CHARLESTON, S.C. – One hundred years ago, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution became official, the final step in a long process to give women the legal right to vote.
It’s Women’s Equality Day and we’re celebrating with a book list full of children’s and middle grade titles that recount the history of the suffragist movement and the fight for voting rights.
Miss Sally led a special themed storytime to lead off the day and put together this book list of page turners to help everyone keep the spirit of the anniversary.
Take a look and check something out!
Nonfiction and suffragette stories
Equality’s Call: The Story of Voting Rights in America by Deborah Diesen
The founders of the United States declared that consent of the governed was a key part of their plan for the new nation. But for many years, only white men of means were allowed to vote. This unflinching and inspiring history of voting rights looks back at the activists who answered equality's call, working tirelessly to secure the right for all to vote, and it also looks forward to the future and the work that still needs to be done.
How Women Won the Vote: Alice Paul, Lucy Burns, and their Big Idea by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
This is how history should be told to kids--with photos, illustrations, and captivating storytelling.
From Newbery Honor medalist Susan Campbell Bartoletti and in time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in America comes the page-turning, stunningly illustrated, and tirelessly researched story of the little-known DC Women's March of 1913.
Bartoletti spins a story like few others--deftly taking readers by the hand and introducing them to suffragists Alice Paul and Lucy Burns. Paul and Burns met in a London jail and fought their way through hunger strikes, jail time, and much more to win a long, difficult victory for America and its women.
Includes extensive back matter and dozens of archival images to evoke the time period between 1909 and 1920.
She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World by Chelsea Clinton | OverDrive audio
Throughout American history, there have always been women who have spoken out for what's right, even when they have to fight to be heard. In early 2017, Senator Elizabeth Warren's refusal to be silenced in the Senate inspired a spontaneous celebration of women who persevered in the face of adversity. In this book, Chelsea Clinton celebrates thirteen American women who helped shape our country through their tenacity, sometimes through speaking out, sometimes by staying seated, sometimes by captivating an audience. They all certainly persisted.
She Persisted is for everyone who has ever wanted to speak up but has been told to quiet down, for everyone who has ever tried to reach for the stars but was told to sit down, and for everyone who has ever been made to feel unworthy or unimportant or small.
With vivid, compelling art by Alexandra Boiger, this book shows readers that no matter what obstacles may be in their paths, they shouldn't give up on their dreams. Persistence is power.
This book features- Harriet Tubman, Helen Keller, Clara Lemlich, Nellie Bly, Virginia Apgar, Maria Tallchief, Claudette Colvin, Ruby Bridges, Margaret Chase Smith, Sally Ride, Florence Griffith Joyner, Oprah Winfrey, Sonia Sotomayor-and one special cameo.
Suffragette: The Battle for Equality by David Roberts
Imprisonment, hunger strikes, suffrajitsu -- the decades-long fight for women's right to vote was at times a ferocious one. Acclaimed artist David Roberts gives these important, socially transformative times their due in a colorfully illustrated history that includes many of the important faces of the movement in portraiture and scenes that both dignify and enliven. He has created a timely and thoroughly engaging resource in his first turn as nonfiction author-illustrator. Suffragette: The Battle for Equality follows the trajectory of the movement in the U.K. and visits some key figures and moments in the United States as it presents the stories of Millicent Garrett Fawcett, Emmeline Pankhurst, Ida B. Wells, Susan B. Anthony, and many more heroic women and men -- making it a perfect gift for young readers of today. Dr. Crystal Feimster of Yale's Department of African American Studies contributes a foreword that speaks to the relationship and differences between the British and American suffrage efforts.
Born to Ride: A Story about Bicycle Face by Larissa Theule | OverDrive ebook
Louise Belinda Bellflower lives in Rochester, New York, in 1896. She spends her days playing with her brother, Joe. But Joe gets to ride a bicycle, and Louise Belinda doesn't. In fact, Joe issues a solemn warning: If girls ride bikes, their faces will get so scrunched up, eyes bulging from the e ort of balancing, that they'll get stuck that way FOREVER! Louise Belinda is appalled by this nonsense, so she strikes out to discover the truth about this so-called "bicycle face." Set against the backdrop of the women's suffrage movement,Born to Rideis the story of one girl's courageous quest to prove that she can do everything the boys can do, while capturing the universal freedom and accomplishment children experience when riding a bike.
