Mary Church Terrell, the daughter of wealthy Memphis businessman, Robert Church said, “while most girls run away to marry, I ran away to teach.” Her bold act of disobedience infuriated her father, but Terrell believed it was her mission to “promote the welfare of [her] race.” March is Women’s History Month (WHM), and while the stories of some women in history may not be as dramatic as Terrell’s, WHM was created to celebrate the contributions of “notable and ordinary women.” The stories of the women represented in the picture, middle grade, and young adult books listed range from well-known narratives to tales of lesser known women buried deep in history.
An Apple for Harriet Tubman – Glenette Tilley Turner
Hoorah for Mary Seacole – Trish Cooke
Mary Church Terrell: Leader for Equality – Patricia & Fredrick McKissack
Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa – Veronica Chambers
Hoop Queens – Charles R. Smith Jr.
Michelle Obama – Christine Taylor-Butler
The Princess of the Press: The Story of Ida B. Wells-Barnett – Angela Shelf Medearis
Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker: The Unlikely Friendship of Elizabeth Keckley and Mary Todd Lincoln – Lynda Jones
Sweethearts of Rhythm – Marilyn Nelson
Nzingha: Warrior Queen of Matamba, Angola, Africa, 1595 – Patricia McKissack
Katherine Dunham – Jim Haskins
At Her Majesty's Request: An African Princess in Victorian England – Walter Dean Myers
Young, Black, and Determined: A Biography of Lorraine Hansberry – Patricia & Fredrick McKissack
And Not Afraid To Dare: The Stories of Ten African-American Women – Tonya Bolden
Find Where the Wind Goes: Moments from My Life – Dr. Mae Jemison
