12 Must Have Books to Celebrate Women Who Soar!

You and your little learner will love reading and sharing stories about fearless and dynamic women of color like Frida Kahlo, Shirley Chisholm, Harriet Powers, Zaha Hadid, and more!

Selections on our booklists always feature black and brown people or characters and available for purchase in the Ruby Rae Society independent bookshop.

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BOARD BOOKS

Frida Kahlo: Little People, Big Dream

By Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Illustrated by Gee Fan Eng

Aretha Franklin: Little People, Big Dream

By Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Illustrated by Amy Blackwell

Wilma Rudolph: Little People, Big Dreams

By Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Illustrated by Amelia Flower

Sewing Stories: Harriet Powers’ Journey from Slave to Artist

By Barbara Herkert, Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

The World Is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid

By Jeanette Winter

Flying High: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles (Who DId It First?)

By Michelle Meadows, Illustrator Ebony Glenn

2nd - 3rd GRADE

She Was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm

By Katheryn Russell-Brown, Illustrated by Eric Velasquez

Fly High!: The Story of Bessie Coleman

By Louise Borden and Mary Kay Kroeger, Illustrated by Teresa Flavin

Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe

By Deborah Blumenthal, Illustrated Laura Freeman

4th GRADE & UP

She Loved Baseball: The Effa Manley Story

By Audrey Vernick, Illustrated by Don Tate

Amelia to Zora: Twenty-Six Women Who Changed the World

By Cynthia Chin-Lee, Illustrated by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy

The Power of Her Pen: The Groundbreaking Story of Journalist Ethel L. Payne

By Lesa Cline-Ransome and John Parra