Around America to Win the Vote: Two Suffragists, a Kitten, and 10,000 Miles by Mara Rockliff
In April 1916, Nell Richardson and Alice Burke set out from New York City in a little yellow car, embarking on a bumpy, muddy, unmapped journey ten thousand miles long. They took with them a teeny typewriter, a tiny sewing machine, a wee black kitten, and a message for Americans all across the country: Votes for Women! The women's suffrage movement was in full swing, and Nell and Alice would not let anything keep them from spreading the word about equal voting rights for women. Braving blizzards, deserts, and naysayers--not to mention a whole lot of tires stuck in the mud--the two courageous friends made their way through the cities and towns of America to further their cause. One hundred years after Nell and Alice set off on their trip, Mara Rockliff revives their spirit in [this] picture book, with ... illustrations by Hadley Hooper bringing their inspiring historical trek to life.
Bold & Brave: Ten Heroes Who Won Women the Right to Vote by Kirsten Gillibrand
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was inspired by her own great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother to be bold and brave--to stand up and fight for what she believes in. But who inspired them? The long chain of women before them who spoke out for what's right--women who taught each generation that followed how to be bold and brave.
Here are the stories of ten leaders who strove to win the right to vote for American women--a journey that took more than seventy years of passionate commitment. From well-known figures, such as Susan B. Anthony and Sojourner Truth to lesser known women such as Alice Paul and Mary Church Terrell, these are heroes who dreamed big and never gave up. Senator Gillibrand highlights an important and pithy lesson from each woman's life--from "dare to be different" to "fight together."
On the eve of the one-hundredth anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, which granted women suffrage, Bold and Brave looks both backward and forward. It introduces children to strong women who have raised their voices on behalf of justice--and inspires them to raise their own voices to build our future.
Miss Paul and the President: The Creative Campaign for Women’s Right to Vote by Dean Robbins
Cast your vote for Alice Paul! The story of a tireless suffragette and the president she convinced to change everything.
When Alice Paul was a child, she saw her father go off to vote while her mother had to stay home. But why should that be? So Alice studied the Constitution and knew that the laws needed to change. But who would change them?
She would! In her signature purple hat, Alice organized parades and wrote letters and protested outside the White House. She even met with President Woodrow Wilson, who told her there were more important issues to worry about than women voting. But nothing was more important to Alice. So she kept at it, and soon President Wilson was persuaded.
Dean Robbins and illustrator Nancy Zhang bring the unsung hero to vivid life and show young voters-to-be how important it is to never back down from a cause you believe in!
Susan B. Anthony: Her Fight for Equal Rights by Monica Kulling
"It's not fair." Susan B. Anthony was very concerned about fairness and equality for women and girls in America. She knew it wasn't fair to pay a woman less than a man for the same job. She knew it wasn't fair not to allow women to vote in elections. In fact, it was illegal for women to vote. But she felt so strongly, she voted in an election--and was arrested--anyway. Young readers will learn about young Susan B. Anthony and how she grew up to become a suffragette--a fighter for women's equality. She joined forces with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and others and gave speeches around the country to gain support for women's right to vote. She fought her whole life, and believed that "failure is impossible." She was right; her work made the 19th Amendment to the Constitution possible!
I Could Do That: Esther Morris Gets Women the Vote by Linda Arms White
"I could do that," says six-year-old Esther as she watches her mother making tea. Start her own business at the age of nineteen? Why, she could do that, too. But one thing Esther and other women could NOT do was vote. Only men could do that.
With lively text and humorous illustrations as full of spirit as Esther herself, this striking picture book biography shows how one girl's gumption propels her through a life filled with challenges until, in 1869, she wins the vote for women in Wyoming Territory - the first time ever in the United States!
Lillian’s Right to Vote: a Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by Jonah Winter
An elderly African American woman, en route to vote, remembers her family's tumultuous voting history in this picture book publishing in time for the fiftieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
As Lillian, a one-hundred-year-old African American woman, makes a "long haul up a steep hill" to her polling place, she sees more than trees and sky-she sees her family's history. She sees the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment and her great-grandfather voting for the first time. She sees her parents trying to register to vote. And she sees herself marching in a protest from Selma to Montgomery. Veteran bestselling picture-book author Jonah Winter and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner Shane W. Evans vividly recall America's battle for civil rights in this lyrical, poignant account of one woman's fierce determination to make it up the hill and make her voice heard.
Fiction books
Go, Girls, Go! by Frances Gilbert
Come along for a rollicking ride in this picture book celebration of vehicles that puts girls in the driver's seat!
Girls can race...and girls can fly. Girls can rocket way up high!
Piloting fire trucks, trains, tractors, and more, the girls in this book are on the go! Join them for an exuberant journey that celebrates how girls can do--and drive--anything.
Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Angela Beaty
Every morning, Abuelo walks Sofia to school . . . until one day, when Abuelo hurts his ankle at a local landfill and he can no longer do so. Sofia (aka Sofi) misses her Abuelo and wonders what she can do about the dangerous Mount Trashmore. Then she gets an idea--the town can turn the slimy mess into a park! She brainstorms and plans and finally works up the courage to go to City Hall--only to be told by a clerk that she can't build a park because she's just a kid! Sofia is down but not out, and she sets out to prove what one kid can do.
