Women's History Month - Books for Teens
Notable fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels for young adults about women's history and experience.
Amazons, abolitionists, and activists : a graphic history of women's fight for their rights
Kendall, Mikki, author
2019
Augusta Savage : the shape of a sculptor's life
Nelson, Marilyn, 1946-
2022
"A powerful biography in poems about Augusta Savage, the trailblazing artist and pillar of the Harlem Renaissance-with an afterword by the curator of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture"-- Provided by publisher.
The big reveal : an illustrated manifesto of drag
Velour, Sasha, author
2023
In this beautifully illustrated, graphic, entertaining, and informative book (including original drawings, comics, and photography), the revered entertainer Sasha Velour illuminates drag as a form of art, expression, and community, with a rich, oft-overlooked history. From philosophical insights to practical tips on getting your drag career started, Sasha explores every facet of drag, bringing necessary and sparkling substance to abstract notions of queerness, beauty, expression and liberation.
Climbing free : my life in the vertical world
Hill, Lynn, 1961-
2003
Shares the memoirs of the woman rock climber who was the first person to accomplish a "free ascent" of the Nose on Yosemite's El Capitan.
Didn't see that coming
Sutanto, Jesse Q., author
2023
"A rom com about a gamer girl with a secret identity and the online bestie she's never met IRL--until she unwittingly transfers to his school"-- Provided by publisher.
Firekeeper's daughter
Boulley, Angeline, author
2021
Daunis, who is part Ojibwe, defers attending the University of Michigan to care for her mother and reluctantly becomes involved in the investigation of a series of drug-related deaths.
Grown : a novel
Jackson, Tiffany D., author
2020
When legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots Enchanted Jones at an audition, her dreams of being a famous singer take flight. Until Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night. Who killed Korey Fields? Before there was a dead body, Enchanted’s dreams had turned into a nightmare. Because behind Korey’s charm and star power was a controlling dark side. Now he’s dead, the police are at the door, and all signs point to Enchanted.
I am Malala : how one girl stood up for education and changed the world
Yousafzai, Malala, 1997- author.
2014
"I Am Malala. This is my story. Malala Yousafzai was only ten years old when the Taliban took control of her region. They said music was a crime. They said women weren't allowed to go to the market. They said girls couldn't go to school. Raised in a once-peaceful area of Pakistan transformed by terrorism, Malala was taught to stand up for what she believes. So she fought for her right to be educated. And on October 9, 2012, she nearly lost her life for the cause: She was shot point-blank while riding the bus on her way home from school. No one expected her to survive. Now Malala is an international symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize nominee. In this Young Readers Edition of her bestselling memoir, which includes exclusive photos and material, we hear firsthand the remarkable story of a girl who knew from a young age that she wanted to change the world -- and did. Malala's powerful story will open your eyes to another world and will make you believe in hope, truth, miracles and the possibility that one person -- one young person -- can inspire change in her community and beyond. "-- Provided by publisher.
Idol gossip
Young, Alexandra Leigh, author
2021
Offered a spot at the Star Academy, one of the biggest K-pop companies, seventeen-year-old singer Alice Choy must navigate culture clashes, egos and extreme training practices to come out on top, despite the efforts of an influential blogger trying to tear her down.
Inaugural ballers : the true story of the first U.S. Women's Olympic basketball team
Maraniss, Andrew, author.
2022
Twenty years before women's soccer became an Olympic sport and two decades before the formation of the WNBA, the '76 US women's basketball team laid the foundation for the incredible rise of women's sports in America at the youth, collegiate, Olympic, and professional levels. Though they were unknowns from small schools such as Delta State, the University of Tennessee at Martin and John F. Kennedy College of Wahoo, Nebraska, at the time of the '76 Olympics, the American team included a roster of players who would go on to become some of the most legendary figures in the history of basketball. From Pat Head, Nancy Lieberman, Ann Meyers, Lusia Harris, coach Billie Moore, and beyond--these women took on the world and proved everyone wrong.
Mary Shelley : the strange, true tale of Frankenstein's creator
Reef, Catherine, author
2018
"On the 200th anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein, comes a riveting biography of its author, Mary Shelley, whose life reads like a dark gothic novel, filled with scandal, death, drama, and one of the strangest love stories in literary history"-- Provided by publisher.
