15 Inspiring Books To Celebrate Remarkable Women for Women’s History Month

Women's History Month Books

Photo: Paul Hanaoka
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March is Women’s History Month, and now is the perfect time to brush up on some of the most important females the world has ever seen. Traditionally, women have a long history of being left out of history books—despite their accomplishments and amazing stories. Luckily, things are changing. In recent years, creative publications have shed light on these incredible people through engaging stories and pictures.

Authors and illustrators are working together to bring women’s history to life. There are a bevy of books available through places like Amazon, so how do you choose? We’re here to help; we’ve selected 10 books that will both feed your creative soul and highlight remarkable women. Some are geared towards adults while others are books that people of all ages will love. Regardless of what you choose, you’ll come away with a better understanding of who these women are, and you'll be inspired by their intelligence and tenacity.

Scroll down for our picks of creative books to celebrate Women’s History Month. If you have a Kindle device, you’re in luck—many of these books are available through the e-reader, too. Through Kindle Unlimited, you have unlimited access to over a million ebooks that can be read on any device.

Celebrate Women's History Month with these creative books that bring remarkable ladies' stories to life.

Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women

Girls Think of Everything, originally published in 2000 but updated in 2022, features innovations by a variety of women inventors. Each chapter features problems and their creative solutions that have changed (or will change) the world. One profile, for instance, includes Azza Abdelhamid Faiad, an Egyptian teen who figured out a way to turn recycled plastic into fuel.

 

Women Who Dared: 52 Stories of Fearless Daredevils, Adventurers, and Rebels

Women Who Dared Book

Linda Skeers | $15.80

Women have always been adventurers, daredevils, and rebels, but they’re rarely referred to in those ways in the history books. This compilation features brief biographies of ladies who risked their lives for the thrill of it, like Annie Edson Taylor—the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel.

 

Raising the Roof: Women Architects Who Broke Through the Glass Ceiling

Women are spearheading some of the most exciting and innovative architecture projects around the globe. Learn about 50 leading female architects through profiles, interviews, and photographs of their most significant works.

 

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark

I Dissent Book

Debbie Levy | $17.66

Get to know Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in this picture book about her life. It tells her story through the lens of her famous dissents or disagreements.

 

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History

Author and illustrator Vashti Harrison tells the story of 40 trailblazing black women who broke down racial and gender barriers to make it possible for future generations to achieve their dreams.

 

Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World

Who shook up the world? These women and girls did! This book celebrates 50 inspiring women by sharing the basic facts of their lives and their overall significance in women’s history.

 

The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II

The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II

Mari Eder | $16.73

Learn about 15 women who put their lives on the line during World War II. In and out of uniform, these incredible women are the heroes of the Greatest Generation that you haven't heard about.

 

Art of Feminism: Images that Shaped the Fight for Equality, 1857-2022

Art of Feminism pulls back from writing about the individual to offer a comprehensive international survey of feminist art. Some of the more than 350 works include posters of the Suffrage Atelier, the art of Judy Chicago, and the “living sculptures” of Sethembile Msezane.

 

Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World

Interested in science? Author and illustrator Rachel Ignotosky highlights the contributions of fifty notable women in the STEM fields, from the ancient past to the modern world.

 

Modern Herstory: Stories of Women and Nonbinary People Rewriting History

Modern Herstory Book

Blair Imani | $16.73

Get inspired by the lives of 70 women, girls, and nonbinary people who are changing the world. Blair Imani's book celebrates the traditionally overlooked people who are making a difference through their work in the Civil Rights Movement, Black Lives Matter, and much more.

 

Rad American Women A-Z: Rebels, Trailblazers, and Visionaries who Shaped Our History . . . and Our Future!

Rad American Women

Kate Schatz | $15.79

This children’s book, geared towards grades five and up, profiles 26 American women from the 18th through the 21st century. The people included run the gamut in professions, from artists to teachers to lawyers to athletes and beyond. In addition, women of differing economic and ethnic backgrounds are featured to make this an inclusive portrait of trailblazers in the US.

 

Broad Strokes: 15 Women Who Made Art and Made History (in That Order)

Broad Strokes 15 Women Who Made Art and Made History

Bridget Quinn | $27.85

One of the most glaring omissions of women in history is through art. Broad Strokes offers corrections to these oversights. Art historian Bridget Quinn shares the lives of 15 female artists, from 1600 to the present, in a way that’s both educational and a joy to read.

 

Bad Girls Throughout History: 100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World

Bad Girls Throughout History

Ann Shen | $18.55

There are 100 women in the now iconic Bad Girls Throughout History book. Many you might have heard of, like Marie Curie who was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize. But there are others—like Aphra Behn, the first female professional writer—who have flown under the radar. Get to know them all through illuminating words and striking watercolor portraits.

 

Women Street Artists: 24 Contemporary Graffiti and Mural Artists from Around the World

Discover 24 creative female street artists around the globe and get inspired by their creations. Through stunning photography and in-depth profiles, you'll learn about artists like Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, who makes site-specific work that considers how people experience race and gender within their surrounding environments, as well as Afghanistan's first female street artist, Shamsia Hassani.

 

In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from Over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs

In the Company of Women

Grace Bonney | $18.55

Over 100 makers, artists, and entrepreneurs share their knowledge in this bestselling book. From media barons and ceramicists to comedians and architects, these high-achieving women are an endless source of inspiration.

 

This article has been updated and edited.

Related Articles:

10 Essential Art History Books for Beginners

19 Awesome Books on the Long History of Photography

15 Books You Should Read This Black History Month And All Year Long

Learn From Feminist Icons RBG, Maya Angelou, and Frida With These Inspirational Books

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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