Extraordinary Women, Extraordinary Books: Our Women’s History Month Reading List

Throughout the month of March, our team directed volunteers to put aside any books that they thought would be appropriate for Women’s History Month. What we found truly delighted me, and I wanted to share with our community of blog readers and supporters. The books our volunteers curated ranged from picture books to chapter books, from stories of activists to artists to scientists, but each one carried the same message: women have always been here, doing extraordinary things. Whether you're a lifelong supporter of our mission or someone who stumbled upon this post today, I hope this list inspires you to celebrate the women in your life!

Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World by Susan Hood

This stunning book highlights the stories of girls as young as six who took the world by storm with their bravery and intelligence. Written and illustrated by women, these biographies are true labors of love for the young girls whose power inspires us all. Some folks I learned about were: Pura Belpré, the first Afro-Puerto Rican librarian in the New York Public Library system and author of her own successful children’s book, Perez and Martina, which honored Puerto Rican folktales; Maya Lin, an architect and environmental activist who designed the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Washington, D.C. at just 21 years old; and sisters Jacqueline and Eileen Nearne, who served as British spies during WWII at a time when women were vehemently denied military service opportunities. I imagined the young woman who finds this book, inspired to use her unique gifts to change the world herself.

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose

Did you know that, nine months before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white person in Alabama, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was arrested for the same “crime” in the very same city? I certainly didn’t before spotting this chapter book by Phillip Hoose in our Book Bank. Colvin was then one of four plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case Browder v. Gayle (1956), in which segregation on public transportation was deemed unconstitutional. I was glad to see that Colvin’s trailblazing efforts in the civil rights movements were being honored in this book, since Rosa Parks’ similar story is often the one we hear about day-to-day. And, Colvin lived to be 87 years old, only passing away this past January.

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison

Harrison’s book is one in a series celebrating Black excellence, and this one dedicated to Black women’s history truly made my day. The book honors lesser-known historical figures like: Phillis Wheatley, the first African-American woman to publish a book of poetry; Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first female African-American doctor of medicine; and Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first African-American to study and work as a trained nurse in the U.S. The chapters progressed to more modern icons such as Audre Lorde, Ruby Bridges, and Dr. Mae Jemison, but getting to learn about Black trailblazers from the 18th and 19th centuries in such a digestible form gave me hope for how these legends will be remembered by our readers.

ABC, What Can She Be?: Girls Can Be Anything They Want to Be, From A to Z by Sugar Snap Studio

This adorable concept book runs our reader through the ABC’s, each letter corresponding with a career that girls can pursue. From A for astronaut all the way to Z for zoologist, each letter reminded me how far we have come in the past century. After all, the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, which protects workers from being discriminated against based on identity through hiring, employment, and termination, was only passed 54 years ago in 1972. Now, women make up about 47% of the workforce, and despite issues like pay gaps, sexual harassment, and the motherhood penalty, women have persevered and made countless occupations available to girls everywhere - as evidenced in ABC, What Can She Be? I want this book on my shelf to remind me what women are capable of every day!

As a young woman who serves young people throughout my state, I’m honored to be a part of memorializing the legends whose shoulders I stand on. The women in these pages didn't always have books written about them. For too long, their stories lived only in family memories or the footnotes of someone else's history. That's exactly why the work we do matters. Every book that a child takes home is a chance to make sure they grow up knowing these names and carry on these stories. Women's History Month may last 31 days, but the history we're honoring lasts forever!