Forty women are highlighted in this follow-up to "Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History," including Frida Kahlo and Marie Curie. When education is taken from girls, and tragedy finds her, she discovers a different kind of magic. Though not strictly about feminism, #GirlBoss is the story of a powerful woman who beat the system to become an industry powerhouse. Researchers say the reason that girls are encouraged to play soccer but boys arent encouraged to take ballet, and women are encouraged to become doctors but men are stigmatized for becoming nurses, is that feminine equals lower status. They have the power to teach values and to expand childrens sense of whats possible. Mocks book is a memoir in which she recounts honestly what it was like to go from poor to powerful as a multiracial transgender woman. Twenty years after "Speak," her groundbreaking semi-autobiographical novel about rape, Laurie Halse Anderson is back with this novel-in-verse that's perfect for the #MeToo era. ), and since Rioter @marialaganga asked for it, I now present you with the best feminist books for younger readers. IE 11 is not supported. This novel for children age 8 and up deals with several of these themes, including masculinity, adolescence and gay marriage. Levy answers these valid questions by describing the ways in which some females still choose to seek male attention more than careers and financial independence. The bibliography is intended as a recommended reading list for children and teens. If you purchase something through our links, we may earn a commission. Best is a hard thing in this category, so Im aiming to include a variety of genres and some lesser known/newer options. These charming graphic novels feel so fresh and show a girl in STEM fields doing her own problem solving. Program Coordinator, Coretta Scott King Book Awards and ODLOS Round Tables. Yet many of the teachers and caregivers in their lives are women, and boys say they feel pressure to be a certain kind of man: physically strong and athletic. If you still havent heard of Jacqueline Woodson and this multi-award winning memoir told in flowing, captivating verse I want to know how big the rock you are under is. And it has remained incredibly timely. Including everything would have been impossible. The effect of female role models is strong in areas like science and math, where girls are less likely to see them. Experts say everyone would benefit from a bigger emotional vocabulary. Ben Hatke is amazing. In the 1890s, women were warned that if they tried to ride bikes, they might get "bicycle face," with bulging eyes and a clenched jaw. Aster, the main character of this graphic novel for ages 8 and up, is one of those people. Journalist Rebecca Traister documents the growing trend of independent women in her 2016 book All the Single Ladies. When Julin is riding the subway with his abuela, he sees three women fabulously dressed as mermaids, and he tells her he is one, too. Even board book babies are feminists now. Jennifer Strange has a lot resting on her young, orphaned shoulders. She also writes about the talented men she was consistently compared to as she rose to become one of the most famous female comedians of all time. CHICAGO RISE, a subgroup of the ALA Social Responsibilities Round Tables Feminist Task Force, announced its Top Ten feminist books for young readers, selected from the 2021RISE BookProject. But the story is told without making a big deal of gender experts say that stories of children doing ordinary things, whom readers can relate to, are some of the most powerful in showing them whats possible. Narrated by a young woman disillusioned with her life in 1950s America, The Bell Jar is a good way to set the tone before diving into Betty Friedans The Feminist Manifesto. This lyrical biography of the most famous prima ballerina of all time will inspire young dancers with grace and grit. Luz Sees the Light by Claudia Dvila (ages 8-12). Moran practically declares every woman a feminist, then goes on to discuss a long list of topics ranging from plastic surgery to bikini waxing. Here are 12 offerings, from board books to middle-grade novels, for the next generation of feminist boys and girls: Children learn societys gender stereotypes by the time they start preschool. Members of the 2021 Rise: A Feminist Book Project committee are: Melissa Nemitz (co-chair), Mercer County Library System, New Jersey; Silvia Lin Hanick (co-chair), LaGuardia Community College (CUNY), New York; Ally Watkins, First Regional Library, Mississippi; Ariana Hussain, The Blake School, Minnesota; Sara Saxton, Wasilla Public Library (Alaska); Jean-Louise Zancanella, College of Western Idaho; Mallory Caise, Lisle Library District, Illinois; April Moyo, Central Piedmont Community College, North Carolina; Allison Staley, Lake Oswego Public Library, Oregonand Vicki Pietrus, Naperville North High School, Illinois. Lets be real honest, everything Shannon Hale does is magic. