What are the best chilren’s books for Women’s History Month? It can be tough finding quality literature about strong women throughout history. Are you tired of reading the same children’s books for Women’s History Month? Looking to find a few new titles that are sure to bring some excitement about the topic for both girls and boys? This list of my favorite picture books to read about famous women throughout history are perfect for elementary students. A good mix of both fiction and nonfiction books to engage your students in learning about women and their importance in history.
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I’ve organized the books on my list into categories:
- Politics
- STEM
- Entertainment/Sports
Politics
The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read
A lovely biography of one of the world’s oldest students: Mary Walker. Mary was born into slavery in 1848, lived to be freed, outlived 2 husbands and all of her children. At age 114 she decided that she had waited her entire life to learn how to read a Bible she had received shortly after being freed from slavery. Learn she did, and she lived to the age of 121. A wonderful message in the story, and Oge Mora’s collage style illustrations bring this story to life.
Great for grades K-3rd
Check out my lesson plan and activities for The Oldest Student HERE
You can get a free lesson and activities for The Oldest Student by signing up here:
Miss Paul and the President
This is an excellent depiction of how one enterprising activist named Alice Paul campaigned for women’s suffrage. It tells the story of how Alice organized parades that upstaged President Woodrow Wilson and her other efforts directly confronting Wilson on the topic of suffrage. This is a lesser known figure in the fight for women’s suffrage in America, but it is certainly one worth knowing.
Great for Grades 1st-4th
Get your lesson plan and activities for Miss Paul and the President HERE
Marching With Aunt Susan
This is based on the diary of a girl named Bessie Keith Pond and her encounter with Susan B. Anthony. In this story, Bessie learns from a young age that things are not fair for girls. All she wants to do is go hiking with her father and brothers, but girls can’t hike. Susan B. Anthony comes to town to lead the campaign for women’s suffrage, and Bessie decides to join. A great story that helps students see that every change starts with something small, and that even children can make a difference.
Great for grades 2nd-5th
Get your lesson plan and activities for Marching With Aunt Susan HERE
So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth’s Long Walk Toward Freedom
This biography tells the remarkable story of Sojourner Truth. It begins with her life as a slave and the heartbreaking tragedies that accompanied it such as lying masters and being separated from her children. It then goes on to show how she gained her freedom and the things she did with it. Almost her entire life spent walking and talking to people about freedom and women’s rights. The illustrations that accompany the story are remarkable and moving following portions of her life.
Recommended for grades 1st-5th
Get your lesson plan and activities for So Tall Within HERE
Elizabeth Leads the Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote
This is a really accessible biography about suffragette Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her fight for the women’s right to vote. Elizabeth wouldn’t take “no” for an answer when she saw all of the things that women were not allowed to do. She went to college and found other women to join her cause for the right to vote. This is a student favorite because it told as a narrative rather than snippets of facts.
Great for grades 2nd-5th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Elizabeth Leads the Way HERE
Mary Wears What She Wants
Ever wonder how women went from only being able to wear dresses and petticoats to being able to wear pants? Mary Edwards Walker is part of the answer. Mary was a girl who was frustrated with how uncomfortable and hot it was to wear dresses all the time. Girls couldn’t play while wearing a dress. Pants were so much better. This book tells the true story of Mary and how she slowly helped women wear the more comfortable and functional pants that they had not been able to wear before. An author’s note explains how she was actually arrested a number of times for refusing to wear dresses and how she became a doctor.
Great for grades Kindergarten-3rd
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Mary Wears What She Wants HERE
Lillian’s Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
A 100 year old African American woman named Lillian walks uphill to her local polling place. As she makes the long, symbolic walk, she remembers her family’s difficult path to being able to vote. Her story begins with her ancestors being bought and sold as slaves. She recalls the passing of the 15th amendment and her grandfather registering to vote and the hardships of poll taxes and tests her parents faced as they tried to vote. She then recalls her own march in protest from Selma to Montgomery for civil rights. This story is based on a true story as explained in the author’s note of Lillian Allan who at age 100 voted for the first African American president Barack Obama.
