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A dual Showcase: Celebrate women's contributions to culture and history, with a focus also on books with strong female protagonists. Celebrate National Poetry Month and Young People's Poetry Week with poetry, biographies, and other books on poetry's vital place in American culture.
These books are available at your local bookstore. Check the ABA's directory of member bookstores for a bookseller near you. You may also purchase these books at BookSense.com.
Note: Showcase titles are selected by the books' publishers, who provide cover art, interior art, and descriptive information.
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Amelia Earhart
Young Air Pioneer
by Jane Moore Howe, illustrated by Cathy Morrison. Ages 8-12.
(The Young Patriots Series/Patria Press)
Volume 1 in the Young Patriots Series introduces the young Amelia Earhart BEFORE she became the most famous woman pilot in the world. |
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The Amethyst Road
by Louise Spiegler. Ages 12 and up.
(Clarion Books)
Employing a mixture of gritty reality and richly drawn magical elements, this unique tale of self-discovery will captivate readers of both contemporary fiction and fantasy. |
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Call Me Marianne
by Jen Bryant, illustrated by David A. Johnson. Ages 7-11.
(Eerdmans Books for Young Readers)
"Are you a scientist?" I ask.
Marianne stops writing and looks up. "No, I'm not a scientist.... I'm a poet."
"Oh," I reply. I've never met a poet before. "What, exactly, does a poet do?" I ask her.
"For me, being a poet begins with watching." |
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The Counterfeit Princess
by Jane Resh Thomas. Ages 9-14.
(Clarion Books)
An unusual coming-of-age tale featuring a strong, active heroine, The Counterfeit Princess will appeal to princess fans everywhere. |
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Georgia's Bones
by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Bethanne Andersen. Ages 6-10.
(Eerdmans Books for Young Readers)
This spare, lyrical look at Georgia O'Keeffe celebrates the famous artist's fascination with natural shapes, common objects, and her unusual way of looking at the world. |
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Ladies First: 40 Daring Women Who Were Second to None
by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel. Ages 5 and up.
(National Geographic Society)
Author Kimmel introduces young readers to forty American women of achievement who were first in their fields. The life stories of these women are as inspiring as they are diverse. Highlighting inspirational role models for girls, Ladies First provides a vital starting point for report writers and researchers. |
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Mahalia Jackson
Gospel Singer and Civil Rights Champion
by Montrew Dunham, illustrated by Cathy Morrison. Ages 8-12.
(The Young Patriots Series/Patria Press)
Meet the woman who rose from poverty to become the "Queen of Gospel" and civil rights advocate in Volume 7 of the Young Patriots Series. |
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Marvelous Mattie
How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor
written and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully. Ages 7 and up.
(Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
An introduction to one of the most prolific female inventors that will leave readers inspired.
"Will certainly intrigue readers." —Publishers Weekly, starred review |
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My Feet Are Laughing
by Lissette Norman, illustrated by Frank Morrison. Ages 4-8.
(Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Sadie's dynamic account of her life in Harlem is told through poetry and remarks on all manner of things important to her 8-year-old self: her little sister's questions, her Dominican Republic heritage, and the meaning of love. |
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Phillis Wheatley
Young Revolutionary Poet
by Kathryn Kilby Borland and Helen Ross Speicher, illustrated by Cathy Morrison. Ages 8-12.
(The Young Patriots Series/Patria Press)
Celebrate Poetry Month with one of the earliest and most famous African-American poets, Phillis Wheatley, featured in Volume 10 of the Young Patriots Series. |
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Players in Pigtails
by Shana Corey, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon. Ages 5-8.
(Scholastic Press)
A winning picture book about the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. |
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Queen Sophie Hartley
by Stephanie Greene. Ages 7-10.
(Clarion Books)
A fresh and funny novel introducing the indomitable, irrepressible Sophie. |
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The Roaring 20: The First Cross-Country Air Race for Women
by Margaret Whitman Blair. Ages 5 and up.
(National Geographic Society)
Adventure, excitement, and fearlessness take wing in the dramatic true story of the twenty aviatrixes who set off on the first Women's Cross-Country Air Derby in 1929. Superbly illustrated with duotone photographs, and featuring a detailed National Geographic map of the route, this book is the perfect starting place for research on a little-known topic. |
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Something Out of Nothing
Marie Curie and Radium
by Carla Killough McClafferty. Ages 10 and up.
(Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Featuring source notes, bibliography, and a list of recommended web sites, this portrait looks beyond the fundamental facts about Dr. Curie to provide insight into the trajectory of her life and career. |
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Talkin' About Bessie
by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by E. B. Lewis. Ages 5-9.
(Orchard Books)
Soar along with Bessie Coleman, the first black woman in the world to earn a pilot's license, in this inspirational tale of a woman whose determination reached new heights. |
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When Marian Sang
The True Recital of Marian Anderson
by Pam Munoz Ryan, illustrated by Brian Selznick. Ages 5-9.
(Scholastic Press)
A harmonious introduction to one of our country's most important singers—Marian Anderson. whose historic concert drew an integrated crowd of 75,000 people in pre-Civil Rights America. |
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The Wright Sister
Katherine Wright and her Famous Brothers
by Richard Maurer. Ages 10-14.
(Roaring Brook Press)
The first complete biography of the Wright Brothers' sister. A touching story that casts an intimate light on the lives of these two famous men. |
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You Forgot Your Skirt, Amelia Bloomer!
by Shana Coret, illustrated by Chesley McLaren. Ages 5-8.
(Scholastic Press)
Amelia Bloomer invented bloomers—liberating, baggy pantaloons—and made a powerful statement about women's rights!
"As deliciously subversive a picture book as has turned up in some time." —Booklist, starred review |
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Call Me Marianne
by Jen Bryant, illustrated by David A. Johnson. Ages 7-11.
(Eerdmans Books for Young Readers)
"Are you a scientist?" I ask.
Marianne stops writing and looks up. "No, I'm not a scientist.... I'm a poet."
"Oh," I reply. I've never met a poet before. "What, exactly, does a poet do?" I ask her.
"For me, being a poet begins with watching." |
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Family Reunion
by Mary Quattlebaum, illustrated by Andrea Shine. Ages 7-11.
(Eerdmans Books for Young Readers)
Ten-year-old Jodie tells the story of her extended family's weeklong reunion in the fifteen poems that make up this delightful picture book. |
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James Whitcomb Riley
Young Poet
by Minnie Belle Mitchell and Montrew Dunham, illustrated by Cathy Morrison. Ages 8-12.
(The Young Patriots Series/Patria Press)
Share the childhood adventures of the "Children's Poet" who grew up to create "Little Orphant Annie." Celebrate Poetry Month with James Whitcomb Riley. |
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My Feet Are Laughing
by Lissette Norman, illustrated by Frank Morrison. Ages 4-8.
(Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Sadie's dynamic account of her life in Harlem is told through poetry and remarks on all manner of things important to her 8-year-old self: her little sister's questions, her Dominican Republic heritage, and the meaning of love. |
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Phillis Wheatley
Young Revolutionary Poet
by Kathryn Kilby Borland and Helen Ross Speicher, illustrated by Cathy Morrison. Ages 8-12.
(The Young Patriots Series/Patria Press)
Celebrate Poetry Month with one of the earliest and most famous African-American poets, Phillis Wheatley, featured in Volume 10 of the Young Patriots Series. |
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Rhyme & PUNishment
Adventures in Wordplay
by Brian P. Cleary, illustrated by J. P. Sandy. Ages 9-11.
(Millbrook Press/Lerner Publishing Group)
Ready to laugh until you're horse? Best-selling author Brain P. Cleary is off on a gnu hilarious adventure in language—PUNS! This imaginative collection of silly and sophisticated puns uncovers double meanings that are kind dove hiding in everyday phrases. A helpful pununciation guide is included on porpoise to help ewe give it a try! |
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The Story Goes On
by Aileen Fisher, illustrated by Mique Moriuchi. Ages 4-8.
(Roaring Brook Press)
One of America's foremost poets for young people describes the ongoing cycle of life. |
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Who Swallowed Harold?
And Other Poems about Pets
by Susan Pearson, illustrated by David Slonim. Ages 5-9.
(Marshall Cavendish Children's Books)
Eighteen expertly crafted poems about pets, from puppies to iguanas and goldfish to pigs, plus hilarious illustrations offer something for every pet owner and even those wistful readers who are only dreaming of having a pet. |
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