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls 2, a follow-up to the original New York Times best-seller, features 100 stories about extraordinary women, including well known women and lesser known scientists, artists and revolutionaries. Emily Roebling learned alongside her husband as he engineered the Brooklyn Bridge. In this one, hooks uses friendly, easy-to-understand statements to explain: Feminism is For Everybody is the perfect primer for those just diving into feminism, and those who arent sure what the movement is about. But how is a woman supposed to act, and according to what standards? One of the ways in which men and women remain most unequal is that women still do more child care and household chores. In recent years, the term trainwreck has come to mean any woman who behaves, well, unlike a woman. : Black Women and Feminism, All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation, Asking for It: The Alarming Rise of Rape CultureAnd What We Can Do About It, The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women, Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture, Feminism is For Everybody: Passionate Politics, Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us, I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love, & So Much More, Trainwreck: The Women We Love to Hate, Mock, and Fearand Why, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman With Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects, What Will it Take to Make a Woman President? When they arrive home, he transforms himself, with lipstick, a tail made of curtains and a headdress made of fern fronds, and his grandmother models unconditional acceptance. Her memoir How to Be a Woman is one book that every feminist nay, every woman should read. It includes men who were artistic, innovative or introverted, as varied as Bill Gates, Ai Weiwei and Frank Ocean. The book is made up of essays, each of which discusses how the female experience is so often undermined by males abusing their privilege. She uses the scientific method to formulate some hypotheses, test them and find a cure. This moving biography tells the story of Elizabeth Cotten, who learned to play guitar backwards, and at age 11 wrote one of the most famous folk songs of the 20th century. I love Jennifers pluck as she literally makes herself who she needs to be and tackles a whiny, corrupt royal while saving society from total collapse. The perfect feminist, she says, simply doesnt exist. But she asserts that womens newfound success has come at a cost: Wolfs bestselling book details how women have fallen for the unattainable beauty myth. She describes how such unattainable ideas of womanhood have only served to exploit and undermine women. Its written with stark humor and refreshing honesty. There is an abundance to choose from in recent years, publishers have broken with tradition and offered more childrens books about powerful girls and sensitive boys, as well as children of color and from diverse backgrounds. But, she says, theres hope for getting out of it. Illustrated by 13 different female artists, this compilation of poems about earth-changing women features well-known figures like Nellie Bly and Frida Kahlo alongside the first female firefighter, the inventor of the modern swimsuit and more. The attempt to kill Malala failed, and the young woman has remained a passionate advocate for the education of girls everywhere. Middle school is a time when messages about gender are strongest and books for this age group also tend to be highly gendered. Lets explode that comment thread again with your own suggestions, too! In her book Asking for It, Harding explains: Since the publication of her book Bad Feminism: Essays, Roxane Gay has become one of the foremost names in the world of feminism. While some young feminists are choosing to major in subjects like Womens Studies, others are expressing their feminist views at rallies and in campus clubs. 8 Books That Fictionalize Real Historical Figures, 20 Must-Read Horror Books That Deserve Adaptations, The Best Dark Academia, According to Goodreads, 8 Fun and Festive Christmas Murder Mystery Books. Keep an eye on your inbox. Come check it out. From a young age, children naturally favor people who look and act like them experiments have found that they even prefer children wearing the same color T-shirt as they are. Yes, please! This book deals with themes of family, individuality, and societal pressure through the tale of a puritanical society, a daughter raised in the shadow of her burned-at-the-stake-for-witchcraft mother, and a magic beyond everyones control. Oh, and Tony? Formerly known as the Amelia Bloomer Booklist, The RISE Book Projectrecommends well-written and well-illustrated books with significant feminist content for young readers from birth to 18 years old. But researchers say children absorb stereotypes, including about gender roles, by age 3. As if dealing with a building full of recalcitrant magicians (and their paperwork) wasnt enough, now she just might be the legendary last dragonslayer, too!?! What will it take to make a woman president? is a question a lot of people were asking in 2016. She shares her observations about women in the workforce from her view at the top of the ladder. We run a pretty sweet little bookish Instagram account, if we do say so ourselves (and we do). It unapologetically features a young female character purposely fulfilling her sexual desires outside of marriage. This book features the stories behind 15 of the twentieth century's key inventions by trailblazing women, each of whom made a unique contribution to the history of science and technology. These profiles of lesser-known