Maybe an artist : a graphic memoir
Montague, Liz author, artist
2022
"A heartfelt and funny graphic novel memoir by one of the first Black female cartoonists to be published in the New Yorker, at the age of 22"-- Provided by publisher.
Messy roots : a graphic memoir of a Wuhanese American
Gao, Laura, author, artist
2022
After spending her early years in Wuhan, China, riding water buffalos and devouring stinky tofu, Laura immigrates to Texas. In Messy Roots, Laura illustrates her coming-of-age as the girl who simply wants to make the basketball team, escape Chinese school, and figure out why girls make her heart flutter.
The nowhere girls
Reed, Amy Lynn, author
2017
After Grace learns of a girl who was run out of town for accusing the popular guys at school of gang rape, she convinces her friends Rosina and Erin to help her form an anonymous group of girls, called The Nowhere Girls, to resist the sexist culture at Prescott High. As their group grows in number their movement becomes about more than sex, and transforms the lives of its members, their school, and the entire community.
Photographic : the life of Graciela Iturbide
Quintero, Isabel, author
2018
A blending of photographs and illustrations trace the life and work of Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide, who embarked on a journey across Mexico and the world.
Rad women worldwide : artists and athletes, pirates and punks, and other revolutionaries who shaped history
Schatz, Kate, author
2016
Renegade women in film & TV
Weitzman, Elizabeth, author
2019
"A charmingly illustrated and timely tribute to the women who broke glass ceilings in film and television, debuting during an historic time of change in the entertainment industry. Renegade Women: 50 Game Changers in Film and TV blends stunning illustrations, fascinating biographical profiles, and exclusive interviews with icons like Barbra Streisand, Rita Moreno, and Sigourney Weaver to celebrate the accomplishments of 50 extraordinary women throughout the history of entertainment. Each profile highlights the groundbreaking accomplishments and essential work of pioneers from the big and small screens, offering little-known facts about household names (Lucille Ball, Oprah Winfrey, Nora Ephron) and crucial introductions to overlooked pioneers (Alla Nazimova, Anna May Wong, Frances Marion). From 19th century iconoclast Alice Guy Blache to 21st century trailblazer Ava DuVernay, Renegade Women honors the women who succeeded against all odds, changing their industry in front of the camera and behind the scenes"-- Provided by publisher.
Rolling warrior : the incredible, sometimes awkward, true story of a rebel girl on wheels who helped spark a revolution
Heumann, Judith E., author
2021
"One of the most influential disability rights activists in US history tells her story of fighting to belong in school and society--a powerful role model for young adults with a passion for activism."-- Provided by publisher.
Sarah Bernhardt : the divine and dazzling life of the world's first superstar
Reef, Catherine, author.
2020
A tantalizing biography for teens on Sarah Bernhardt, the first international celebrity and one of the greatest actors of all time, who lived a highly unconventional, utterly fascinating life. Illustrated with more than sixty-five photos of Bernhardt on stage, in film, and in real life.
Teen trailblazers : 30 fearless girls who changed the world before they were 20
Calvert, Jennifer, author
2018
A thousand sisters : the heroic airwomen of the Soviet Union in World War II
Wein, Elizabeth, author
2019
In the early years of World War II, Josef Stalin issued an order that made the Soviet Union the first country in the world to allow female pilots to fly in combat. Led by Marina Raskova, these three regiments, including the 588th Night Bomber Regiment--nicknamed the "night witches"--faced intense pressure and obstacles both in the sky and on the ground. Some of these young women perished in flames. Many of them were in their teens when they went to war. This is the story of Raskova's three regiments, women who enlisted and were deployed on the front lines of battle as navigators, pilots, and mechanics. It is the story of a thousand young women who wanted to take flight to defend their country, and the woman who brought them together in the sky. Packed with black-and-white photographs, fascinating sidebars, and thoroughly researched details, A Thousand Sisters is the inspiring true story of a group of women who set out to change the world, and the sisterhood they formed even amid the destruction of war.
When it all syncs up
Ameyaw, Maya, author
2023
Ballet is Aisha's life. So when she's denied yet another lead at her elite academy because she doesn't "look" the part, she knows something has to change-the constant discrimination is harming her mental health. Switching to her best friend Neil's art school seems like the perfect plan at first. But she soon discovers racism and bullying are entrenched in the ballet program here, too, and there's a new, troubling distance between her and Neil. And as past traumas surface, pressure from friends and family, a new romance, and questions about her dance career threaten to overwhelm her.