Posted on March 20, 2020 at 10:45 AM by Maggie Witte
During this turbulent time, many of us are looking for an escape or something to celebrate, so let’s recognize and celebrate the amazing, strong, brave women throughout history and their accomplishments, and work to teach women and girls of today and the future that they can continue the efforts made by those of the past. Try reading any of these books as part of Women’s History Month or to escape the realities of the everyday into the world of books.
--Maggie Witte
Adult Nonfiction
DB 89397 Code girls: The untold story of the American women code breakers who helped win World War II by Liza Mundy
Annotation: An account of the work of the thousands of women who served as codebreakers in the US during World War II. Discusses the ramifications of their work for the war and in the larger field of cryptanalysis. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2017.
DB 86766 The glass universe: how the ladies of the Harvard Observatory took the measure of the starts by Dava Sobel
Annotation: Author of Galileo's Daughter (DB 48871) and Longitude (DB 42442) chronicles the lives and work of women computers in the late-1800s. Women profiled include Williamina Fleming, Antonia Maury, Henrietta Leavitt, Annie Jump Cannon, and Cecilia Payne. Cannon created the stellar classification system still in use today. Commercial audiobook. 2016.
DB 85586 American women’s history: a very short introduction by Susan Ware
Annotation: Feminist biographer, author, and editor explains how American women's lives transformed and were transformed by history, from the seventeenth through the twentieth century. Discusses slavery, gender expectations, effect of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, industrialization, and the economic contribution of women's labor. Describes nineteenth-century women's movements, including suffrage. 2015.
DBC06616 Hometown appetites: The story of Clementine Paddleford, the forgotten food write who chronicled how America ate by Kelly Alexander
Annotation: At the height of her career, Paddleford was a popular as Julia Child and as respected as James Beard. Today, she's the most important food writer you've never heard of. Award winner.
DB 95229 Rough magic: riding the world’s loneliest horse race by Lara Prior-Palmer
Annotation: At nineteen, the author entered an annual endurance event where dozens of riders race wild ponies across 1,000 kilometers of the Mongolian steppes. She describes the grueling days that she rode through heat and storms in her bid to become the race's first female winner. Some strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2019.
Adult Fiction
DB 82240 The Fifth Season: Broken Earth series, book 1 by N.K. Jemisin
Annotation: Essun is a woman living in a world ruled by the violent tectonic activity it experiences. She comes home to find her husband has killed her son and kidnapped her daughter, all for the secret ability Essun and her children have to control the Earth. Strong language, some violence, and some explicit descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2015.
DB 96506 The future of another timeline by Annalee Newitz
Annotation: The murder of a friend's abusive boyfriend sets Beth and her friends on a path of escalating vengeance to protect other young women. Thirty years later, Tess dedicates her life to using time travel to create a safer future. Beth and Tess's lives intertwine as war breaks out across the timeline. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.
DB 94485 Women talking by Miriam Toews
Annotation: In a remote Mennonite settlement, the women have been waking up bruised and bloody for years. When they learn it is not the work of demons as they thought, but because they have been drugged and raped by the men of their community, the women gather together. Commercial audiobook. Contains some violence and some strong language. 2019.
DB 89445 Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
Annotation: As a child, Anna observes the uneasy relationship her father has with Dexter Styles. Years later, working as a diver repairing Navy ships during World War II, she once again encounters Dexter. Secrets are revealed. Strong language, some violence, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2017.
DB 84679 City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong
Annotation: When someone discovers that homicide detective Casey Duncan killed her boyfriend when she was eighteen, her friend--who is trying to escape an abusive ex-husband--gets them into a town for people in hiding. But it is more dangerous than the lives they left. Violence, strong language, and descriptions of sex. 2016.
Youth Nonfiction
DBC06598 Mary Walker wears the pants: The true story of the doctor, reformer, and Civil War hero by Cheryl Harness
Annotation: Presents the life and accomplishments of the first female doctor in the United States who served on the Union side in the Civil War and was awarded the Medal of Honor for her service. For grades 2-4.
DBC08714 I dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg makes her mark by Debbie Levy
Annotation: Traces the achievements of the celebrated Supreme Court justice through the lens of her many famous acts of civil disagreement against inequality, unfair treatment, and human rights injustice. For grades 3-6.
DB 90435 Earth hates me: true confessions from a teenage girl by Ruby Karp
Annotation: Sixteen-year-old feminist, comedian, and journalist addresses issues every teen faces, by sharing her own experiences with humor and wit. She advises teens on relationships, social media, feminism, colleges, and more. Strong language. For senior high and older readers. 2017.
DB 96883 Heroism begins with her: inspiring stories of bold, brave, and gutsy women in the U.S. military by Winifred Corkling
Annotation: A collection of more than eighty profiles about the brave women in the US military from the Revolutionary War until present day. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 2019.
DB 96578 History vs women: The defiant lives that they don't want you to know by Anita Sarkeesian
Annotation: Introduction to a range of diverse and remarkable women in history from across the globe. Notable figures are grouped into five categories: reckless rebels, revelatory scholars, ruthless villains, restless artists, and relentless amazons. For junior and senior high and older readers. 2018.
Youth Fiction
DB 82707 Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy
Annotation: Willowdean, a Dolly Parton enthusiast, wants to prove to everyone in her small Texas town that she is more than just a fat girl. Therefore, Will and some other social misfits prepare to compete in a beauty pageant. Strong language. For junior and senior high and older readers. 2015.
DB 67938 Graceling: Seven Kingdoms trilogy, book 1 by Kristin Cashore
Annotation: In a world where some people are born with an extreme and often-feared skill, Katsa struggles with hers--the "grace" of killing. When she first encounters Prince Po, whose grace is incompatible with hers, she doesn't foresee the bond that will form between them. Some violence. For senior high readers. 2008.
DB 91495 Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
Annotation: Aspiring young engineer Rosie must first conquer her fear of failure before she can create the new gizmos and gadgets she dreams about. Commercial audiobook. For grades K-3. 2013.
DB 54218 Hope was here by Joan Bauer
Annotation: Sixteen-year-old Hope and her aunt Addie, a professional waitress/cook team, move to Wisconsin to help G.T. Stoop run his restaurant. Soon they become involved in removing the corrupt mayor from office, and Hope finds the father she needs. For junior and senior high readers. Newbery Honor. Bestseller. 2000.
DB 48972 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Annotation: Meg Murry, her younger brother Charles Wallace, and her neighbor Calvin are transported to the planet Camazotz as they search for Meg's lost father, a scientist studying time travel. Prequel to A Wind in the Door (RC 41596, BR 7884). Newbery Medal. For grades 5-8.