women in history spans from the third century to the 20th, telling stories of rebels, creators and scholars who shook things up. Dont miss the two sequels, Legends of Zita the Spacegirl and The Return of Zita the Spacegirl! www.bestdegreeprograms.org is an advertising-supported site. This collection of 76 short biographies and illustrations shows role models that expand the definition of masculinity. Based on the true story of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, this book will encourage young girls to prove the naysayers wrong and reach for the moon. This book celebrates women and girls who made an impact throughout history, famous and less so including Malala Yousafzai, Maya Lin and Ruby Bridges (the first African-American child to integrate an all-white American school.) Books may be recommended by anyone through the field recommendation process, but books can only be officially nominated for the list by regular RISE committee members. Written sometime before 442 B.C.E., Sophocless classic Antigone tells the story of a woman unwilling to play the part assigned to her by hate. Visit our COVID-19 Recovery pages for updates and recommended resources. Most books on our list of the 30 books every young feminist should read fall into the non-fiction category. The Thickety: A Path Begins by J. Now thats a message I adore. Indeed, she dares to physically challenge the patriarchal authority that surrounds her by standing up to her nemesis, Creon. Womens rights is a hot topic at the moment. This is fantasy as it should be: Adventurous, fantastical, transportive- just minus all that pesky misogyny and misguided pining that pops up in too much of it. Julia Pierponts The Little Book of Feminist Saints plays upon the Catholic tradition of praying to patron saints for different things. Archer Magill has been collecting male role models, and he finds a new one in the first male teacher in his school. Fictionalized Mary Shelley and Ada Lovelace? A. Related Groups, Organizations, Affiliates & Chapters, ALA Upcoming Annual Conferences & LibLearnX, American Association of School Librarians (AASL), Assn. Research has shown that having just one female STEM teacher, for instance, can influence a girl to pursue a science degree and career. To discover more deals, shopping tips and budget-friendly product recommendations, subscribe to our Stuff We Love newsletter! Books like this one that show involved fathers help combat that. Miu Lan is a child who can change into any shape imaginable, but cant decide which to be a bird or a fish, a tree or a star, a boy or a girl. What is a Non-Degree Program at a University? Plus, Archer has a female best friend research has shown that children with opposite-sex friendships have fewer gender stereotypes and better problem-solving skills and communication. Malala tells her story of seeing a world that needed to change, and wishing for a magic pencil to change it. Remember when books aimed at girls were covered in pink and glitter? As the book that pulled the trigger on history, Betty Friedans The Feminine Mystique is perhaps the most famous book about feminism. Fforde is a master at building worlds so similar yet so different from our own and he has a deft pen with spunky, flawed, real female protagonists. Today, mansplaining is a common term, and we can thank Rebecca Solnit for that. Also, because younger readers really run the gamut when it comes to reading level, Ive included beginner/early reader titles and intermediate titles. As one of the first popular feminist books of the 21st century, Ariel Levys Female Chauvinist Pigs asks questions like: Why do so many women still act to maximize their sex appeal?, Why are so many women performing in porn?. A lot of fighting and adventure. This is one for the bookshelf! I havent met a younger reader (or teen) yet who hasnt fallen under Zitas spell. Im excited for the second book thats coming out this year. All with a heart of gold heroine. This book, based on the life of Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to travel to space, is about pushing back against sexism and racism and about the value of hard work. And despite the fact that the word feminism can be controversial, this book uses the simplest definition: the equality of the genders. When children read books that break gender stereotypes, research has found, they reach for less stereotypical toys and broaden their future goals. Catherynne Valente is pure magic with words and her middle-grade series doesntdisappoint. Alice Guy-Blache was one of the first filmmakers, though her work is often overlooked. So in honor of Women's History Month, here are 26 girl-power books to inspire the boys and girls in your life: Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor's picture book autobiography is an ode to the power of books, and a book with its own power to inspire new readers. But with a female protagonist, and a unicorn, and a breathtakingly refreshing look at friendships and school age struggles. Adichie discusses topics such as: All while she draws upon her own life experiences. Bornstein discusses exactly what a woman is in cultural, political, and social terms. Its never been anything but inspiring to me, though, and the titular protagonist is totally responsible for all the uplift. Though we are all different, we are all enough.