Tag Archives: Women's Rights

16 Amazing Books to Read for Women’s History Month

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16 Amazing Books to Celebrate Women's History Month

March is Women’s History Month, and in honor of the rich history we have of amazing women, I wanted to share a list of books about female heroes you may or may not know about already. I usually focus on fiction here, but lately I’ve found myself drawn to many of these stories myself, and I wanted to share them. In my glorious plans, I had hoped to share this list early in the month, but it just did NOT work out that way for me.

You can also find this complete list on Bookshop, where you can browse and purchase books while helping to support indie bookstores.

Note: This post contains affiliate links which don’t cost anything for you to use, but help support this blog. All opinions my own.

16 Amazing Books to Read for Women’s History Month

Hannah Senesh: Her Life and Diary, the First Complete Edition by Hannah Senesh

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: I first learned about Hannah Senesh through a biography about her called So Young to Die. Her life story is amazing, and her poetry really moving. As a young woman, she volunteered on a mission to rescue fellow Jews from the Nazis during World War II.

Available June 15, 2021

Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX: The Law that Changed the Future of Girls in America by Karen Blumenthal

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Title IX is the law that made it illegal for discrimination based on gender in education programs that receive Federal assistance. Learn how it came to be and the fight to get the law passed so girls could have access to sports and other programs.

Published July 1, 2005

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls Vol 1: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women by Elena Favilla and Francesca Cavallo

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Read stories of 100 amazing women from around the world accompanied by illustrations from 60 female artists.

Published December 1, 2016

The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor by Sonia Sotomayor

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: The story of the first Latina and third woman appointed to the Supreme Court in her own words.

Published September 17, 2019

Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing by Ann Angel

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Tells the story of one of rock-and-roll’s most compelling female icons. Packed with photos and stories from friends and band mates. A must-read for music enthusiasts.

Published October 1, 2010

#notyourprincess: Voices of Native American Women edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: An eclectic combination of poetry, essays, interviews, and art that express what it’s like to be a Native American woman.

Published September 12, 2017

Hidden Figures (Young Readers’ Edition) by Margot Lee Shetterly

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Tells the story of four African-American women who played essential roles in the NASA space program.

Published November 29, 2016

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

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: In World War II, the Soviet Union became the first nation to allow women to fly combat missions. These are the stories of those fighters. Also, it’s written by the author of CODE NAME VERITY.

Published January 22, 2019

Radium Girls (Young Reader’s Edition): The Scary But True Story of the Poison that Made People Glow in the Dark by Kate Moore

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: How women workers fought for change in regulations and nuclear research and saved lives.

Published July 1, 2020

Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History by Keith O’Brien

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: “The untold story of five women who fought to compete against men in high-stakes national air races in the 1920s and 30s — and won.” (from Goodreads.)

Published August 7, 2018

The Story of My Life by Hellen Keller

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: The inspiring story of the first 22 years of Hellen Keller’s life in her own words.

First Published in 1902

Because I Was a Girl: True Stories for Girls of All Ages edited by Melissa de la Cruz

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: True stories about challenges, obstacles, and opportunities these women faced due to their gender.

Published October 3, 2017

This is Your Time by Ruby Bridges

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Written as a letter from the iconic Civil Rights activist to today’s young readers as inspiration and a call to action.

Published November 10, 2020

Vote!: Women’s Fight for Access to the Ballot Box by Coral Celeste Frazer

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads | My Review

What you need to know: Learn about the 70 year fight for women’s suffrage and how the success of those leaders led to today’s #MeToo, #YesAllWomen, and Black Lives Matter movements.

Published August 6, 2019

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb

Amazon | Barnes & Noble  | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads | My Review

What you need to know: Malala believes all girls have a right to an education. She refused to be silenced, even after she’d been shot in the head by the Taliban. Here, she tells her inspiring, unforgettable story.

Published October 8, 2013

Irena’s Children (Young Readers’ Edition): A True Story of Courage by Tilar J. Mazzeo

Amazon | Barnes & Noble  | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads | My Review

What you need to know: During World War II, Irena Sendler worked with an underground network to rescue 2,500 Jewish children from Nazi occupied Poland. I couldn’t put this book down.

Published September 27, 2016

Review: Send a Girl! by Jessica M. Rinker and Meg Hunt

Biography, Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, , , , , , , , , , ,

Send a Girl!: The True Story of How Women Joined the FDNY
Jessica Rinker
Illustrated by Meg Hunt
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published March 9, 2021

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Send a Girl!

Brenda Berkman was often told that she couldn’t do certain things because she was a girl. When she grew up, she longed for a job that was challenging, different every day, and required physical and mental strength. In 1977 when the New York City Fire Department finally complied with the Civil Rights Act (from 1964) by allowing women to take the FDNY exam, Brenda jumped at the chance.

But the FDNY changed the rules of the exam so women wouldn’t be able to pass it. Even a lot of men couldn’t pass this new exam.

So Brenda Berkman took the FDNY to court. In 1982, they finally made a fair test, and Brenda and 41 other women passed. Brenda went on to serve in the FDNY for 25 years, reaching the positions of Lieutenant and Captain, and was a first responder during the attacks on the Twin Towers on 9/11. After her retirement, Brenda founded the United Women Firefighters, an organization that helps train and prepare women to be firefighters. Send a Girl! is Brenda Berkman’s inspiring story.

My Review

I’m really excited to see this particular story– about Brenda Berkman, and how women joined the FDNY– coming to shelves in a way that young readers can enjoy.

The pictures are expressive and bright, really adding depth to the words on each page. I like how expressive the faces of the characters are, too.

The story is pretty simple and straightforward, hitting the perfect high notes of Brenda’s youth and her career as a firefighter. It feels powerful and triumphant.

I also like that it doesn’t end with Brenda Berkman successfully becoming a firefighter, but that the story also discusses discrimination against female firefighters in an open but not defeated way.

This book would make a great addition to a classroom or library, and seems like it’d be especially useful in talking with students or kids about community and careers.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 6 to 10.

Representation
The story focuses on Brenda Berkman, a white woman and includes references to discrimination that she and others faced as women on the job as firefighters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some scenes show people being rescued from fires. Some references to 9/11. It’s a pretty brief mention, told appropriately for younger readers.

Also some mention of discrimination the Brenda and other women faced as firefighters. It’s mentioned that some of the pranks against them were dangerous, but no details are given.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of Send a Girl! in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog.