Created by Corrie Lyndes, Americorps VISTA

Picture Books

Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel

The true story of the young immigrant who led the largest strike of women workers in U.S. history. This picture book biography about the plight of immigrants in America in the early 1900s and the timeless fight for equality and justice should not be missed.

When Clara arrived in America, she couldn’t speak English. She didn’t know that young women had to go to work, that they traded an education for long hours of labor, that she was expected to grow up fast.

But that didn’t stop Clara. She went to night school, spent hours studying English, and helped support her family by sewing in a shirtwaist factory.

Clara never quit, and she never accepted that girls should be treated poorly and paid little. Fed up with the mistreatment of her fellow laborers, Clara led the largest walkout of women workers the country had seen.

From her short time in America, Clara learned that everyone deserved a fair chance. That you had to stand together and fight for what you wanted. And, most importantly, that you could do anything you put your mind to.

Other Picture Book Options:

• Here Come the Girl Scouts!: The Amazing All-True Story of Juliette ‘Daisy’ Gordon Low and Her Great Adventure by Shana Corey
• Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist by Jess Keating
• She Loved Baseball: The Effa Manley Story by Audrey Vernick
• Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx by Jonah Winter

Middle Grade

Amelia to Zora: Twenty-Six Women Who Changed the World by Cynthia Chin-Lee

Twenty-six amazing women; twenty-six amazing stories. From writers to scientists, sports figures to politicians, this diverse collection highlights women who changed the world. Celebrating twenty-six unique voices, visions, and victories, Amelia to Zora, introduces children to the scope of both the struggles and the achievements of women historically and globally. Beautiful and intricate collages bring these women’s stories and message to life in this collection that will bring young readers inspiration in each turn of the page.

Other Middle Grade Options:

• For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai’s Story by Rebecca Ann Langston-George
• Bad Girls: Sirens, Jezebels, Murderesses. Thieves and Other Female Villains by Jane Yolen
• Fly High!: The Story of Bessie Coleman Perfect by Louise Borden
• Louisa May’s Battle by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Carlyn Beccia

Young Adult

Fight Like a Girl: 50 Feminists Who Changed the World by Laura Barcella 

Nearly every day there’s another news story or pop cultural anecdote related to feminism and women’s rights. #YesAllWomen, conversations around consent, equal pay, access to contraception, and a host of other issues are foremost topics of conversation in American (and worldwide) media right now. Today’s teens are encountering these issues from a different perspective than any generation has had before, but what’s often missing from the current discussion is an understanding of how we’ve gotten to this place. Fight Like a Girl will familiarize readers with the history of feminist activism, in an effort to celebrate those who paved the way and draw attention to those who are working hard to further the cause of women’s rights. Profiles of both famous and lesser-known feminists will be featured alongside descriptions of how their actions affected the overall feminist cause, and unique portraits (artist’s renderings) of the feminists themselves. This artistic addition will take the book beyond simply an informational text, and make it a treasure of a book.

Other Young Adult Options:

• Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, by Phillip M. Hoose
• Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot
• Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution by Sara Marcus

Adult

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

A collection of essays spanning politics, criticism, and feminism from one of the most-watched cultural observers of her generation

In these funny and insightful essays, Gay takes us through the journey of her evolution as a woman (Sweet Valley High) of color (The Help) while also taking readers on a ride through culture of the last few years (Girls, Django in Chains) and commenting on the state of feminism today (abortion, Chris Brown). The portrait that emerges is not only one of an incredibly insightful woman continually growing to understand herself and our society, but also one of our culture.

Bad Feminist is a sharp, funny, and spot-on look at the ways in which the culture we consume becomes who we are, and an inspiring call-to-arms of all the ways we still need to do better, coming from one of our most interesting and important cultural critics.

Other Adult Options:

• My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor
• My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Shrill by Lindy West
• Speaking Truth to Power by Anita Hill