Celebrating Women’s History Month

I believe it’s time to show our kids that real women don’t always need crowns or magic wands to do great things. It’s time that we showcase strong, capable, smart women–real women–in our movies and our books.

We have a chance to change the narrative that women need saving, that women are asking for it, and that women are somehow less than men. It starts with the stories we tell our kids, and we should be telling them stories of seemingly ordinary women who dreamed big and made a difference. 

It’s time to celebrate women and their accomplishments, to remember their sacrifices, and learn from their examples. Women’s History Month gives us that opportunity, and luckily, there are many children’s (and tween) books to guide our journey. Afterall, we can’t be what we can’t see, and books have the power to open our minds to the beautiful possibilities of our own lives.

What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. — Jane Goodall

11 Inspiring Children’s Books for Women’s History Month

Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride (Ages 5-9)

A stunning picture book based on the true story of Amelia Earhart’s visit to the White House and her adventure with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.  The pair left a dinner party to fly through the night sky in April 1933, and the book dares its readers to dream big.

Every Day Dress Up (Ages 4-8)

A little girl ditches her princess costumes for a week and instead dresses up as famous females who had extraordinary lives. She wonders if anyone will pretend to be her someday.

You can be the lead in your own life. –Kerry Washington

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World (Ages 5 and up)

How did they become so fantastically amazing and great? An interesting layout and colorful illustrations provide factoids about many brilliant women from the beginning of their journeys.

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls (Tween/Teen)

A must-read for girls and parents of girls. Each of the 100 real-life stories is told in the style of a fairy tale and is accompanied by a full-color portrait of the heroine.

Heart on Fire: Susan B. Anthony votes for President (Ages 4-8)

Sparse text and bright pictures focus on just one day of her life–the day she voted for president in 1872. Since that was illegal at the time, she was sent to jail. A good conversation-starter for young children wanting to learn about America’s past through the eyes of a trailblazer.

Here Come the Girl Scouts (Ages 5-9)

The all-true story of the Girl Scouts and its founder–a girl with gumption. She visited the Boy Scouts and believed that girls needed the same adventurous opportunities. Perfect for Girl Scout troops everywhere.

The work of today is history of tomorrow, and we are its makers. –Juliette Gordon Low

Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race (Ages 5-9)

Just released earlier this year, it tells the story of the women of color behind the space race. It introduces higher level science and technology vocabulary in kid-friendly terms and reminds its readers that women should always reach for the stars.

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History (Ages 8-12)

Featuring forty trailblazing black females in American history, it inspires children to break boundaries while teaching about social justice and chasing dreams. Each page highlights one important women with a short biographical story and an accompanying, colorful picture.

Malala’s Magic Pencil (Ages 5-12)

Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai’s first picture book is inspired by her own life in Pakinstan. She wished for a magic pencil to make everyone happy and soon realized that the world needed more serious fixing. A great way to start a conversation about different parts of the world and their impacts on our own lives.

When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful. –Malala Yousafzai

My Name is Not Isabella (Ages 4-8)

Just how big can a little girl dream? At first Isabella is Sally the astronaut and then Rosa while riding the bus. Finally, she is Mommy the best mother in the world before deciding to be little Isabella once again.

She Persisted (Ages 4-10)

Chelsea Clinton’s beautifully illustrated book about 13 American women who changed the world and shaped our country. They kept going in the face of adversity, which is a lesson for us all.

What books would you add to this list? 

Leave your thoughts and title suggestions in the comments. 

We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better. — J.K. Rowling