To continue our monthly series of book lists, the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library would like to recommend the following fiction and nonfiction titles for youth to celebrate Women's History Month, which runs throughout March.
The 2011 Women's History Month theme is "Our History is Our Strength." Take a moment to learn about the strength, accomplishments and bravery from these real and fictional women throughout the centuries.
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson.
Philadelphia, 1793. Fourteen-year-old Matilda works in her widowed mother's busy coffeehouse along with her grandfather and their cook, Eliza - a freed slave. When a yellow fever epidemic hits the city, people panic and flee, and Matilda's life turns upside down. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2000. Large Print LP 17612, Cassette Book RC 51967, Braille Book BR 16484.
Women Astronomers: Reaching for the Stars by Mabel Armstrong.
Profiles twenty-one female scientists highlighting their education, the obstacles they overcame, and their contributions to astronomy. Ranges from early astronomers in Babylonia and Egypt to twentieth-century Europeans and Americans. Discusses technological developments, the process of breaking the gender barrier, and gaining an understanding of the universe. For grades 5-8. 2008. Cassette book RC 68921 and Digital book DB 68921. Also available as a downloadable digital book from BARD: Download DB 68921.
Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX, the Law That Changed the Future of Girls in America by Karen Blumenthal.
History and future of the Title IX law passed in 1972 that bans gender discrimination in U.S. schools receiving federal funding. Follows the women's movement and depicts political support and opposition for Title IX over three decades. For grades 6-9. 2005. Cassette book RC 62136. Digital book DB 62136 is available as a downloadable digital book from BARD: Download DB 62136.
More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Washington Women by L.E. Bragg.
Brief biographies of sixteen extraordinary women from Washington's past. Includes Narcissa Prentiss Whitman, Kick-Is-Om-Lo (Princess Angeline), and Mayor Bertha Knight Landes. 1998. Braille book BRW 1243, Cassette book CBA 7988, Digital book DBW 7988.
It Can't Be Done, Nellie Bly! A Reporter's Race around the World by Nancy Butcher.
Explains how young reporter Nellie Bly became a heroine in 1889 by racing around the world in fewer than eighty days, beating a competitor. Describes her exotic adventures and the people and customs she wrote about in articles posted to her New York newspaper. For grades 4-7. 2003. Cassette book RC 61631. Digital Book DB 61631 is available as a downloadable book from BARD: Download DB 61631.
Rodzina by Karen Cushman.
A twelve-year-old Polish-American girl boards an orphan train in 1800s Chicago and heads west with surprising results. 2004 Washington State Book Award; 2006 Sasquatch Reading Award nominee. Grades 4-7. 2003. Cassette book RC 56681, Braille book BRW 1119. Digital Book DB 56681 is available as a downloadable book from BARD: Download DB 56681.
Women in American Indian Society: Indians Of North America by Rayna Green.
Green examines the historical role of women in her Cherokee tribe and other North American tribes and their place in myths and creation stories. The power women had, especially in female-centered tribes, was diminished when European men came on the scene. Green also discusses reservation life and role models for early and present-day Native American women. For junior and senior high and older readers. Cassette book RC 42641.Digital Book DB 42641 is available as a downloadable book from BARD: Download DB 42641.
Women in the Middle East: Tradition and Change by Ramsay M. Harik and Elsa Marston.
Social history of women, mainly Arab and Muslim, in the Middle East from Morocco to Pakistan. The authors explain the diversity of the region and the varying roles that religion, family, education, work, and traditions play in the women's lives. For senior high and older readers. 2003. Cassette book RC 57282. Digital Book DB 57282 is available as a downloadable book from BARD: Download DB 57282.
Sisters in Strength: American Women Who Made a Difference by Yona Zeldis McDonough.
Honors eleven American female role models from different historical periods and areas of accomplishment. Describes the leadership, humanitarianism, dignity, and creativity of Pocahontas, Harriet Tubman, Helen Keller, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony,Clara Barton, Emily Dickinson, Mary Cassatt, Amelia Earhart, Margaret Mead, and Eleanor Roosevelt. For grades 3-6. 2000. Cassette book RC 52697.
Mine Eyes Have Seen by Ann Rinaldi.
Annie Brown, fifteen, travels to Maryland to help her father, John Brown, prepare for his raid on the U.S. arsenal at Harpers Ferry in 1859. Annie's struggle to get along with her difficult father and to understand his obsession with freeing the slaves provides a view of the lives of both father and daughter. For junior and senior high readers. 1998.Cassette book RC 47690.
Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith.
Ida Mae Jones dreams about flying. After World War II begins, the Army initiates a new program--Women Airforce Service Pilots. Light-skinned, Ida Mae signs up for the mission, but realizes she must keep her African American heritage a secret in order to fly. For junior and senior high readers. 2008. Digital book DB 69493. Also available as a downloadable digital book from BARD: Download DB 69493.
The Brave Women of the Gulf Wars: Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom by Karen Zeinert and Mary Miller.
Traces the roots of the Persian Gulf War of 1991 and the subsequent United States military operations in Iraq. Discusses the roles of women in modern warfare--as soldiers, correspondents, medics, and prisoners of war--as well as their peace efforts on the home front. For junior and senior high readers. 2006. Cassette book RC 61960. Digital Book DB 61960 is available as a downloadable book from BARD: Download DB 61960.