Great for grades 2nd-5th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Lillian’s Right to Vote HERE
That’s Not Fair!
This book tells the story of Emma Tenayuca who was a labor organizer. She fought for the rights of pecan shellers in San Antonio, Texas in the 1920s. Women labor organizers are often overlooked by the men such as Cesar Chavez, so this is an excellent look into women organizers. This book is bilingual and is also included in my list of the best biographies for Hispanic Heritage Month. This book tells of her accomplishments as well as difficulties fighting for workers’s rights.
Perfect for grades 2nd-5th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for That’s Not Fair HERE
For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai’s Story
Students are entranced by Malala stories, and this is one of the students’s favorite books about her. It tells of her as a young girl and how her family struggled to help her keep learning as well as her own personal struggles and the violence visited upon her as she fought for the right to learn. The illustrations in this story are what make it a standout amongst the many Malala books.
Perfect for grades 2nd-5th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for For the Right to Learn HERE
Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai
This is another Malala book, this time an autobiography that students love just because it was written by her. Even better is that it is also available in Spanish as El lápiz mágico de Malala.
Great for grades 1st-5th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Malala’s Magic Pencil HERE
Nasreen’s Secret School
This book from Jeanette Winter is based on a true story from Afghanistan where young girl Nasreen has not spoken since her parents were taken. From that day, Nasreen stops speaking. Her grandmother helps her go to school even when it is forbidden for girls to be educated in Afghanistan except the Quran. Schooling helps broaden her world and introduce her to friend that help students see the healing power of education and friendship.
Great for grades 2nd-5th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Nasreen’s Secret School HERE
The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq
Alia Muhammad Baker is the librarian of Basra in Iraq. War has come and she must find a way to save her library’s priceless collection. Being a woman limits her power, but determination and help from others allows her to save her precious books before the library is destroyed by war.
Great for grades 2nd-5th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for The Librarian of Basra HERE
The Story of Ruby Bridges
This book was written by Robert Coles, her psychologist throughout the process of school desegregation. It tells the touching story of how one girl rose above hate and paved the way for children of color throughout the country to attend integrated schools. This book pairs really well with her autobiography Through My Eyes.
Great for grades 1st-5th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for The Story of Ruby Bridges HERE
I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark
An excellent biography of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg beginning with her early years seeing injustice. The book really stands out showcasing a variety of ways to say, “I disagree” that really shows the power of language. I love the book for analyzing character traits.
Great for grades 2nd-5th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for I Dissent HERE
Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx
This is an excellent biography of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor beginning with her childhood in the Bronx. As a child her mother could not provide everything she wanted but she had everything she needed. Justice Sotomayor is compared to a flower that grows from between the cracks in cement. With an unshakable will, hard work and determination Sonia grew up to be chosen to the highest court in the land. This book is also available in Spanish!
Great for grades 1st-5th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx HERE
STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering & Math
These are some of the best children’s books for Women’s History Month about women in STEM.
Me…Jane
This is a lovely early elementary biography of naturalist and primatologist Jane Goodall. It begins with her love for animals and how she began to study them from her childhood. The book continues to show how she continued working to achieve her dream of studying chimps in Africa with an informative author’s note at the end accompanied by a picture of Jane as a child. Also available in Spanish!
Great for grades K-3rd
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Me…Jane HERE
Shark Lady
This is a biography of marine biologist Eugenie Clark called the Shark Lady. Jess Keating’s beautiful illustrations bring the vibrance of the ocean to this story. Eugenie was determined to show people that sharks are simply misunderstood. Before Eugenie, many thought that sharks were mindless carnivores, but her research sought to refute this.
Great for grades 1st-4th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Shark Lady HERE
Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13
You may have heard of the failed Apollo 13 mission, but you likely haven’t heard the whole story of how the astronauts were saved. Katherine Johnson was in charge of the math necessary to bring the astronauts safely back to Earth. This biography talks about the gifted mathematician and how throughout her life she accepted responsibility with a simple, “Count on me!” A remarkable story with excellent illustrations to boot!
Great for grades 1st-4th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Counting on Katherine HERE
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race
Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math…really good. This biography tells the story of these four amazing women and their unbelievable achievements at a time when both being a woman and African American severely limited what these women could contribute. It even limited what building they could work in at NASA. Thanks to their hard work and extraordinary talent, they broke barriers for future generations.
Great for grades 1st-4th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Hidden Figures HERE
The Tree Lady
Tells the story of Kate Sessions who was the first woman to graduate from the University of California with a science degree. When she first went to San Diego, it was a desert. After she arrived, with her work, she turned San Diego into a veritable tree-filled oasis. A great story about community and hard work.
Great for grades 2nd-5th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for The Tree Lady HERE
Joan Procter Dragon Doctor
A fun biography of Joan Procter who loved reptiles so much that her work led her to become the first female Curator of Reptiles for the British Museum. She was especially fond of the giant Komodo Dragons. Even after being stricken with pain that confined her to a wheelchair, she continued her study of reptiles.
Great for grades 1st-4th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor HERE
Mae Among the Stars
A beautiful biography of the first African American woman in space Mae Jemison. Mae listened to her mother’s advice, “If you believe it, and work hard for it, anything is possible.” With lots of hard work and her parents’ encouragement, she achieve her lifelong dream.
Great for grades Kindergarten-3rd
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Mae Among the Stars HERE
Margaret and the Moon
This book tells the story of Margaret Hamilton and how her calculations made the first lunar landings possible. The story adds suspense when it tells of how there was a problem minutes before Apollo 11 was supposed to land on the moon. Thanks to Margaret’s code, the lander’s computer was able to correct a malfunction and help the astronauts land safely on the moon. This is one of the better children’s books for Women’s History Month and also a great book about space and space exploration!
Great for grades 1st-4th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Margaret and the Moon HERE
Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science
A vibrant, vivacious biography of the first computer programmer Ada Lovelace. It tells of her polar opposite parents: poet Lord Byron and mathematical mother Annabella. We see what influenced her and her views on the future computer age.
A great book for grades 1st-4th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Ada Lovelace Poet of Science HERE
Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code
The biography of brilliant woman filled with curiosity who loved to figure out how things worked. Grace Hopper was a career naval officer who wrote programs for the Navy that taught computers to “speak English.” She even coined the term “computer bug” when she found a moth in a naval computer. The illustrations, anecdotes and quotes from Grace bring this book to life. Perhaps a more appropriate title would’ve been “Admiral of Computer Code” because she became a rear admiral.
Perfect for grades 1st-4th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer of Code HERE
The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin
A wonderful story of a quirky scientist named Temple Grandin who also happens to have autism. She was a visual thinker who very few expected much out of. Her unique condition helped her be especially in tune with the needs of animals. Her study of animal behavior led to discoveries that have helped farmers treat livestock more humanely. An excellent story for kids who feel different. Includes a note from Dr. Temple Grandin herself!
Great for grades 1st-4th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for The Girl Who Thought in Pictures HERE
Caroline’s Comets: A True Story
This biography is of the first female professional scientist Caroline Herschel. Born in Germany, she moved to England with her brother where she was eventually employed by the King of England. Caroline and her brother built the most advanced telescope of the time, and their discoveries are still used by astronomers today. Caroline herself discovered a number of nebulae, galaxies and became the first woman to discover a comet.
Great for grades 1st-4th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Caroline’s Comets HERE
Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea: Marie Tharp Maps the Ocean Floor
Robert Burleigh saved a remarkable cartographer from obscurity. Marie Tharp faced superstition when many ships still believed that women brought bad luck. Despite this discrimination, her research allowed her to piece together the jigsaw puzzle that was the ocean floor. Her discoveries helped support the Continental Drift Theory that had previously been discredited. The book being written from Tharp’s perspective really helps the reader engage with the story.
