Women’s History Month honors both the struggle that women have faced throughout time, as well as the many important achievements women have made that haven’t always been recognized. Books can give us extra insight into influential figures and the stories of women that aren’t always widely told. Join Lerner in celebrating this March by browsing through our wide collection of books that honor, preserve, represent, and tell the stories of all different types of women, and how they’ve left their mark on this world.
★ Best Believe: The Tres Hermanas, a Sisterhood for the Common Good by NoNieqa Ramos, Illustrated by Nicole Medina
- Interest Level: Grade 1 – Grade 4
Meet the Tres Hermanas: Evelina Antonetty, Lillian López, and Elba Cabrera.
They moved from Puerto Rico to New York City as children and grew up to become leaders in their Bronx community. Evelina, an activist for social causes, founded United Bronx Parents. Lillian became a librarian and administrator who fought for Spanish and bilingual books and Spanish-speaking library staff. Elba worked closely with Evelina and became an ambassador and advocate for the arts.
Rhythmic verse by NoNieqa Ramos and vibrant illustrations by Nicole Medina provide a stirring look at three dynamic changemakers.
★”The sisters’ fiery spirit runs through the text, which frankly calls out disparities and celebrates the Tres Hermanas’ many victories as they passionately defended the rights of Puerto Rican Americans and lifted up their culture. . . Illustrations channeling the sisters’ Puerto Rican roots feature saturated colors, tropical flower embellishments, moving portraits of the family and community, and a clean, modern aesthetic.” — starred, Booklist
★ Small Shoes, Great Strides: How Three Brave Girls Opened Doors to School Equality by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, Illustrated by Alex Bostic
Booklist Editor’s Choice
Junior Library Guild Selection
- Interest Level: Grade 2 – Grade 5
Leona Tate, Gail Etienne, and Tessie Prevost didn’t set out to make history. But when these three Black first graders stepped into the all-white McDonogh No. 19 Public School in New Orleans on November 14, 1960, that’s exactly what they did. They integrated their school just ten minutes before Ruby Bridges walked into her school, also in New Orleans. Like Ruby, the trio faced crowds of protestors fighting against public school desegregation efforts and relied on US Marshals to keep them safe. Their teacher protected them every step of the way, and the girls formed a close bond, becoming friends for life.
Award-winning author Vaunda Micheaux Nelson conducted extensive interviews to bring this little-known story from the Civil Rights Movement to a broad audience. Vivid illustrations by fine artist Alex Bostic highlight the girls’ strength, courage, and determination.
★ “[A]n unmissable story about everyday courage whose notes about the importance of overcoming discrimination remain timely.” —starred, Foreword Reviews
She’s a Mensch!: Jewish Women Who Rocked the World by Rachelle Burk and Alana Barouch, illus. by Arielle Trenk
- Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 4
Inspire your daughter (or son) with this exciting picture book of amazing female mensches! Meet many mensches, both famous and little-known, including scientists, authors, artists, activists, athletes, and adventurers.
“With additional materials including a timeline and a list of 18 honorable menschen, this is a bold celebration of Jewish women’s role in history.” — A Mighty Girl
Ruth First Never Backed Down by Danielle Joseph, Illustrated by Gabhor Utomo
- Interest Level: Grade 2 – Grade 5
Ruth First was born in South Africa, where her Jewish family fled from danger in Europe in the early 1900s. South Africa was a safe place for Jews, but not for Black people. Inspired by her parents’ example, a teenage Ruth started a secret book club with her friends to talk about inequality, but she knew she also had to speak out in public. In college, she protested with other students, including Nelson Mandela, and wrote stories for the newspaper about racial injustice. Although she was arrested and forced to leave her country, she continued to speak out and write about the horrors of apartheid all her life. Ruth First never backed down.
“A worthy introduction to a heroic journalist and activist.”―Booklist
Piece by Piece: Ernestine’s Gift for President Roosevelt by Lupe Ruiz-Flores, Illustrated by Anna López Real
Cybils Finalist
- Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 3
During the Great Depression, Ernestine Guerrero’s family didn’t have much. The Mexican American teen was so grateful for the government food aid they received in San Antonio, Texas, that she wanted to personally thank President Roosevelt. But how? After seeing the plans for a very difficult woodworking project, she decided she would make it herself and send it to the president. Piece by piece, that’s exactly what she did. And the clock case she built remains on display in the Roosevelt Presidential Library to this day.
This picture book tells the inspiring true story of a girl who proved that if you look closely, treasure can be found in unexpected places.
“This inspirational story celebrates a young girl’s creativity and ingenuity during a challenging time in American history. Recommended for elementary school library collections.” — Children’s Literature
★ The Bodyguard Unit: Edith Garrud, Women’s Suffrage, and Jujitsu by Clément Xavier, Illustrated by Lisa Lugrin
New York Public Library Best New Comics for Adults
Texas Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List
- Interest Level: Grade 8 – Grade 12
Who were the jujitsuffragettes?
