Who Runs the World? Girls! (Teen Blog 31)

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Image of cartoon women with diverse skin tones and features. Text at the center of the header reads TADL Teen Blog!

Women make up over half of the United States population– that’s a big number!

You might not realize it, but the women in your life are pretty cool. Don’t believe us? Just look at the facts! 

  • Women have stronger immune systems. That’s because of their two x chromosomes, which help them fight off diseases and recover from illness.
  • The female brain is more detailed. We promise we’re not making this up! Women use both sides of their brain more often, making them great multitaskers. Women’s brains are also structured to process language and verbal recall better than men. 
  • Women can see more colors than men. Where men see the color red, women might see crimson, maroon, coral, and scarlet!

March is Women’s History Month, and as always we want to celebrate in true librarian fashion– by recommending great books about women! It’s also the month of Spring Break, but more on that later.

These are our Top 3 fiction and nonfiction books with women at the forefront! If these aren’t enough, you can check out our Women’s History reading list to learn about more talented women.

We’ll start off strong with our Top 3 nonfiction for Women’s History Month. These titles feature the lives of real-life women throughout history!

Image with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place trophies on a marble pedestal. Gold text at the bottom of the page reads: YA Nonfiction About Great Women! Each trophy has a book over it. The Mysterious Virginia Hall is in 1st place, Loudmouth: Emma Goldman vs. America (A Love Story) is in 2nd place, and The Swans of Harlem is in 3rd place.

#1) The Mysterious Virginia Hall: World War II’s Most Dangerous Spy by Claudia Friddell

Working as an intelligence agent and resistance fighter, Virginia Hall was one of World War II’s most talented female spies. Each chapter is named after one of Hall’s aliases so readers can learn how she went from the daughter of a wealthy Maryland family to one of the Gestapo’s most wanted spies!

#2) Loudmouth: Emma Goldman vs. America (A Love Story) by Deborah Heiligman

Emma Goldmouth’s critics called her a “Loudmouth” troublemaker, but she considered herself a fighter for change and justice. As a Lithuanian immigrant, Emma loved the American Dream and democratic ideals of America… but hated its hypocrisy! She spoke up for workers rights, feminism, and more important topics. 

#3) The Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby

Who were the first Black ballerinas? That’s what The Swans of Harlem sets out to answer for readers. Lydia Abarca, Sheila Rohan, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Karlya Shelton, and Marcia Sells were incredible dancers and artists who history has largely forgotten. Discover how these five women became the top ballerinas in The Dance Theater of Harlem when racism sought to exclude them. 

Women’s stories aren’t just limited to real-life. Next up are our favorite fictional stories that feature powerful female characters!

Image with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place trophies on a marble pedestal. Gold text at the bottom of the page reads: YA Nonfiction About Great Women! Each trophy has a book over it. One Step Forward is in 1st place, Somadina is in 2nd place, and The Red Car to Hollywood is in 3rd place.

#1) One Step Forward by Marcie Flinchum Atkins

This compelling novel in verse is a fictional account of Matilda Young, the youngest American suffragist who picketed the White House and spoke up for women’s right to vote. This is Matilda’s coming of age story as she joins the radical women’s rights movement and takes a stand for what she believes in.

#2) Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi

Somadina and her twin brother Jayaike are two halves of a whole– he’s the only person who will stand by her when her rare magical gift makes her an outsider, and after he is kidnapped she will do everything in her power to get him back. Somadina is a powerful African story about family, the power of the past, and embracing your uniqueness.  

#3) The Red Car to Hollywood by Jennie Liu

Strong. Independent. Modern. Chinese-American Ruby Chan considers herself all those things and more, even if it doesn’t fit her parents’ image of the perfect daughter. But when they learn about her secret relationship with a White boy, Ruby’s in big trouble. After becoming friends with the Chinese film star Anna May Wong, Ruby is determined to forge her own path. But amidst danger, discrimination, and betrayal, can she find the strength to embrace her true self?

We loved talking about our favorite picks for Women’s History Month, but we have one more thing we want to share with you before we wrap up: our events schedule for Spring Break! If you’re not traveling for Spring Break, you don’t need to be bored. These are our five Spring Break events you won’t want to miss!

We hope to see you there or at one of our other upcoming programs!

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