Books to Celebrate Women's History Month

Happy Women's History Month! Use this month to learn about powerful and inspiring women throughout history and to teach the younger girls and women in your life that they too are capable of changing the world. Selections were made by Corvid, Alana, and Martha, and there are books for all age groups. Click on the book cover to see availability and place holds in our catalog.

Children

A is for Awesome by Eva Chen

Why stick with plain old A, B, C when you can have Amelia (Earhart), Malala, Tina (Turner), Ruth (Bader Ginsburg), all the way to eXtraordinary You—and the Zillion of adventures you will go on?Instagram superstar Eva Chen, author of Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes, is back with an alphabet board book depicting feminist icons in A Is for Awesome: 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World, featuring spirited illustrations by Derek Desierto.

Little Dreamers by Vashti Harrison

Featuring the true stories of women creators and thinkers from around the world, throughout history, this book shows that sometimes seeing things a little differently can lead to big changes. Some names are well known, some are not, but all the women had a lasting effect on the fields they workd in. Whether they were breaking ground for innovative structures or breaking rules and creating new ones, the women profiled here not only made a place for themselves in the world but made the world a better place to live.

F is for Feminist by Kim Collins

"Are you a feminist? And what does being a feminist truly mean? Find out by taking an inspiring tour through the alphabet, discovering what girls are really made of and just how much equality matters!"

The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague by Julia Mosca

This is a rhyming-text picture book about Raye Montague. After touring a German submarine in the early 1940s, young Raye set her sights on becoming an engineer. Little did she know sexism and racial inequality would challenge that dream every step of the way, even keeping her greatest career accomplishment a secret for decades. Through it all, the gifted mathematician persisted-- finally gaining her well-deserved title in history: a pioneer who changed the course of ship design forever.

Girls Can Do Anything by Caryl Hart

"Rhyming text and vibrant illustrations celebrate the uniqueness of girls, from the endless variety in their physical attributes to the various activities they enjoy to the many remarkable things they can achieve."

How Women Won the Vote: Alice Paul, Lucy Burns, and Their Big Idea by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

"A history of the iconic first women's march in 1913 and the suffragists who led the way to passing the 19th amendment"

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin by Julia Mosca

Describes the life and accomplishments of the animal scientist and designer of cruelty-free livestock facilities, from her early life and autism diagnosis through her journey to become a livestock expert.

Young Adults

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

In a small Texas town where high school football reigns supreme, Viv, sixteen, starts a feminist revolution using anonymously-written zines.

A Thousand Sisters: The Heroic Airwomen of The Soviet Union in World War II by Elizabeth Wein

Documents the contributions of Soviet airwomen during World War II, examining the formation, obstacles, missions, and legacy of Russia's female combat pilot regiments.

Jane Against the World: Roe V Wade and the Fight for Reproductive Rights by Karen Blumenthal

A history of the fight for reproductive rights in the United States. Tracing the path to the landmark decision in Roe v. Wade and the continuing battle for women's rights, Blumenthal examines the root causes of the current debate around abortion and repercussions that have affected generations of American women. This book intends to facilitate difficult discussions and awareness of a topic that is rarely touched on in school but affects each and every young person. Includes a glossary of legal and medical terms, timeline, and information about significant Supreme Court cases.

Almost American Girl by Robin Ha

"A powerful and moving teen graphic novel memoir about immigration, belonging, and how arts can save a life--perfect for fans of American Born Chinese and Hey, Kiddo. For as long as she can remember, it's been Robin and her mom against the world. Growing up as the only child of a single mother in Seoul, Korea, wasn't always easy, but it has bonded them fiercely together. So when a vacation to visit friends in Huntsville, Alabama, unexpectedly becomes a permanent relocation--following her mother's announcement that she's getting married--Robin is devastated. Overnight, her life changes. She is dropped into a new school where she doesn't understand the language and struggles to keep up. She is completely cut off from her friends in Seoul and has no access to her beloved comics. At home, she doesn't fit in with her new stepfamily, and worst of all, she is furious with the one person she is closest to--her mother. Then one day Robin's mother enrolls her in a local comic drawing class, which opens the window to a future Robin could never have imagined"

Adults

Off With Her Head: Three Thousand Years of Demonizing Women in Power by Eleanor Herman

Imagine Trump as a woman. Would she have won the election? Imagine Hillary Clinton as a man. Would his media statements have been seen as inauthentic? Eleanor Herman explores the history of rage against powerful women.

Revolutionary Women: 50 Women of Color Who Reinvented the Rules by Ann Shen

"REVOLUTIONARY WOMEN is a celebration of women of color, centering women who have historically been sidelined. For fans of Ann Shen's beloved BAD GIRLS THROUGHOUT HISTORY, this spiritual successor celebrates the accomplishments of these incredible women alongside Ann's signature artwork. From dancers, actors, and singers to scientists, astronauts, politicians, and activists, these women used their voices and their passions to change the world"-- Provided by publisher.

