Women Who Marched: Celebrate Women’s History Month!

Cynthia Ramirez

March is Women’s History Month, which offers the opportunity to remember, celebrate and learn about various women who have paved the way for innovation and change. Check out our calendar here for Women’s History Month centered programs.

Of course, we have to highlight some of our favorite books that encompass the spirit of Women’s History Month.  

An image of the book cover for “Shark Lady” by Jess Keating. A drawn depiction of a female diver underwater. Her hands hover around the nose of a shark. They are surrounded by underwater plant life and small golden fish.

Shark Lady by Jess Keating

“At 9 years old, Eugenie Clark developed an unexpected passion for sharks after a visit to the Battery Park Aquarium in New York City. At the time, sharks were seen as mindless killing machines, but Eugenie knew better and set out to prove it. Despite many obstacles in her path, Eugenie was able to study the creatures she loved so much. From her many discoveries to the shark-related myths she dispelled, Eugenie’s wide scientific contributions led to the well-earned nickname “Shark Lady.”

An image of the book cover for “Planting Stories” by Anika Aldamuy Denise. A drawn depiction of a woman reading a book to four children on the stoop of a public library. Large stemmed flowers bloom out of the open book on the lady’s lap.

Planting Stories by Anika Aldamuy Denise

A biography of storyteller, puppeteer, and New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, Pura Belpré, who championed bilingual literature.

An image of the book cover for “Who says women can't be doctors? : the story of Elizabeth Blackwell” by Tanya Lee Stone. A draw depiction of a young girl sitting on a stoop with a book in one hand and the other hand resting on her chin. A vintage doctor’s bag sits open next to her and a pigeon stands on the steps below her. A red cross symbol is fixed right above the doorway to the building.

Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell

An introduction to the life and achievements of the first American female doctor, describing the limited career prospects available to women in the early nineteenth-century, the opposition Blackwell faced while pursuing a medical education, and her pioneering medical career that opened doors for future generations of women.

An image of the book cover for “Betty Before X” Ilyasah Shabazz and Renee Watson. A young drawn black girl stands with her hands behind her back with her face tilted towards the right. The background is a blue sky with white clouds and the wind blows green leaves around the girl.

Betty Before X by Ilyasah Shabazz with Renee Watson

Raised by her aunt until she is seven, Betty, who will later marry Malcolm X, joins her mother and stepfamily in 1940s Detroit, where she learns about the civil rights movement.

An image of the book cover for “Ahimsa” by Supriya Kelkar. A drawn deception of a young Indian girl is above the title “Ahimsa”. Under the title there are three people, two women and a man. The woman on the left is holding the flag of India. They are framed by two open palms with dark circles in their center. The rest of the cover is framed with ornate florals

Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar

Gandhi asks for one member of each family to join the fight for independence from the British, and when ten-year-old Anjali’s mother is jailed for doing so, Anjali must step out of her comfort zone to take over her mother’s work

An image of the book cover for “Moxie” by Jennifer Mathieu. A black and white drawn depiction of a teen girl standing in a black and white striped shirt standing in front of school lockers. She has her hand raised in a fist. The title of the book “Moxie” is outlined in hot pink.

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

In a small Texas town where high school football reigns supreme, Viv, sixteen, starts a feminist revolution using anonymously-written zines.

Our Stories, Our Voices by Amy Reed

In this collection of essays, young adult authors explore their experiences of injustice, empowerment, and growing up female in America. They explore themes on the intersection of race and gender; women and weight; first sexual experience; the devastation of rape culture; and much more.–Adapted from jacket.

An image of the book cover for “The missing thread : a women's history of the ancient world” by Daisy Dunn. A drawn elaborate circle of blue swirls with yellow ancients against a cream colored background with a fabric texture.

The Missing Thread: A Women’s History of the Ancient World

“For classicist Daisy Dunn, the women of the ancient world were up to something much more interesting than other histories would lead us to believe. In this work, Dunn reconceives our understanding of the ancient world by emphasizing women’s roles within it. Spanning three thousand years, the story moves from Minoan Crete to Mycenaean Greece, from Lesbos to Asia Minor, from the Persian Empire to the royal court of Macedonia, and concludes with Rome and its growing empire”– Adapted from dust jacket flap.

An image of the book cover for “A Black Women's History of the United States” by Daina Ramey Berry. The stripes of the American flag are depicted as torn and discolored with what appears to be blood.

A Black Women’s History of the United States

“A Black Women’s History of the United States is a critical survey of black women’s complicated legacy in America, as it takes into account their exploitation and victimization as well as their undeniable and substantial contributions to the country since its inception”– Provided by publisher.

An image of the book cover for “Hail Mary : the rise and fall of the National Women's Football League” by Frankie de la Cretaz. Half the cover is bright red and blends with the title which lays over a black and white vintage photo of women in football uniforms. The photograph takes up the other half of the cover.

Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League

“In the early 1970s, a businessman had a brilliant idea: why not start a women’s football league? It was conceived as a gimmick and a publicity stunt to capitalize on the popularity of Second Wave Feminism and the passage of Title IX. He recruited women across the country; much to his surprise, he learned that women really wanted to play, and play hard. Hail Mary is the story of the unlikely rise of the National Women’s Football League and the players who loved a game that society told them they shouldn’t be playing. In fourteen cities around the country, these athletes broke new barriers and showed adoring crowds what women were capable of physically. Thousands of people came to watch-perhaps to gawk at first-but then, in the end, to cheer. Hail Mary is a rollicking chronicle of fearless women-players on the Detroit Demons, the Toledo Troopers, the LA Dandelions, and more-bringing us into the stadiums where they broke records, the small-town bars where they were recruited, and the backrooms where the league was conceived, and where it ended. Hail Mary is a celebration of women athletes and their fight on and off the field, and a powerful story of the league that changed their lives and the course of women’s sports”– Provided by publisher.

Written by Ceilidh Jimenez