Great for grades 1st-4th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea HERE
Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine
Another biography of Ada Lovelace and how she programmed the first “thinking machine.” Ada was encouraged by her mother to pursue her passion for science by hiring tutors and attending parties of prominent scientists. This book focuses more on her relationship with Charles Babbage and his tutelage. An excellent book for upper grade students about the world’s first computer programmer.
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine HERE
Helen’s Big World
An excellent biography of Helen Keller beginning with her childhood. The book outlines how her teacher and friend helped her learn despite her blindness and deafness. This book is inspiring and shows students how determination and work can lead to unbelievable accomplishments. Matt Tavares’s illustrations really add to the text.
Great for grades 1st-4th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Helen’s Big World HERE
Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life
If you have ever heard of Hedy Lamarr the Hollywood actress, you would probably never know that she was a brilliant inventor. The book outlines her acting career, but more importantly it shows her accomplishments in inventing. Her most important invention was a during World War II that helped torpedoes. However, this same technology is used in most electronics today to keep them secure from hacking.
Great for grades 2nd-5th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life HERE
Sports / Entertainment
In addition to the above women in STEM and politics, these are some of the best children’s books for Women’s History Month about women in sports and entertainment.
Lights! Camera! Alice!: The Thrilling True Adventures of the First Woman Filmmaker
I’m not going to lie, this is probably one of my favorite books on the list. It’s also one that makes my blood boil the most. Alice Guy-Blache made some of the first movies. She thought that movies should tell stories, and her stories were entertaining! Blowing up pirate ships to real tigers. This book is told using old movie motifs and imagery. A book that really engages.
Great for grades Kindergarten-3rd
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Lights! Camera! Alice! HERE
Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré
This book is kind an inception situation: it’s a biography of Pura Belpré and it also was a Pura Belpré Honor book. An inspiring picture book biography of storyteller, puppeteer, and New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, who championed bilingual literature: Pura Belpré. When she came to America in 1921, Pura Belpré carried the cuentos folklóricos of her Puerto Rican homeland. Finding a new home at the New York Public Library as a bilingual assistant, she turned her popular retellings into libros and spread story seeds across the land. Today, these seeds have grown into a lush landscape as generations of children and storytellers continue to share her tales and celebrate Pura’s legacy. In addition to being one of my new favorite children’s books for Women’s History Month, this is also a favorite book for Hispanic Heritage Month!
Get the lesson plan and activities for Planting Stories HERE
Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreno Played the Piano for President Lincoln
Teresa Carreno was a child piano prodigy. Her family was forced to leave Venezuela when she was 8 years old after she had already written her own piano pieces. She came to the United States when it was gripped in the Civil War, and she gained fame that took her all over the world performing solos with orchestras. Teresa received an invitation from Abraham Lincoln to come play at the White House for his family right after his son died. A great anecdote also perfect for Presidents’s Day!
Great for grades Kindergarten-3rd
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Dancing Hands HERE
The Girl Who Ran
This is the story of Bobbi Gibb the first woman to run the Boston Marathon. As a girl, Bobbi loved to run. At that time, though, women were not allowed to run a marathon let alone one of the most famous marathons in the world. She tried to enter the marathon, but was denied. Despite being denied, she entered anyway by disguising herself as a man. She shed her layers throughout the race to reveal her true identity and made history as she crossed the finish line.
Great for grades 1st-4th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for The Girl Who Ran HERE
My Name is Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz was one of Cuba’s most talented and famous performers. Known as the Queen of Salsa her music is so recognizable you’ve probably heard it and don’t even know it. This book talks about her childhood in Cuba and how she had to leave because of war. Leaving Cuba brought her fame. This biography is wonderfully illustrated and contains figurative language perfect for lower elementary students. The book is bilingual so it’s perfect for Spanish literacy as well. This is also a great book to read for Hispanic Heritage Month!
Check out my lesson plan and activities for My Name is Celia HERE
Frida and Her Animalitos
A biography of Frida Kahlo that focuses on her many childhood pets and their influence on her art. We learn about the animals she grew up with and how she saw herself in her pets and their many appearances in her paintings. A great book for lower elementary students. This book is also available in Spanish!