Shen profiles women of color who pushed the boundaries, rewrote the rules, and led the way for the women in the communities to follow in their footsteps. From the big screen to the halls of NASA; from the courts of the US Open to the Supreme Court, these short (one- to three-page) articles will inspire you to embrace your authentic self and live your life in full color"

New Women in the Old West: From Settlers to Suffragists, An Untold American Story by Winifred Gallgher

Told for the first time through the pioneering women who used the challenges of migration and settlement as opportunities to advocate for their rights, and transformed the country in the process [as] ... survival in this uncharted region required two hard-working partners, compelling women to take on equal responsibilities to men, proving to themselves that they were just as essential to the westward expansion.

A Woman's Life if a Human Life: My Mother, Our Neighbor, and the Journey from Reproductive Rights to Reproductive Justice by Felicia Kornbluh

"Published to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of Roe v. Wade, historian Felicia Kornbluh delivers an urgent book about two key reproductive rights victories in New York that set the tone for the nation. A Woman's Life Is a Human Life is the story of two movements that transformed the politics of reproductive rights: the fight to decriminalize abortion and the campaign against sterilization abuse, which happened disproportionately in communities of color. Their victories occurred just before and after the Roe v. Wade decision, and their histories cast new light on the case and the fate of reproductive choice today. From dissident Democrats who were first to try reforming abortion laws, to clergy leading the nation's largest abortion referral service, to Puerto Rican activists who introduced sterilization abuse to the reproductive rights agenda, and Black women who took the cause global, A Woman's Life Is a Human Life chronicles the diverse ways activists changed the law and demanded reproductive justice. With firsthand accounts and previously unseen sources-including from her mother, who drafted New York's law decriminalizing abortion, and their across-the-hall neighbor, Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías, a Puerto Rican doctor and leader in the movement against sterilization abuse-Felicia Kornbluh shows how grassroots action overcame the odds-and how it might work today"

Women in the Picture: What Culture Does with Female Bodies by Catherine McCormack

"Art historian Catherine McCormack challenges how culture teaches us to see and value women, their bodies, and their lives. Cultural archetypes have long been used to subjugate women, binding them within the restrictive roles of Venus, bride, wife, mother, and monster. These portrayals echo throughout the paintings and sculptures of western art--Titian, Botticelli, and Giambologna--and more contemporaneously in fashion photographs, ads, and across social media. By society empowering men to represent women, women imbibe a distorted vision of themselves and their bodies, coming up against notions of impossible beauty, idealized passivity and violence, and horrifying Medusas. In this impassioned work, art historian Catherine McCormack evaluates the production and display of portrayals of women, exposing the underlying meanings, whether overt or symbolic. She counters them by turning to women artists like Berthe Morisot, Beyoncé, Suzanne Lacy, and Faith Ringgold. These women have been overturning confining depictions of identity, sexuality, race, and power to explore the breadth and multiplicity of women's visions of their own lives."

The Illustrated Feminist: 100 Years of Suffrage, Strength, and Sisterhood in America by Aura Lewis

"A beautifully illustrated history celebrating the achievements of American women from 1920 to present day. The year 2020 will mark the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote in America, and what better way to commemorate the 19th Amendment than with a gorgeously illustrated handbook that explores a century's worth of feminism? Each chapter illustrates 10 landmark moments in each decade from 1920 to 2020. Featuring iconic events and the trailblazing women who made them happen, from Amelia Earhart to Shirley Chisholm, The Illustrated Feminist will inspire both dedicated feminists and burgeoning activists to continue the fight for women's rights. Aura Lewis's powerful artwork coupled with her well-researched and accessible text make this book an ideal gift for anyone looking to celebrate groundbreaking women and their colorful history."

Visionary Women: How Rachel Carson, Jane Jacobs, Jane Goodall, and Alice Waters Change Our World by Andrea Barnet

This is the story of four visionaries who profoundly shaped the world we live in today. Together, these women, linked not by friendship or field, but by their choice to break with convention, showed what one person speaking truth to power can do. Jane Jacobs fought for livable cities and strong communities; Rachel Carson warned us about poisoning the environment; Jane Goodall demonstrated the indelible kinship between humans and animals; and Alice Waters urged us to reconsider what and how we eat. All told, their efforts ignited a transformative progressive movement while offering people a new way to think about the world and a more positive way of living in it.

Modern Women: 52 Pioneers by Kira Cochran

"From suffragettes to scientists, activists to artists, politicians to pilots and writers to riot grrrls, a celebration of 52 influential and inspiring women who have profoundly changed the world through their lives, works and actions, reveals who they each have paved the way for gender equality in their own indomitable way"