In the early 20th century, women in England were demanding the right to vote—and often faced violent retaliation. Rather than back down, the suffragist group the Women’s Social and Political Union formed an all-women security unit. Activist leader Emmeline Pankhurst asked Edith Garrud to train them. These “jujitsuffragettes” fought against abuse and arrest while pursuing long overdue rights.
Edith Garrud was a pioneering instructor of women’s self-defense and a pivotal figure in British women’s suffrage. This graphic retelling of Garrud’s life reveals the resilience and (sometimes physical) resistance of her era’s voting-rights activists.
“This engaging and informative graphic biography, which includes historical back matter, about an overlooked yet influential suffragist and martial artist deserves a spot in every graphic-novel collection.” —starred, Booklist
US Women’s National Soccer Team: Winning On and Off the Field by Heather E. Schwartz
- Interest Level: Grade 4 – Grade 8
For many years after the women’s national team first began in 1985, it was underfunded. The USWNT had worse equipment and facilities and received less payment than the men’s national team. More than once, players of the USWNT took a stand. Until finally, in 2021, the US Soccer Federation made an agreement guaranteeing that the women’s and men’s teams would receive equal pay. Follow the journey of the USWNT on and off the field.
With its more than 500 wins and highly gifted players, the US Women’s National Soccer Team is exceptional. Learn about the team’s history, the records set in the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Olympics, and more.
“Good resource for sports fans, soccer players and fans, and sports history enthusiasts whether male or female.” – Children’s Literature
Fighting for Reproductive Justice: Black Women Leading a Movement by Ngeri Nnachi
- Interest Level: Grade 4 – Grade 8
Reproductive rights have been hot-button issues for generations, and recent legal decisions have put these arguments back in the spotlight. Groups such as the National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda and others are leading a movement to protect reproductive rights.
★ The Lady and the Octopus: How Jeanna Villepreux-Power Invented Aquariums and Revolutionized Marine Biology by Danna Staaf
Junior Library Guild Selection
Children’s Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year
- Interest Level: Grade 5 – Grade 12
Jeanne Villepreux-Power was never expected to be a scientist. Born in 1794 in a French village more than 100 miles from the ocean, she pursued an improbable path that brought her to the island of Sicily. There, she took up natural history and solved the two-thousand-year-old mystery of how of the argonaut octopus gets its shell.
In an era when most research focused on dead specimens, Jeanne was determined to experiment on living animals. And to keep sea creatures alive for her studies, she had to invent a contraption to hold them—the aquarium. Her remarkable life story is told by author, marine biologist, and octopus enthusiast Danna Staaf.
★ “An illuminating work on a scientist in the same league as Maria Sibylla Merian and Mary Anning.” — starred, Booklist
★ I Could Not Do Otherwise: The Remarkable Life of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker by Sara Latta
School Library Journal Best Book
Children’s Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year
- Interest Level: Grade 8 – Grade 12
As a teenager, Mary Edwards Walker determined she would no longer wear the confining corsets and long skirts society dictated women wear at the time, setting the stage for her lifelong controversial efforts to change expectations. One of the first women to earn a degree in medicine, Walker championed women’s rights, social justice, and access to health care. She became a Civil War surgeon and a spy, was captured and arrested by the Confederacy, and she is still the only woman to have been awarded the Medal of Honor. I Could Not Do Otherwise brings to light an amazing historical figure who broke gender norms and fought for issues that are still relevant today.
★ “[A] fascinating introduction . . . Latta utilizes primary sources, from contemporary newspaper articles to photographs, to make Walker’s remarkable life come alive for readers.” — starred, School Library Journal“
Gender Equality in Sports: From Title IX to World Titles by Kristin Cronn-Mills
Junior Library Guild Selection
Rise: A Feminist Book Project List
- Interest Level: Grade 8 – Grade 12
Gender inequality still exists in sports at all levels, even in the face of the landmark Title IX legislation to protect against discrimination and sexism in federally funded recreational sports. Girls, women, trans, and intersex people face sexist attitudes and unfair rules and regulations. Readers will learn the history and impact of Title IX and explore how additional changes could lead to equality in sports. From contemporary issues such as equal pay for women athletes and specific discrimination cases such as Caster Semanya, who participated in the Olympics, this book details the continued struggle against unequal pay, discrimination, and sexism.
“A thought-provoking look at women’s history and its ongoing debates.” — Booklist
The Future Is Female (Alternator Books ®) (series) by Ngeri Nnachi
- Interest Level: Grade 3 – Grade 6
Celebrate the accomplishments of women over the years in this exciting series. Readers discover how women shaped our world through their contributions to arts, science, and politics and how they are continuing to make a change.
For more recommendations, check out the Lerner Blog here.