At the end of 2017, I made a pledge. I challenged myself to review good books every month in 2018, particularly books that haven’t gotten as much love as I feel they deserve. I call it Kidlit Karma because I’m aiming to spread the love for books that I love.
March is Women’s history month and many of us are banding behind the banner of #kidlitwomen to support fellow women writers. So today’s post features all picture books written by women about pioneering women and girls.
Picture Book: KATE WARNE, PINKERTON DETECTIVE by Marissa Moss and April Chu
I love both mystery and history when they’re well told and this is both! Kate Warne was the first female detective in the United States. But in the 1800’s, not many people believed that a woman could be a detective. Kate didn’t just want to be a detective, she wanted to be a detective for the foremost detective agency: the Pinkerton detective agency. This picture book tells how she foiled a major robbery plot and convinced the critics that she was a worthy detective.
I had already fallen in love with Kate Warne after reading the fictionalized account in THE DETECTIVE’S ASSISTANT. KATE WARNE, PINKERTON DETECTIVE is a biography and I really enjoyed learning more about Kate Warne and her real exploits.
KATE WARNE, PINKERTON DETECTIVE on Amazon
ONE PLASTIC BAG: ISATOU CEESAY AND THE RECYCLING WOMEN OF THE GAMBIA by Miranda Paul and Elizabeth Zunon
This is the inspiring story of Isatou Ceesay who saw a problem in her community and turned it into an opportunity. Mounds of trash, especially discarded plastic bags, were everywhere. They were an eyesore and a health hazard. When the families pet goat ate a bag and died, she knew she had to do something. She transformed the discarded bags into a way to make money, not just for herself but for other women.
ONE PLASTIC BAG on Amazon
Picture Book: THE YOUNGEST MARCHER: THE STORY OF AUDREY FAYE HENDRICKS, A YOUNG CIVIL RIGHT ACTIVIST by Cynthia Levinson and Vanessa Brantley-Newton
I had heard of the children’s march before reading this book but not Audrey Faye Hendricks. Reading this with my kids, I felt like they finally connected with the civil rights movement. We’ve read a lot of excellent books about the civil rights, but it feels distant. It was a long time ago for them and mostly involved adults. But seeing kids taking action and participating – now they get it. By the end of the book, I was sniffling, too. I hope this book encourages them to stand up for things they believe in, even if they feel small.
THE YOUNGEST MARCHER on Amazon
If you’re looking for a young adult book written by a woman about women, check out my January review of RADIOACTIVE! HOW IRENE CURIE AND LISE MEITNER REVOLUTIONIZED SCIENCE AND CHANGED THE WORLD by Winifred Conkling.