Women's History Month Resources: Women's History Books at the UNLV Teacher Development and Resources Library (TDRL)

NCSS--Notable Social Studies Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies 2012 School Library Journal Best Books of 2011 Finalist YALSA Excellence in Non Fiction for Youngnbsp;Adults SLJ's 100 Magnificent Children's Books of 2011 Amelia Bloomer List Take a lively look at women's history from aboard a bicycle, which granted females the freedom of mobility and helped empower women's liberation. Through vintage photographs, advertisements, cartoons, and songs, Wheels of Change transports young readers to bygone eras to see how women used the bicycle to improve their lives. Witty in tone and scrapbook-like in presentation, the book deftly covers early (and comical) objections, influence on fashion, and impact on social change inspired by the bicycle, which, according to Susan B. Anthony, "has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world."

A Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People   From the very first days of aviation, women were there. Katherine Wright, though not a pilot, helped her brothers Orville and Wilbur so much that some called her the "Third Wright Brother." Pioneers such as Baroness Raymonde de Laroche of France ignored those who ignorantly claimed that only men possessed the physical strength or the mental capacity to pilot an airplane, and in 1910 became the first woman awarded a license to fly. A year later, Harriet Quimby was the first woman to earn a pilot's license in the United States and in 1912 flew across the English Channel--another first.            Author Karen Bush Gibson profiles 26 women aviators who sought out and met challenges both in the sky and on the ground, where some still questioned their abilities. Read about barnstormers like Bessie Coleman and racers like Louise Thaden, who bested Amelia Earhart and Pancho Barnes to win the 1929 Women's Air Derby, sometimes called the Powder Puff Derby. Learn about Jacqueline Cochran who, during World War II, organized and trained the Women Airforce Service Pilots--the WASPs--to serve their country by ferrying airplanes from factories to the front lines and pulling target planes during anti-aircraft artillery training. And see how female pilots today continue to achieve and serve while celebrating their love of flight.  

An Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People   Using journal entries, letters home, and song lyrics, the women of the West speak for themselves in these tales of courage, enduring spirit, and adventure. Women such as Amelia Stewart Knight traveling on the Oregon Trail, homesteader Miriam Colt, entrepreneur Clara Brown, army wife Frances Grummond, actress Adah Isaacs Menken, naturalist Martha Maxwell, missionary Narcissa Whitman, and political activist Mary Lease are introduced to readers through their harrowing stories of journeying across the plains and mountains to unknown land. Recounting the impact pioneers had on those who were already living in the region as well as how they adapted to their new lives and the rugged, often dangerous landscape, this exploration also offers resources for further study and reveals how these influential women tamed the Wild West.  

On August 18, 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, granting women the right to vote. This accomplishment would not have been achieved without women's suffrage leaders like Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Although they and many other women had to fight sexism and even violence, the Nineteenth Amendment served as their lasting legacy of tireless effort. Author Larry A. Van Meter explores this amazing story of resilience.

The adventures of eight inspiring women of the twentieth century. Mary Gibson Henry risked her life following her passion for new botanical species. During the Civil War, Katharine Wormeley worked aboard hospital ships and helped to save the lives of many sick and wounded soldiers. With a promise and a dollar and a half, Mary McLeod Bethune opened a school for African American girls in Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1904, at a time when schools were segregated. Award-winning author Penny Colman offers a compelling collection of true stories about eight women who were bold enough to confront obstacles and take risks in the pursuit of their goals. This is a book that celebrates the intelligence, fortitude, and courage of women.

Annie Oakley could shoot a gun better than any man in the Wild West. Mary Fields hauled stones and lumber. When one man challenged her, she beat him in a gunfight. Time after time, Polly Pry, a newspaper reporter, risked her life when she exposed bad guys and wrote the truth. And Sarah Winnemucca, daughter of a Paiute chief, fought in battle, negotiated peace between Indians and settlers, and gained civil rights for her people. Biographical sketches, color portraits and sepia line drawings reveal the accomplishments of fifteen amazing women whose adventurous spirit helped build our nation.

