Happy March! Happy Women’s History Month! This is our stack for the month. We will be reading and re-reading these books about incredible women in our nation and world a little bit at a time, since I chose several longer books with biographies that we like to read a few at a time. There are are books for everyone- a board book, several books for early elementary readers, and some that would be good for older kids, too. I may or may not have curled up with a couple of them over the weekend and really enjoyed learning about some awesome women myself!
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly and Laura Freeman is an excellent way to teach kids about the work of Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughn, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden. The story is layered with information about their lives and the fight systems of inequality they experienced and fought against and the Civil Rights Movement as it impacted them and their work. One message is clear throughout- these women were great at math. I love that so much; as a young person I identified as the opposite and struggle even now to internalize that if I work hard I can get better. I think it’s so important to show kids examples of women succeeding in all fields- especially those that have been dominated by men.
Recommended for kids aged 3 – 10.
Chelsea Clinton and Andrea Boiger’s She Persisted and She Persisted: Around the World are two excellent books to read biographies of 13 women who persevered against oppression to make our world a better place. Each also starts with an appeal to the reader and ties the message back in at the end. They’re a bit shorter in length, so my 4 year old will sit to read a few of them at a time! The images are really beautiful, and the women featured are diverse across eras, race, and fields. There’s definitely something for everyone in these books- which are available in a boxed set, too!
Recommended for kids aged 3 – 8.
Malala’s Magic Pencil by the incredible Malala Yousafzai is a kid friendly version of the story of her life so far, and perfect for younger kids. The images and text highlight some memorable and important pieces of her story in a way that younger kids can internalize. The story appeals to young readers by addressing them directly, and explaining what inspired her to start taking action, how she persisted despite significant challenges, and what she is hoping for in the future. I love the emphasis on the power of writing in a way that my non-writing kid loves too!
Recommended for kids aged 3-7.
Josephine Baker by Agathe Sorlet and Maria Isabel Sánchez , Frida Kahlo by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, and My First Maya by Leire Salaberria and Lisbeth Kaiser are all books in the Little People Big Dreams series that we are enjoying this year. My kids are really interested in singing and art – maybe because my go-to during these pandemic months has been for my kids to make a thing like a show or a piece of “art” and show it to me when they’re done. These have been excellent additions to our reading! The board book about Maya Angelou has been a big hit actually with both of my kids, which surprised me but here we are. There are tons of books in this series, so you should definitely check them out.
Recommended for kids aged 1-10.
Rad American Women A to Z by Kate Schwartz and Miriam Klein Stahl is for older kids who can handle a little longer of a read, and I’d recommend reading a few pages at a time. It has women who have been influential in America, but who are not in many of the other books we have been reading. It includes a few paragraphs about the person’s early life and a kid-friendly descriptions of their important contributions to our world. We are working our way through this book a little bit at a time and really enjoying it!
Recommended for kids aged 6-12.
Vashti Harrison is a personal hero of mine because her work is so incredibly stunning, and this book is no exception. Last year we featured some of the Dream Big, Little One and Little Legends and Little Leaders books also by Vashti Harrison (check them all out!), so this year we are reading Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World. It’s oriented for kids who are a little older, and features a page about an important woman and a fun image of that person on the facing page. My younger kid will sit and listen to these a few at a time because the image is so engaging and allows her to pick up on pieces of the story that she might not otherwise get.
Recommended for ages 4-10
My youngest kid decided to do her Black History Month project on Simone Biles, so we grabbed a copy of Women in Sports by Rachel Ignotofsky. It’s such a cool book, and full of these stunning images of women who have done amazing things in sports. There are highlighted quotes and statistics about each person that make some fun pieces of information about each really stand out. There are also a few other books in this series- Women in Art, and Women in Science– that you should check out!
Recommended for ages 6-112
There are affiliate links in this post! If you choose to purchase one of these books from my Bookshop store I’ll make a small commission and be very grateful!