Special Section: Read Your Way Through History
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Celebrate the women who impact our country and the world
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Every year, March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. The month is set aside to honor women’s contributions in American history.Women’s History Month began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California. The Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women planned and executed a “Women’s History Week” celebration in 1978. The organizers selected the week of March 8 to correspond with International Women’s Day. The movement spread across the country as other communities initiated their own Women’s History Week celebrations the following year.
In 1980, a consortium of women’s groups and historians—led by the National Women’s History Project (now the National Women's History Alliance)—successfully lobbied for national recognition. In February 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8th 1980 as National Women’s History Week.
Subsequent Presidents continued to proclaim a National Women’s History Week in March until 1987 when Congress passed Public Law 100-9, designating March as “Women’s History Month.” Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, each president has issued an annual proclamation designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.”
This special section of the website offers families a collection of titles to explore women's history and their struggles and accomplishments. This list is not exhaustive but is cultivated from an annotated bibliography of the K-12 resource list for Women's History. We recommend that your child work with their school librarian if they would like to further explore titles that compliment this month of learning and celebration. Reading ages are noted with each recommendation.
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Polar Explorer
by Jade Hameister Year Published: 2019Polar Explorer is an inspiring and empowering story by sixteen-year-old Jade Hameister, chronicling her feat of being the youngest person to complete the Polar Hat Trick. Reading age 8 - 12 years.
We Are the Troopers: The Women of the Winningest Team in Pro Football History
by Stephen Guinan Year Published: 2022Discover the unlikely story of the Toledo Troopers, the winningest team in the National Women's Football League, who won seven league championships in the 1970s—and gain full access to the players and key figures in the organization. Reading age teens.
Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir
by Nikki Grimes Year Published: 2022In her own voice, acclaimed author and poet Nikki Grimes explores the truth of a harrowing childhood in a compelling and moving memoir in verse.
Secrets of the Sea: The Story of Jeanne Power, Revolutionary Marine Scientist
by Evan Griffith Year Published: 2021The curiosity, drive, and perseverance of the nineteenth-century woman scientist who pioneered the use of aquariums to study ocean life are celebrated in this gorgeous, empowering picture book. Reading age 6 - 9 years.
The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life The Woman All Sp
by Amy Butler Greenfield Year Published: 2021An inspiring true story, perfect for fans of Hidden Figures, about an American woman who pioneered codebreaking in WWI and WWII but was only recently recognized for her extraordinary contributions. Reading age 12 - 17 years.
Kiyo Sato: From a WWII Japanese Internment Camp to a Life of Service
by Connie Goldsmith Year Published: 2020In this moving account, Sato and Goldsmith tell the story of the internment years, describing why the internment happened and how it impacted Kiyo and her family. They also discuss the ways in which Kiyo has used her experience to educate other Americans about their history, to promote inclusion, and to fight against similar injustices. Hers is a powerful, relevant, and inspiring story to tell on the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. Reading age 11 - 18.
Who Was Frida Kahlo?
by Sarah Fabiny Year Published: 2013You can always recognize a painting by Kahlo because she is in nearly all--with her black braided hair and colorful Mexican outfits. A brave woman who was an invalid most of her life, she transformed herself into a living work of art. As famous for her self-portraits and haunting imagery as she was for her marriage to another famous artist, Diego Rivera, this strong and courageous painter was inspired by the ancient culture and history of her beloved homeland, Mexico. Her paintings continue to inform and inspire popular culture around the world. Reading age 7 - 10 years.
Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir
by Margarita Engle Year Published: 2016In this poetic memoir, which won the Pura Belpré Author Award, was a YALSA Nonfiction Finalist, and was named a Walter Dean Myers Award Honoree, acclaimed author Margarita Engle tells of growing up as a child of two cultures during the Cold War. Reading age 12 years plus.
Restless Genius: The Story of Virginia Woolf
by Virginia Brackett Year Published: 2004Discusses the life and work of the twentieth-century English author, Virginia Woolf. Reading age grade 7 - 9.
Annaleise Carr: How I Conquered Lake Ontario to Help Kids Battling Cancer
by Annaleise Carr Year Published: 2014Readers will meet an extraordinary fourteen-year-old girl in this book. As she tells her story, it becomes clear how idealism and an intense desire to help others can lead a young teen to almost unimaginable achievements. Reading age 12 - 18 years.
Marika marches for equality
by Salima Alikhan Year Published: 2022In 1970 thirteen-year-old Marika dreams of going to Harvard to study economics, but her parents both believe that a woman's place is in the home; Marika does not understand why they are so attached to "traditional values," especially since they defied convention when they were married at a time when interracial marriages were illegal in many states--so Marika defies her parents and joins her Black friend, Beth, and her parents and attends the Women's Strike for Equality without permission. Reading level grades 4 - 6.
