Inspring Stories About Women For Girls Of All Ages

Little girls, as well as bigger girls, need to be inspired and encouraged every once in awhile.  There are many slogans and catchy hashtags from #girlpower to #throwlikeagirl.  There are plenty more slogans that have been used and each were created to empower girls to think beyond the stereotypes of what girls ought to do or become.  It is inspiring that our society is looking to build girls up instead of tearing them down.    That is a good thing and perhaps a little overdue. As we begin the month of March,  it's time to reflect upon women in history who have paved the way for future generations of women who long to be strong, smart and free to carve out their own place in the world.

Historical fiction is a genre that takes a special talent in weaving the tale.  The details have to be spot on to be believable and enjoyable.  For the educator, the gems in historical fiction are sometimes hard to find because of this fact.  However, when a book is found that makes history turn into a magical adventure,  this book is not to be let out of anyone's sight.  One book in particular that comes to mind is  The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate  by Jacqueline Kelly.  This is the story of Calpurnia's love of  nature and frustrations of the limits society places on her because of her gender.  In 1899, a girl's place was at home with chores and needlework.   What more should a girl do, right?  For eleven year old Calpurnia that is just not enough to keep her happy.  For her, is much more fascinating and lures her to explore creatures along the riverbank, in the trees and everywhere.  The only person to encourage her love of nature is her grandfather who gives her the Darwin's book "The Origin of Species."    The tale is wonderful and inspiring in its prose.  Definitely a book that can inspire young girls to follow their passions, even if society tell them it's not their place.

In the picture book category for inspiring girls of all ages it would only be proper to mention Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride written by Pam Munoz Ryan and illustrated by Brian Selznick.  Both Ryan and Selznick have contributed much to children's literature but this book often goes unnoticed. The story is about Amelia Earhart visiting the White House as a guest of then First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.   Both to these women are revered as trailblazers of their time.   In this fictional tale,  Earhart takes the First Lady for a private plane ride.  This book entices the reader to imagine what that ride might have been like for both women.  What  fans of both women wouldn't do to have had the opportunity to hear that conversation between the two.   It's magical and makes for an interesting story time.

Both books mentioned above are classified as historical fiction but the next one is an actual biography that is wonderfully written by David Adler, who incidentally has written excellent biographies for children.   One of his best works is America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle (illustrated by  Terry Widener).  Who is Gertrude Ederle?  In 1924, Gertrude decided to go against the odds and become the first woman to  swim across the English Channel.  Everyone around her said it couldn't be done, especially by a woman.  The water is too choppy, they said.  "The water is too cold",  they said. "It's dangerous.", the said.  Gertrude did it anyways.  After a twenty-one mile long swim which took fourteen hours to complete, she set a world record.  Her perseverance is a testimony to all girls that once a dream is in sight, there's no turning back.  One simply has to go for it.


There are so many other wonderful books that can and should inspire girls to carve out their own destiny.  The three here should be a good start at introducing girls to strong women who had big dreams and accomplished them despite being told they couldn't.   As a popular meme that is posted on Facebook and other social media states: Here's To Strong Women.  May We Know Them, May We Be Them, May We Raise Them.   The easiest way to achieve this is to read books about them, learn from them so we can be like them and share their stories so that more girls will grow up to be strong women.

Cool Chic Picture Books -- Celebrating Girl Power

Girls are awesome. Ask any girl from ages one to ninety-nine, and they will tell you that this is true. Granted, it's a biased opinion, but there are a few gentlemen out there that just may agree with this statement. At least to a certain degree. In 1987, Congress recognized the achievements of women with dedicating an entire month to the topic. Previously, it had been limited to the one week in March. As the old saying goes, We've come a long way, baby. Women's rights and achievements have certainly deserved recognition and applause. The same can be said for picture books with strong women role models. This is not in reference to Olivia, Madeline or Ramona, although each of these characters are endearing. Rather, this is in reference to picture books about real women who have inspired theirs and future generations.

Fortunately for today's young readers, boys and girls alike, there are authors who excel at telling a historical story in an fun yet educational way. This is not your grandmother's history book! It is a lot more fun and inspiring. Which is exactly what a good picture book should do when capturing the hearts and minds of every reader. In a previous blog, the topic of introducing teens to read biographies as a gateway to nonfiction was discussed. For younger readers, its no difference. The books may be shorter in length but they are not short on information or inspiration.

In Amelia and Eleanor Go For a Ride, Pam Munoz Ryan wraps a fictionalized account around two historic women who were known for their courage in action and voice. At the end of the book, the author explains why she choose to fictionalize her story. However, the illustrations along with the text inspires every reader to take the ride with Amelia and Eleanor in hopes of becoming just as bold and daring as they were. Barbara Kerley's What to Do About Alice? is a charming book based on the life of Teddy Roosevelt's oldest daughter Alice. Life in the White House must have been a "riot" as President Roosevelt described it when Alice was greeting guests with a pet snake. However, Alice's love of life and adventure could not be squashed and in the end she slithered her way into American's hearts. If children ever begin to wonder why big hoops skirts are out of style, then share this next book with them. You Forgot Your Skirt, Amerilia Bloomer: A Very Improper Story, a wonderful story about another famous Amelia who changed the way women dressed. Shana Carey introduces her readers to a bold, yet practical writer who not only fought for women to be treated equally, but also for women to be comfortable. Instead of going along with society's demand to where silly hoop dresses that were so heavy and cumbersome, Amelia is inspired by other women visionaries to shed the skirt and wear bloomers instead. Many disapproved of this new fashion trend of women wearing flowing pants, however, many other women were happy to shed the skirt and follow Amelia's example. Who would ever think that wearing pants would label a lady as being "improper"?

Two wonderful titles about women athletes who broke records in the Olympics will inspire all readers to focus on their goals and not their obstacles. Kathleen Krull's Wilma Unlimited based on the life of Track & Field legend Wllma Rudolph and Shana Corey's Mermaid Queen, a biography about legendary swimmer, Annette Kellerman are both rich in text and illustrations. What is of particular interest in both of stories, is how these women over came not only prejudices from society regarding women's participation in sports, but also their own physical challenges. Gold medals are wonderful to earn, but the true testimony of their lives is that they never gave up, even when it looked hopeless.

There's only a few weeks left in March to continue celebrating and learning about women's contribution to society. However, let's say we buck the conventional wisdom and celebrate Girl Power all year round.