Must Have Children’s Books About Girl Leaders
Being a leader could matter to 1 person or 1 million people. But to act on injustice or inequality, I recognize that girl leaders females have different obstacles. As Clare Boothe Luce perfectly says, “Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, “she doesn’t have what it takes.” They will say, “Women don’t have what it takes.”
Below is a list of books (for ages 0-17) about strong female leaders who will challenge, inspire, and help girls and womxn think about taking action in their own community. Changing the world for women starts with you.
A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be. -Rosalynn Carter #fearlessfemales #amreading Share on X
Picture Books for Girl Leaders
- Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio and LeUyen Pham
- Ada Twist Scientist by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts
- Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison
- Let the Children March by Monica Clark Robinson and Frank Morrison
- I Dissent: RBG Makes Her Mark by
- Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Loves and David Catrow
- The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
- Ruby’s Wish by by
- My Name Is Not Isabella: Just How Big Can a Little Girl Dream? by Jennifer Fosberry and Mike Litwin
- Little Melba and her Big Trombone by
- Buffalo Bird Girl by S.D. Nelson
- Little People Big Dreams: Frida Kahlo by
- Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya by
- The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter
- Dolores Huerta: A Hero to Migrant Workers by Sarah Warren and Robert Casilla
- Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows In The Bronx/La Juez Que Creció En El Bronx by Jonah Winter and Edel Rodriguez
- Separate is Never Equal:Sylvia Mendez and Her Familys Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatuih
- Sewing Stories: Harriet Powers’ Journey from Slave to Artist by Barbara Herkert and Vanessa Brantley-Newton
- Hillary Rodham Clinton: Some Girls are Born to Lead by Michelle Markel and LeUyen Pham
- Lillian’s Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by Jonah Winter & Shane W. Evans
- My Name is Georgia: A Portrait by Jeanette Winter by Jeanette Winter
- The Quickest Kid in Clarksville by Pat Zietlow Miller and Frank Morrison
- Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle and Rafael Lopez
For more picture book recommendations for girl leaders, check out: Multicultural Book Advent: Books for Strong Girls.
For parent resources, check out 5 Books for Raising Strong Girls.
Middle Grade Books for Girl Leaders
- Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World by Susan Hood
- Rejected Princesses:Tales of History’s Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics by Jason Porath
- Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by
- Rad Girls Can: Stories of Bold, Brave, and Brilliant Young Women by Kate Schatz and Miriam Klein Stahl
- Strong is the New Pretty by Kate T. Parker
- Women in Sports: 50 Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win by Rachel Ignotofsky
- Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by
- She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed The World by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger
- She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger
- Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
- The Breadwinner Trilogy by Deborah Ellis
- Stella by Starlight, by Sharon M. Draper
- One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia
- Sylvia & Aki by Winifred Conkling
- Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina (Young Readers Edition), by Misty Copeland
- I Got This: To Gold and Beyond by Laurie Hernandez
- The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas
- Fly Girl by Sherri L. Smith
- Red Scarf Girl by Ji-Li Jiang
- 10 Days A Madwoman by Deborah Noyes
- The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” -Brené Brown #amreading #fiercefemales Share on X
Change Makers Come in All Shapes and Sizes
There are hundreds of ways for children to become change makers and be leaders in their communities.
I know full well that one girl is powerful, but a movement of girls is unstoppable. Read more about two everyday girl leaders, Havana Chapman-Edwards and Taylor Richardson that will inspire the children in your life HERE.
Want even more? Subscribe below to get weekly book recommendations sent straight to your inbox every week. Lastly, if you are raising or teaching children ages 0-5, I wrote an entire online and self-paced course just for you to raise a reader, an activist, and a leader from birth.
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