A Girl Like Me by Angela Johnson
"Once I dreamed I swam / the ocean / and saw everything deep,cool / and was part of the waves. / I swam on by the people / onshore /hollering, / 'A girl like you needs to / stay out of the water / and be dry /like everyone else.'"
Empower young readers to embrace their individuality, reject societal limitations, and follow their dreams. This inspiring picture book brings together a poem by acclaimed author Angela Johnson and Nina Crews's distinctive photocollage illustrations to celebrate girls of color.
Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio
"Where are the girls?"
When Grace's teacher reveals that the United States has never had a female president, Grace decides she wants to be the nation's first and immediately jumpstarts her political career by running in her school's mock election! The race is tougher than she expected: her popular opponent declares that he's the "best man for the job" and seems to have captured the votes of all of the class's boys. But Grace is more determined than ever. Even if she can't be the best man for the job, she can certainly try to be the best person!
This timely story not only gives readers a fun introduction to the American electoral system but also teaches the value of hard work, courage, independent thought -- and offers an inspiring example of how to choose our leaders.
Middle grades and Young Adult books
Blast Back! Women’s Suffrage by Nancy Ohlin
Blast back to the past and learn all about the women's suffrage movement. When people think about the women's suffrage movement, things like voting rights and protests may come to mind. But what was the movement all about, and what social change did it bring? This engaging nonfiction book, complete with black-and-white interior illustrations, will make readers feel like they've traveled back in time. It covers everything from the history of women's rights in the U.S. to women's suffrage movements across the world, and more. Find out interesting, little-known facts such as how the suffragists were the first people to ever picket the White House and how the nineteenth amendment granting women the right to vote passed by only one vote when a legislator changed his vote to "yes" after receiving a letter from his mother telling him to "do the right thing." The unique details, along with the clever interior illustrations, make this series stand out from the competition.
Roses and Radicals: The Epic Story of How American Women Won the Right to Vote by Susan Zimet
The United States of America is almost 250 years old, but American women won the right to vote less than a hundred years ago. And when the controversial nineteenth ammendment to the U.S. Constituion-the one granting suffrage to women-was finally ratified in 1920, it passed by a mere one-vote margin. The ammendment only succeeded because a courageous group of women had been relentlessly demanding the right to vote for more than seventy years. The leaders of the suffrage movement are heroes who were fearless in the face of ridicule, arrest, imprisonment, and even torture. Many of them devoted themselves to the cause knowing they wouldn't live to cast a ballot. The story of women's suffrage is epic, frustrating, and as complex as the women who fought for it. Illustrated with portraits, period cartoons, and other images, Roses and Radicals celebrates this captivating yet overlooked piece of American history and the women who made it happen.
Lifting as We Climb: Black Women’s Battle for the Ballot Box by Evette Dionne
Women of color, especially African American women, were fighting for their right to vote and to be treated as full, equal citizens of the United States. Their battlefront wasn't just about gender. African American women had to deal with white abolitionist-suffragists who drew the line at sharing power with their black sisters. They had to overcome deep, exclusionary racial prejudices that were rife in the American suffrage movement. And they had to maintain their dignity--and safety--in a society that tried to keep them in its bottom ranks.
Lifting as We Climb is the empowering story of African American women who refused to accept all this. Women in black church groups, black female sororities, black women's improvement societies and social clubs. Women who formed their own black suffrage associations when white-dominated national suffrage groups rejected them. Women like Mary Church Terrell, a founder of the National Association of Colored Women and of the NAACP; or educator-activist Anna Jullia Cooper who championed women getting the vote and a college education; or the crusading journalist Ida B. Wells, a leader in both the suffrage and anti-lynching movements.
Author Evette Dionne, a feminist culture writer and the editor-in-chief of Bitch Media, has uncovered an extraordinary and underrepresented history of black women. In her powerful book, she draws an important historical line from abolition to suffrage to civil rights to contemporary young activists--filling in the blanks of the American suffrage story.
Rebel Voices: The Global Fight for Women’s Equality and the Right to Vote by Louise Kay Stewart
A beautifully illustrated celebration of the brave campaigners who fought for women's right to vote. Discover that it was never illegal for women to vote in Ecuador, or how 40,000 Russian women marched through St Petersburg demanding their rights. Find out how one Canadian woman changed opinions with a play, and Kuwaiti women protested via text message. And learn that women climbed mountains, walked a lion through the streets of Paris, and starved themselves, all in the name of having a voice. Tracing its history from New Zealand at the end of the 19th century, follow this empowering movement as it spread from Oceania to Europe and the Americas, then Africa and Asia up to the present day. Meet the women who rioted, rallied and refused to give up.
