This month, for Women’s History Month our list of book recommendations is as strong as the women it highlights. And, you can find some Luck of the Irish, too!
Sharice’s Big Voice by Sharice Davids (Grades K-3)
In a true story of determination, perseverance, and using her voice to help others, Sharice Davids shares her life growing up in Kansas as a member of the Ho-Chunk tribe. She describes events of her childhood and her journey to become the first Indigenous woman to serve in Congress.
Mumbet’s Declaration of Independence by Gretchen Woelfle (Grades 1-4)
It’s easy to forget that people in the North owned slaves. Before slavery was declared unconstitutional in Massachusetts in 1783, five thousand slaves lived there. One enslaved woman was Mumbet, a “servant for life” to the Ashley family. Talk around the Ashley table about freedom from England inspired Mumbet to find a lawyer in town who helped her gain her freedom which led to the freeing of all slaves in Massachusetts.
That’s Not Fair!: Emma Tenayuca’s Struggle for Justice/No Es Justo!: La Lucha de Emma Tenayuca por la Justicia by Carmen Tafolla (Grades 2-4)
This picture-book biography in both English and Spanish describes the struggle of Mexican-American farmworkers in the early twentieth century through the eyes of Emma Tenayuca, who became a labor activist. Growing up in San Antonio, Texas, in the early twentieth century, Emma was shocked by the inequality around her, comparing her comfortable home to the extreme poverty of the families of factory and farmworkers. As a smart, kind teenager, she spoke in public about the hardships of the pecan shellers in the factories, and in 1938, at the age of 21, she led 12,000 workers in a strike that forced factory owners to raise wages.
Mamie on the Mound: A Woman in Baseball’s Negro Leagues by Leah Henderson (Preschool – Grade 4)
Mamie Johnson grew up loving baseball, and she wanted to do more than just watch men play. Encouraged by her family, Johnson learned about the game and played alongside local boys on her family’s farm in South Carolina. After moving to New Jersey, she earned her place on an all-white, all-boys Police Athletic League Team. Johnson led her team to two division championships. As she grew older, so did her skills. After being barred from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League tryouts, Johnson finally became a pro for the Indianapolis Clowns, a traveling Negro League team.
Here Come the Girl Scouts!: The Amazing All-True Story of Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low and her Great Adventure by Shana Corey (Grades K-3)
Growing up at a time when girls were expected to be ladylike and proper, Daisy Low wanted to explore the outdoors, exercise, and look for adventure. After a trip to England where she met Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts, she brought the concept home and worked to get such an organization underway for girls.
March 2nd is Dr. Seuss’s Birthday!
Happy birthday to you! By Dr. Seuss (Grades K-4)
Celebrate your unique self with Dr. Seuss and the Great Birthday Bird in the ultimate birthday book! With birthday festivities on every page, readers go on a journey that teaches them to celebrate being themselves—every single day of the year! This joyful classic rejoices about the things that make you unique!
Fiona’s Luck by Teresa Bateman (Grades K-3)
During the Irish famine, Fiona uses her smarts to trick the leprechaun king into letting some luck back into the human world.
A Fine St. Patrick’s Day by Susan Wojciechowski (Grades K-2)
The neighboring towns of Tralee and Tralah compete each year in a St. Patrick’s Day decorating contest, and each year Tralee loses. This year, however, six-year-old Fiona Riley has an idea that may turn the town’s luck around.
The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose at School by Laura Murray (Grades K-2) A sneaky, tricky Leprechaun is turning thing topsy-turvy at school, and the Gingerbread Man is determined to catch him and prevent him from making any more mischief.
