunning new collection of graphic storytelling about the present Iranian revolution, using comics to show what would be censored in photos and film in Iran. Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis,...
Women in the Valley of the Kings : the untold story of women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age
Sheppard, Kathleen L.
Paper Book
A GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD FINALIST FOR HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY "A new history of Egyptology that prioritizes the women whose contributions, for good and otherwise, shaped the field." - The New York Times The never-before-told story of the women Egyptologists who...
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. ...
Bridges instead of walls : the story of Mavis Staples
Staples, Mavis
Paper Book
Legendary singer and Civil Rights activist Mavis Staples has teamed with an award-winning children's poet to share her rousing life story in this spectacular picture book. At 85, Mavis Staples is still singing in front of large audiences and sharing her message of love, faith,...
When women ran Fifth Avenue : glamour and power at the dawn of American fashion
Satow, Julie
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A glittering portrait of the golden age of American department stores and of three visionary women who led them, from the award-winning author of The Plaza. A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Vogue, Smithsonian, New York Post,...
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 NYT bestselling 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...
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 was beaten by New York City officials for handing...
Our brave foremothers : celebrating 100 black, brown, Asian, & indigenous women who changed the course of history
Kennedy, Rozella
Paper Book
Inspired by her own foremothers' legacies and the friendships formed throughout her life, Rozella Kennedy centers and celebrates the stories of 100 Black, Brown, Asian, and Indigenous women--both famous and little-known--who changed the course of US history.  
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...
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 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 colorful exuberance...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 A groundbreaking new history of the role of American servicewomen in WWII, illuminating their forgotten yet essential contributions to the Allies' victory, hailed as "an ingenious look at WWII" (Publishers Weekly, Starred Review) ...
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 . From the 2026 Democratic candidate for governor of California, 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. ...
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...
The courageous Six Triple Eight : the all-Black female battalion of World War II
Tyner, Artika R.
Paper Book
When the United States entered World War II, it had to face its own contradictions at home. Opportunities opened up for Black people and women in support of the war effort. But ideas about race and gender didn't change as swiftly. Read the story of the first all-Black battalion in the Women's Army...
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 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...
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...
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...
Blackbirds singing : inspiring Black women's speeches from the Civil War to the twenty-first century
Bell, Janet Dewart
Paper Book
An uplifting collection of speeches by Black women, curated by the civil and human rights activist, scholar, and author When Mary Ann Shadd Cary--the first Black woman publisher in North America--declared, "break every yoke . . . let the oppressed go free" to congregants...
The fabulous Fannie Farmer : kitchen scientist and America's cook
Smith, Emma Bland
Paper Book
ALSC Notable Children's Book CCBC Choices 2025 A NSTA-CBC Best STEM Book 2025 Texas Topaz List 2025 Rise: A Feminist Book Project Title Fannie Farmer, America's most famous cooking teacher, discovers that precise measurements are a recipe for cooking success...
The woman in the moon : how Margaret Hamilton helped fly the first astronauts to the moon
Maurer, Richard
Paper Book
A stunning and intimate biography of Margaret Hamilton, the computer engineer who helped Apollo 11 and mankind get from the Earth to the moon. First-hand accounts, exclusive interviews with the legendary Margaret Hamilton, and detailed science populate the pages of this...
Ordinary equality : the fearless women and queer people who shaped the U.S. Constitution and the Equal Rights Amendment
Kelly, Kate
Paper Book
We are all living through modern constitutional history in the making, and Ordinary Equality helps teach about the past, present, and future of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) through the lives of the bold, fearless women and queer people who have helped shape the U.S. Constitution.<...
Combee : Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and black freedom during the Civil War
Fields-Black, Edda L.
Paper Book
The story of the Combahee River Raid, one of Harriet Tubman's most extraordinary accomplishments, based on original documents and written by a descendant of one of the participants. Most Americans know of Harriet Tubman's legendary life: escaping enslavement in 1849, she led more than 60 others out...
First things first : hip-hop ladies who changed the game
Simmons, Nadirah
Paper Book
This enlightening book reframes the history of hip-hop--and this time, women are given credit for all their trailblazing achievements that have left an undeniable impact on music.  FIRST THINGS FIRST, hip-hop is not just the music, and women have played a big...
Shakespeare's sisters : how women wrote the Renaissance
Targoff, Ramie
Paper Book
A BOSTON GLOBE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR * This remarkable work about women writers in the English Renaissance explodes our notion of the Shakespearean period by drawing us into the lives of four women who were committed to their craft long before anyone ever imagined the possibility of...
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...
The cure for women : Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi and the challenge to Victorian medicine that changed women's lives forever
Reeder, Lydia
Paper Book
"Valiant and timely .... reintroduces its subject as a hero for this moment." ―The New York Times How Victorian male doctors used false science to argue that women were unfit for anything but motherhood--and the brilliant doctor who defied them ...
Girls to the front : 40 Asian American women who blazed a trail
Mata, Nina
Paper Book
Stand back, the girls are coming through: Learn about forty amazing Asian American women who have changed the course of history! From the big stage to the US Navy, from laboratories to the boardroom, from the Olympics to the pages in books, these girls and women lead every line. Bold,...
Band of sisters : Madeleine Pauliac, the women of the Blue Squadron, and their daring rescue missions in the last days of World War II
Maynial, Philippe
Paper Book
Band of Sisters tells the dramatic story of Madeleine Pauliac, a French army doctor, and a group of Red Cross nurses-known as the Blue Squadron. At the request of Charles DeGualle, the group was sent to rescue French soldiers and civilians who had been captured, injured, or stranded during World...
Becoming spectacular : the rhythm of resilience from the first African American Rockette
Jones, Jennifer
The first African American Rockette charts her journey to one of the world's most celebrated dance troupes in this gripping memoir that, for the first time, goes behind the velvet curtains at Radio City's legendary holiday show. "Smashing through glass windows and paving the way for others...
Daughter of daring : the trick-riding, train-leaping, road-racing life of Helen Gibson, Hollywood's first stuntwoman
O'Meara, Mallory
Paper Book
From LA Times bestselling author Mallory O'Meara, the story of America's first professional stuntwoman, Helen Gibson, who rose to fame during a time when women ruled Hollywood. Helen Gibson was a woman willing to do anything to give audiences a thrill. Advertised as "The...

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