Votes for Women!: American Suffragists and the Battle for the Ballot
by Winifred Conkling Year Published: 2020By turns illuminating, harrowing, and empowering, Votes for Women! paints a vibrant picture of the women whose tireless battle still inspires political, human rights, and social justice activism. Reading age 12 years plus.
Nothing Stopped Sophie: The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain
by Cheryl Bardoe Year Published: 2018For six years, Sophie Germain used her love of math and her undeniable determination to test equations that would predict patterns of vibrations. She eventually became the first woman to win a grand prize from France's prestigious Academy of Sciences for her formula, which laid the groundwork for much of modern architecture (and can be seen in the book's illustrations). Reading age 4 - 8 years.
Code Name Badass: The True Story of Virginia Hall
by Heather Demetrios Year Published: 2021So how does a girl who was a pirate in the school play, spent her childhood summers milking goats, and rocked it on the hockey field end up becoming the Gestapo's most wanted spy? Audacious, irreverent, and fiercely feminist, Code Name Badass is for anyone who doesn't take no for an answer.
Who is Hillary Clinton?
by Heather Alexander Year Published: 2016This easy-to-read biography gives readers a firm grounding not only in Clinton's life history but the history of the times in which she's lived. It comes out as she makes her historic run for the White House. Reading age grades 3 - 7.
Ms. Gloria Steinem: A Life
by Winifred Conkling Year Published: 2020Throughout 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 being awarded the 2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom, Winifred Conkling's Ms. Gloria Steinem: A Life is a meticulously researched YA biography that is sure to satisfy even the most voracious of aspiring glass-ceiling smashers. Reading age 12 - 15 years.
Champions for Women's Rights: Matilda Joslyn Gage, Julia Ward Howe, Lucretia Mott, and Lucy Stone (H
by Lynn Barber Year Published: 2016Profiles some of the most notable women working for the rights of women in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including Matilda Joslyn Gage and Lucretia Mott. Reading age 10 - 17 years.
Who Is Oprah Winfrey?
by Barbara Kramer, Who HQ Year Published: 2019Themaster of media. Oprah Winfrey--talk-show host, actress, producer, media mogul, and philanthropist--wasn't always so fortunate. She suffered through a rough childhood and went on to use her personal struggles as motivation for success and became the richest African American person of the twentieth century. Reading age: 8-12 years.
Women heroes of World War II: Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue
by Kathryn Atwood Year Published: 2019An overview of World War II and summaries of each country’s entrance and involvement in the war provide a framework for better understanding each woman’s unique circumstances, and resources for further learning follow each profile. Women Heroes of World War II is an invaluable addition to any student’s or history buff’s bookshelf. Reading age grades 7 - 9.
Janis Joplin : Rise Up Singing
by Ann Angel Year Published: 2010Forty years after her death, Janis Joplin remains among the most compelling and influential figures in rock-and-roll history. Her story—told here with depth and sensitivity by author Ann Angel—is one of a girl who struggled against rules and limitations, yet worked diligently to improve as a singer. It’s the story of an outrageous rebel who wanted to be loved, and of a wild woman who wrote long, loving letters to her mom. And finally, it’s the story of one of the most iconic female musicians in American history, who died at twenty-seven. Reading age 12 and up.
The Book of African-American Women 150 Crusaders, Creators and Uplifters
by Tonya Bolden Year Published: 2004Among the 150 extraordinary African-American women featured here are Cioncoin, a slave turned plantation owner; Annie Davis, who was Lincoln's pen pal; Victoria Earle Matthews, a journalist, club woman and mission founder; and Lucie Eddie Campbell, the "Mother of Gospel Music." Reading age Teens.
Who is Michelle Obama?
by Megan Stine, Who HQ Year Published: 2013Abiography of First Lady of the United States and lawyer Michelle Obama. Reading age: 8 - 10 years.
Maya Angelou: Poems
by Maya Angelou Year Published: 1993Tenderly, joyously, sometimes in sadness, sometimes in pain, Maya Angelou writes from the heart and celebrates life as only she has discovered it. In this moving volume of poetry, we hear the multi-faceted voice of one of the most powerful and vibrant writers of our time. Teen Readers.
Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl
by Tonya Bolden Year Published: 2005Presents the personal memoirs of Maritcha Rémond Lyons who was born in nineteenth-centuryNew York City and describes how she and her family escaped to Rhode Island during the 1863Draft riots and how she overcame prejudice to become the first African-American person tograduate from Providence High School. Reading age: 8 - 12
Who Was Julia Child?
by Geoff Edgers Year Published: 2015Born in California in 1912, Julia Child enlisted in the Army and met her future husband, Paul, during World War II. She discovered her love of French food while stationed in Paris and enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu cooking school after her service. Child knew that Americans would love French food as much as she did, so she wrote Mastering the Art of French Cooking in 1961. The book was a success and the public wanted more. America fell in love with Julia Child. Her TV show, The French Chef, premiered in 1963 and brought the bubbling and lovable chef into millions of homes. Reading age 8 - 12 years.
Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson
by Katherine Johnson Year Published: 2019The author shares her life excelling in math as a young girl and her eventual career as a NASAmathematician. Explores her work on the Apollo 11 mission. Reading age: 10 plus
She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History
by Chelsea Clinton Year Published: 2018The companion to Chelsea Clinton & Alexandra Boiger's #1 New York Times bestseller, She Persisted. Perfect for tiny activists, mini feminists and little kids who are ready to take on the world. Reading age 4 - 9 years.
A Home In The Heart: The Story Of Sandra Cisneros
by Virginia Brackett Year Published: 2005Presents the life of the Chicana writer and activist, documenting her long struggles to become an author and gain recognition. Reading age 10 years and up.
Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance
by Simone Biles Year Published: 2016In Courage to Soar, the official autobiography from four-time Olympic gold-winning and record-setting American gymnast Simone Biles, Simone shares how her faith, family, passion, and perseverance has made her one of the top athletes and gymnasts in the world—and how you too can overcome challenges in your life. Reading age 13 plus.
Who Was Betsy Ross?
by James Buckley Jr. Year Published: 2014Born the eighth of seventeen children in Philadelphia, Betsy Ross lived in a time when the American colonies were yearning for independence from British rule. Ross worked as a seamstress and was eager to contribute to the cause, making tents and repairing uniforms when the colonies declared war. By 1779 she was filling cartridges for the Continental Army. Did she sew the first flag? That’s up for debate, but Who Was Betsy Ross? tells the story of a fierce patriot who certainly helped create the flag of a new nation. Reading age 8 - 12.
These fevered days : ten pivotal moments in the making of Emily Dickinson
by Martha Ackmann Year Published: 2020In These Fevered Days, Martha Ackmann unravels the mysteries of Dickinson’s life through ten decisive episodes that distill her evolution as a poet. Teen through Adult
Courageous women of the Vietnam War : Medics, Journalists, Survivors, and More
by Kathryn J. Atwood Year Published: 2018Each woman's story unfolds in a suspenseful, engaging way, incorporating plentiful original source materials, quotes, and photographs. Resources for further study, source notes and a bibliography, and a helpful map and glossary round out this exploration of one of modern history's most divisive wars, making it an invaluable addition to any student's or history buff's bookshelf. Reading age grades 7 - 12.
Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters
by Andrea Davis Pinkney Year Published: 2013Presents profiles of ten African-American women whose efforts on behalf of racial justice andfreedom have influenced the course of history. Reading age 6 - 9 years.
Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World
by Penelope Bagieu Year Published: 1999With her characteristic wit and dazzling drawings, celebrated graphic novelist Pénélope Bagieu profiles the lives of these feisty female role models, some world famous, some little known. From Nellie Bly to Mae Jemison or Josephine Baker to Naziq al-Abid, the stories in this comic biography are sure to inspire the next generation of rebel ladies.
Reading age: 14 - 18 years.
Forgotten Her Fearless Run: Kathrine Switzer’s Historic Boston Marathon
by Kim Chaffee Year Published: 2019Kathrine Switzer changed the world of running. This narrative biography follows Kathrine from running laps as a girl in her backyard to becoming the first woman to run the Boston Marathon with official race numbers in 1967. Her inspirational true story is for anyone willing to challenge the rules. Reading age 6 - 11 years.
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race
by Margot Lee Shetterly Year Published: 2018They participated in some of NASA's greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America's first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world.In this beautifully illustrated picture book edition, we explore the story of four female African American mathematicians at NASA, known as "colored computers," and how they overcame gender and racial barriers to succeed in a highly challenging STEM-based career. Reading age: 6 - 10 years.
Who Was Laura Ingalls Wilder?
by Patricia Brennan Demuth Year Published: 2013Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, based on her own childhood and later life, are still beloved classics almost a century after she began writing them. Now young readers will see just how similar Laura's true-life story was to her books. Born in 1867 in the "Big Woods" in Wisconsin, Laura experienced both the hardship and the adventure of living on the frontier. Her life and times are captured in engaging text and 80 black-and-white illustrations. Reading age 7 - 9 years.
Women's suffrage : a primary source history of the women's rights movement in America
by Colleen Adams Year Published: 2003Chronicles women's struggle for suffrage in the United States, including the contributions of such prominent figures as Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucretia Mott. Reading age grades 7 - 9.
Game Changers : The Story of Venus and Serena Williams
by Lesa Cline-Ransome Year Published: 2018Shares the story of the sisters and tennis stars, including their special relationship as sisters andbest friends, their constant training as children, and their incredible success in professional tennis. Reading age: 4 - 8 years
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