Each year, Women’s History Month celebrates the contributions of women, weaving their stories into our nation’s history. With the books below, you can go one step further. Women across the globe have made and continue to make an incredible impact on their countries and on our world. Use the books below to introduce your girls and boys to women who defied norms to make discoveries, create art, and ultimately change the minds of people around them.  These stories and others like them teach kids the value of determination and self-confidence when chasing their own dreams.

	Amelia to Zora: Twenty-six Women Who Changed the World by Cynthia Chin-Lee, Megan Halsey and Sean Addy (illustrators)  – Your A-Z guide on female artists, explorers, inventors, and activists who made an important impact on our world.
	Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor by Emily Arnold McCully – Meet “the Lady Edison,” a woman who was already wearing out her toolbox with inventions at the age of twelve and went on to create and perfect the machine that makes the square-bottom paper bags still use today.
	Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa by Jeanette Winter – When Wangari discovers that many trees across Kenya have been cut down and that the soil is no longer fertile for crops, she gathers the women of her village together to bring back the beauty of their home, one seedling at a time.
	Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beaty – Rosie loves inventing all kinds of machines, devices and solutions, but it can be discouraging when they don’t all work as she wishes they would! Join Rosie as she learns an important lesson from her great aunt and finds the inspiration to keep inventing.
	Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian by Margarita Engle, Julie Paschkis (illustrator) – During the Middle Ages, everyone” knew” that insects were evil and came from the dirt. But Maria wasn’t so sure. See how one girl disproved an ancient theory through her dedication and powers of observation.
	Little Sap and Monsieur Rodin by Michelle Lord, Felicia Hoshino (illustrator) – In this beautiful work of historical fiction set in Cambodia, little Sap joins the royal dance troupe to support her family and learns that she is much more than a just a girl from a poor village.
	Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Muñoz Ryan, Brian Selznick (illustrator) – Based on an actual night flight shared by Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt, this story highlights the friendship and mutual respect between two powerful, independent women.
	Mrs. Harkness and the Panda by Alicia Potter, Melissa Sweet (illustrator) – When her husband passes away during an excursion to China, Mrs. Harkness makes up her mind to continue his expedition.
	Yasmin’s Hammer by Ann Malaspina, Doug Chayka (illustrator) – Set in Bangladesh, Yasmin works hard in the brickyard to help support her family, but dreams of going to school and changing her life. Will her secret plan bring her closer to her goal?

posted by Ameesha Sampat

No comments

Tags: booklist, Multicultural, women's history