Book some women power!

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly – There’s no way to start this list without highlighting the amazing women who contributed to aviation history both in terms of developing fighter planes in World War II and developing rocket science in the space age. These women held highly-skilled jobs in an age when most of the US fought for Civil Rights. They couldn’t be kept back or kept down – even though they could not obtain the distinction of mathematicians or engineers, positions that were reserved for white males. These women were referred to as “computers”, which was lower than a mathematician in the pre-computer age with all its advanced technology. When computer technology came to the workplace, their jobs were often to re-calculate information.

They essentially checked the computer’s facts for accuracy.

Charlotte Bronte: A Writer’s Life by Rebecca Fraser – “If men could see us as we really are, they would be amazed,” wrote Bronte, who is most famous for her novel Jane Eyre. The author strives to place Charlotte’s life “within the framework of contemporary attitudes towards woman, and addresses how attitudes and perceptions of Charlotte have (or haven’t) changed since the Victorian era.

Jacqueline Kennedy Historic Conversations on Life with John F Kennedy – These books, compiled by Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy and the Kennedy library, are accompanied by CDs that capture Jackie Kennedy voice describing her life with the president. This is a rare audio treat.

Who Is Malala Yousafzai? – Upper elementary and middle school students love the Who Is/Who Was series. They’re a simple read, and the pictures resemble comics, which gives these biographies the image of being somewhere between chapter books and comics.

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Patricia McCormic – this is a teenage- friendly version of Malala’s autobiography.

Malala’s story of survival after she was shot by the Taliban for attending school will resonate with girls who are reluctant readers.

Louisa The Extraordinary Life of Mrs Adams by Louisa Thomas – Only two US First Ladies were not born in the US.

Louisa Adams, born in England served as First Lady and the wife of the sixth president of the US, John Quincy Adams. Louisa is an exciting biography of the first lady, who was born in England.

Michele – A biography by Liza Mundy – This short biography of Michelle Obama shows her transformation from lawyer to First Lady of the US.

Galileo’s Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love by Dava Sobel is still one of my favourite biographies in the library. This is the touching story of the relationship between Galileo and his illegitimate daughter, a cloistered nun, who became his biggest supporter.

She stood by Galileo when everyone abandoned him, and he was in trouble with the search for his scientific inventions and theories.

Read a book on this list or any book by a woman this week to discover women power.