For the first 128 years of our country’s history, not a single woman served in the Senate or House of Representatives. All of that changed, however, in November 1916, when Jeannette Rankin of Montana became the first woman elected to Congress--even before the Nineteenth Amendment gave women across the U.S. the right to vote. Beginning with the women’s suffrage movement and going all the way through the results of the 2012 election, Ilene Cooper deftly covers more than a century of U.S. history in order to highlight the influential and diverse group of female leaders who opened doors for women in politics as well as the nation as a whole. Featured women include Hattie Caraway (the first woman elected to the Senate), Patsy Mink (the first woman of color to serve in Congress), Shirley Chisholm (the first African-American woman in Congress), and present-day powerhouses like Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton. The book is filled with lively illustrations and archival photographs. It includes a glossary, index, and chart of all the women who have served in Congress. Praise for A Woman in the House (and Senate) STARRED REVIEW "It is no small task to create a book that summarizes over a century of U.S. history, gives a crash course in civics, and provides succinct, pithy biographies of numerous women who have served in the legislative and judicial branches of government. Cooper pulls it off." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Get to know the women who’ve wielded the power of fashion and brought about change with this illustrated biography that features twenty-five of history’s most influential fashion icons. Throughout time, daring women have made fashion choices that have altered the course of history. From Marie Antoinette, who wore a hairstyle as large as her presence, to Coco Chanel, who imagined a world without rib crushing corsets and heavy gowns, to Katharine Hepburn, who walked around the studio in her underwear when studio executives refused to let her wear her then-scandalous jeans, these women were mavericks as well as rebellious icons. Their fashion choices mirrored and redefined what it meant to be a woman in their era. They didn’t follow trends or cultural conventions, but instead set the course with their own style. Their brave and inventive fashion choices paved the way for female empowerment. Featuring hairstyle tips, DIY projects, inspiration boards that break down each icon’s style, and illustrated timelines that cover the evolution of pants, skirts, the little black dress, and more, Fashion Rebels: Style Icons Who Changed the World through Fashion invites readers to treat fashion as an act of fearless creativity—and even become fashion trailblazers themselves.

Here is the story of extraordinary leader Alice Paul, from the woman's suffrage movement--the long struggle for votes for women--to the "second wave," when women demanded full equality with men. Paul made a significant impact on both. She reignited the sleepy suffrage moment with dramatic demonstrations and provocative banners. After women won the vote in 1920, Paul wrote the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which would make all the laws that discriminated against women unconstitutional. Passage of the ERA became the rallying cry of a new movement of young women in the 1960s and '70s. Paul saw another chance to advance women's rights when the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 began moving through Congress. She set in motion the "sex amendment," which remains a crucial legal tool for helping women fight discrimination in the workplace. This is a true "girl power" book for today's young women.  Includes archival images, author's note, bibliography, and source notes.

Come along for a joy ride in this enthralling tribute to the daring women - Motor Girls, as they were called at the turn of the century - who got behind the wheel of the first cars and paved the way for change. The automobile has always symbolized freedom, and in this book we meet the first generation of female motorists who drove cars for fun, profit, and to make a statement about the evolving role of women. From the advent of the auto in the 1890s to the 1920s when the breaking down of barriers for women was in full swing, readers will be delighted to see historical photos, art, and artifacts and to discover the many ways these progressive females influenced fashion, the economy, politics, and the world around them.

Marie Curie, nicknamed "Manya" by her family, reveled in reading, learning, and exploring nature as a girl growing up in her native Poland. She went on to become one of the world's most famous scientists. Curie's revolutionary discoveries over several decades created the field of atomic physics, and Curie herself coined the word radioactivity . She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person ever to win in two different fields--chemistry and physics. Marie Curie for Kids introduces this legendary figure in all her complexity. Kids learn how Curie worked alongside her husband and scientific partner, Pierre, while also teaching and raising two daughters; how this intense scientist sometimes became so involved with her research that she forgot to eat or sleep; and how she struggled with health issues, refused to patent her discoveries (which would have made her very wealthy), and made valuable contributions during World War I. Packed with historic photos, informative sidebars, a resource section, and 21 hands-on activities and experiments that illuminate Curie's life and work, Marie Curie for Kids is an indispensable resource for budding scientific explorers. Kids can: examine real World War I X-rays; make a model of the element carbon; make traditional Polish pierogies; and much more.

Beautiful, colorful illustrations tell the inspirational stories of ten black women and women's collectives from 1793 to the present. Included are leaders who were anti-slavery activists and organizers who promoted basic health care, literacy and scholarship within their neighborhoods. The stories and art celebrate these remarkable women who are not necessarily well known or recognized, but have had profound impacts on their communities.

Discover 25 women who were trailblazers in science, technology, architecture, engineering, and more. Learn about some of the women who defied expectations and introduced the world to new ideas and creations big and small.