Women's History Month: Young Adult Books

This novel in verse is inspired by the real story of Clara Lemlich, an immigrant who fought for factory workers’ rights in turn-of-the-century New York.

Rock goddess and Portlandia Actress-Writer-Producer Carrie Brownstein returns to her childhood and musical beginnings in the Riot Grrrl feminist movement of the 1990s when she co-founded the iconic musical group Sleater-Kinney. Brownstein describes contending with how she was perceived by journalists and audiences being a woman in a rock band in this heartfelt and honest exploration of her professional and personal lives.

Soon to be an Amazon series, Povich describes in an engrossing narrative the story of what happened to the women who worked for Newsweek in the 1970s before and after they banded together to sue the magazine for discrimination because they were systematically denied promotions and newsroom positions.

International and intersectional in its focus, this collection of short biographies highlights the achievements of some of the bravest activists you’ve never heard of including Sampat Pal Devi, an activist against violence towards women in India; Kalpona Akter, an advocate for safe conditions in textiles factories; and Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, who stood up for union workers.

Beryl Markham was the first person to fly nonstop from Europe to America and the first woman to fly solo (east to west) across the Atlantic. Born in England in 1902, Markham was taken by her father to East Africa in 1906. She spent her childhood playing with native Maruni children and apprenticing with her father as a trainer and breeder of racehorses and learned to fly.

Graphic novel that details the daily life of a young woman, Amir, in early 19th Century Turkey.

"Grace Mae knows madness..." Set in 1890, readers plunge headfirst into darkness with Grace Mae, a teenager who became pregnant and, at the whim of her father, was imprisoned in an insane asylum. After a chain of events at the asylum causes her to lose her child, a visiting doctor rescues her with an odd proposal: fake her death and become his crime-scene-investigating assistant. This YA historical novel is a piercing look at the madness in ourselves, and in others, and how we all must eventually face that madness. Beautiful and powerful in its delivery.

Harding interrogates ideas about rape culture, including excusing the accused, victim-blaming, slut-shaming, and putting the onus of responsibility on women to protect themselves from rape in this provocative and timely read.

In an era when working class women had no access to birth control, Margaret Sanger emerged as an advocate for women’s health.

Written by Ride’s partner, this book covers everything from Ride’s career as a physicist and astronaut, her athletic achievements (Ride was a tennis player who almost turned pro), her report cards, and her fight for gender equality.

Tells the story of two early 20th century female physicists whose groundbreaking contributions were overlooked in their lifetimes and are still largely unknown today despite shaping the field of nuclear science.

Nineteenth-century Cuban poet Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda escaped two arranged marriages as a teenager and went on to fight for women's equality and the end of slavery. This fictionalized novel tells her story in gorgeous, lyrical verse.

A confused girl with a troubled past pledges to serve Wonder Woman in the ancient Greek ritual of supplication. Taking her under her protection, Wonder Woman finds herself at odds with Batman, who has been on her ward’s trail.

As one of the first African American students to attend Jefferson High School in 1959 Virginia, Sarah faces discrimination and abuse on a daily basis. When she and the white daughter of a rabid segregationist are forced to work together on a school project, however, the two girls begin to realize they have feelings for one another.

After two British girls, a pilot and a spy, crash their plane in Nazi-occupied France, the spy is captured and imprisoned by the Germans. She is forced to give up her secrets and reveal her mission in writing. Instead, she tells the story of her friend Maddie, the pilot of the crashed plane, whom she assumes is dead. But nothing can be assumed in this story, and nothing is as it seems.

Two teenage girls - one of them Chinese American, the other African American - on the run from the law disguise themselves as boys and set out on the Oregon Trail in this tale of adventure and friendship set during the Gold Rush.

Learn the story of the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner ever, who risked her life to fight for the rights of girls in Pakistan to attend school. Malala was a young girl who would not be denied an education, despite being threatened by the Taliban, who shot her in the head. She lives in exile and continues to speak out for justice and human rights. In 2014, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

A biography of Assata Shakur, U.S. revolutionary who was a leader of the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and early 1970s and fought for civil rights for African Americans and to end racism.

A biography of Mary Crow Dog of the American Indian Movement who, along with 250 other Sioux, occupied Wounded Knee for 71 days in 1973 to expose mistreatment by local and federal governments.

Esmeralda Santiago was one of eleven children who grew up in a tin-can of a house in Puerto Rico, surrounded by quarreling parents and poverty. While living in Brooklyn with her grandmother, Santiago's ambition and hard work resulted in a Harvard education, and a successful career as a writer and film producer.

With stories written by various popular YA authors such as Marie Lu and Marissa Meyer, this collection follows fifteen extraordinary American women, from the 18th century colonial world of pirates and new discoveries to the tumultuous 1960s.

Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg offers encouragement and advice to college graduates on finding and getting the most out of a first job and what it takes to find and commit to a job that they love.

In the testosterone-fueled rock climbing scene of the 1980s and 90s, Lynn Hill rose to the top, becoming a legend in the sport. Her crowning achievement was free climbing the Nose of El Capitan in Yosemite, a nearly vertical 2,900-foot climb so difficult that it was said to be inconceivable. This is her life story in her own words; full of adventure, hard-earned lessons, and larger-than-life people.

Leila’s managed to get all the way to junior year without letting romance complicate her life, but when a beautiful new girl starts attending her school, Leila finds herself taking chances - and figuring out how to come out to her friends and family.

Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend, Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. The book details Marin’s exploration of her sexuality and her complicated relationship with her best friend.

Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from poverty in Chinatown, and she gains admittance to a prestigious finishing school through a mix of cunning and bribery. She soon discovers that getting in was the easiest part, and must carve a niche among the spoiled heiresses. When the earthquake strikes on April 18, Mercy and her classmates are forced to a survivor encampment, but her quick-witted leadership rallies them to help in the tragedy's aftermath.

Three teens, who have the same biological mother, have always known that they were adopted, or were in foster care, but they did not know they had siblings. When Grace puts her own baby up for adoption, she searches out her biological family to ensure she made the right choice. Maya, the youngest sibling, has a great adopted family, with secrets. Joaquin, the oldest, who was never adopted, keeps to himself. Together the teens discover what family really means, and it’s not always conventional.

A graphic novel that is a compendium and retelling of stories about strong women throughout history. Some are famous, some infamous and some ought to be famous. Fabulous gift for those needing an uplifting book about women’s history.

This historical fiction is set in San Francisco, in 1954, when Chinese Americans and immigrants had to live under increased paranoia, racism, and suspicion for having Communist ideas. Lily is interested in discovering what’s outside her Chinatown home. Her parents warned her not to leave their immediate neighborhood, but Lily ventures forth to various places, such as the Telegraph Club, a lesbian bar. This is where she slowly discovers herself and a relationship with her first white friend, Kathleen. All of this means that Lily may end up in dangerous situations and more than she bargained for.