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Frida and Her Animalitos HERE
Frida by Jonah Winter
Another Frida biography that focuses on her life experiences. It begins with her childhood and shows how her father taught her how to paint photographs. It continues with her childhood accident that led to immense suffering throughout the rest of her life. Students learn how she used her suffering to improve her painting and how it helped her with her pain. A book that is sure to make students want to learn more about the famed Mexican artist. In addition to being one of the best children’s books for Women’s History Month, it’s also one of my favorite biography books for Hispanic Heritage Month.
Great for grades Kindergarten-3rd
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Frida HERE
She Made a Monster: How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein
This book focuses on the stormy night when Mary and her friends were telling scary stories and decided to have a writing contest. This stormy night led Mary to dream up what would become Frankenstein. Even though you students surely have not read it, they certainly have an idea what Frankenstein is thought they probably had no idea it was a book.
Great for grades 2nd-5th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for She Made a Monster HERE
Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein
Another excellent Mary Shelley biography that focuses more on Mary’s life beginning with her childhood. This book also obviously focuses on her inspiration for Frankenstein. It also goes on to explain how her book created a completely new genre: science fiction.
Great for grades 2nd-5th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein HERE
Emily by Michael Bedard
This is a story about poet laureate Emily Dickinson written from the point of view of one of her neighbors. The girl goes to Emily’s house with her mother who was invited to play the piano for Emily. The girl is naturally curious about Emily, and has a chance meeting with her. A beautiful book from two time Caldecott Medal winner Barbara Cooney.
Great for grades 3rd-5th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Emily HERE
Players in Pigtails
A great story about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League that started during WWII. It talks about the girls and how they loved baseball. It even mentions how the song “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was written about a girl! A great book for grades 1st through 4th.
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Players in Pigtails HERE
Pocket Full of Colors
This book tells the magical story of Mary Blair a Disney artist who loved color. When Mary was growing up, film studios wanted men and they preferred black and white. Mary Blair did what she wanted and painted things as she saw them in vibrant colors. Her not wanting to follow the rules led her to resign from Disney, but Walt Disney later hired her back himself. Her work at Disney is most noted in the creation of the “It’s a Small World” ride.
Perfect for grades 1st-4th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for A Pocket Full of Colors HERE
Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins
Janet Collins loved to dance and loved ballet. She was an African American girl growing up in the 1930’s. Many dance schools turned her away for her dark skin. One school agreed to take her on provided that she paint her school. Janet refused. Janet continued working and practicing until becoming the first prima ballerina with the Metropolitan Opera. In addition to being one of the best children’s books for Women’s History Month, this is also one of my favorite books for Black History Month.
Great for grades 1st-4th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Brave Ballerina HERE
Danza!: Amalia Hernández and Mexico’s Folkloric Ballet
Amalia Hernandez loved to dance from an early age after seeing a dancers perform in the plaza of her town. She studied all kinds of dance styles before creating her own dance troop: Ballet Folklórico de México. Her dance company created dances based on traditional Mexican dances from different regions of Mexico and gained fame worldwide. A true celebration of her life and legacy from award-winning author Duncan Tonatiuh.
Great for grades 1st-5th
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Danza! HERE
Best Children’s Books For Women’s History Month
I have to say, coming up with this list of the best children’s books for Women’s History Month was a challenge. There were so many good books about astounding women, and I struggled. Some of these books are also featured in some of my other best of lists like my Black History Month list or my Presidents’s Day list.
Are there any glaring omissions? Do you have any books that you think deserve to be called one of the best children’s books for Women’s History Month? Let me know in the comments!
Remember: You can get a free lesson and activities for The Oldest Student by signing up here:
[…] All Bessie wants is to go hiking with her father and brothers. But it’s 1896, and girls don’t get to hike. They can’t vote either, which Bessie discovers when Susan B. Anthony comes to town to help lead the campaign for women’s suffrage. Stirred to action, Bessie joins the movement and discovers that small efforts can result in small changes―and maybe even big ones. Also an amazing book for Women’s History Month. […]