Products of Their Times, Shapers of the Future: Books About Strong Women

Like fingerprints, no two lives are alike. Included in the list below are stories about women who were first, women who were famous, and women who led unsung lives of quiet courage and dignity.

America’s Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.
By David A Adler, Illustrated by Tony Widener
Gulliver

Winner of three Olympic medals, holder of 29 U.S. and world records, “Trudy” Ederle was the first woman to swim the English Channel, beating the men’s record by almost two hours. Her feat won her a tickertape parade up Broadway and President Calvin Coolidge dubbed her “America’s Best Girl.” Art Deco-style illustrations evoke the flavor of the times.

Ruth Law Thrills a Nation
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.
By Don Brown
Ticknor & Fields

On the morning of November 19, 1916, Ruth Law wore two woolen suits, two leather suits…and a skirt…as she set out on her journey to fly from Chicago to New York in a single day. Pilot’s eye views of her route chronicle her exciting attempt.

Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.
By Laurie Halse Anderson, Illustrated by Matt Faulkner
Simon & Schuster

“Never underestimate dainty little ladies.” Sarah Hale, best known as the author of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” spent 38 years badgering five different presidents before Thanksgiving was finally declared a national holiday. A lively text and hilarious illustrations make this an engaging read for children of all ages.

Cleopatra, Good Queen Bess, Joan of Arc
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.
By Diane Stanley
Various Publishers

Known for her meticulous research as well as her sumptuous illustrations, Diane Stanley helps readers peer into the lives of three fascinating—and very different—women.

Eleanor
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.
By Barbara Cooney
Viking

Delicately detailed watercolors reveal the life of a solemn, lonely little girl, orphaned at age nine, who grew up in privilege and later dedicated much of her life as First Lady (and wife of Franklin Delano Roosevelt) to human rights and the welfare of those less fortunate.

Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.
By Andrea Davis Pinkney, Illustrated by Brian Pinkney
Jump at the Sun

Ella Fitzgerald, the First Lady of Song, is remembered in a text which evokes “the ping-pong rhythms that gave bebop its sound.” Scratchboard illustrations in Art Deco tints swirl from page to page like scenes on a stage.

The Pirate Queen
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.
By Emily Arnold McCully
G.P. Putnam

Caldecott Award winner Emily McCully takes on an unusual subject in this picture book thriller. Part truth, part legend, Grania O’Malley, daughter of a sea-faring family in the time of Queen Elizabeth I, gave birth aboard a pirate ship, married her second husband to obtain a castle (her fifth), narrowly escaped hanging, and faced down the most powerful woman in England. A brief author’s note provides historical context.