Celebrating inspirational women

This is the story of the incredible life of Wilma Mankiller, the first female leader of the Cherokee Nation and dedicated activist and eco-warrior. This brightly illustrated picture book is sure to be read and re-read for years to come. 

On her way home from school, Maya announces that she wants to be a princess when she grows up. Mum encourages her to consider other professions, but Maya won’t change her mind. Though maybe it’s not a fairy tale princess she’s thinking about. A witty story about inspirational black women.

A brilliant and beautiful rhyming book about supporting your child’s curiosity, and taking inspiration from Ada Lovelace (the pioneer mathematician and programmer), this is an inspirational and entertaining read.

This heart-warming true story about working hard to achieve your dreams will inspire children to believe that they can be whoever they want to be.

An inspirational picture book biography of an amazing woman: the feminist, journalist and activist Gloria Steinem. Aura Lewis’ dreamy, girly 70s-style watercolour illustration makes for a beautiful read for all children with a passion for justice.

Frida Kahlo’s life story is adapted for younger readers – with bold and colourful illustrations, and an inspiring facts and photos section at the back.

The inspiring story of Grace Hopper: someone who revolutionised computer science and used her sparky sense of humour to make up the term ​“computer bug”. A great read for children in need of inspiration when it comes to science and maths.

This beautifully illustrated collection of 50 biographies showcases a huge range of historical and modern-day South Asian women’s stories and achievements. 

Featuring 50 brilliant Indian women from history and the present day, Girl Power: Indian Women Who Took on the World is a truly inspirational read, with clearly laid out text and gorgeous painted portraits by Niloufer Wadia.

This beautiful and profound book chronicles the struggles and achievements of historic and contemporary black women. Not just for girls, this is an inspiring book for any child as it shows how determination, ambition and hard work can bring important change.

Looking back at the life of Josephine Baker, this book captures a bubbly personality but also shows another side to this public figure, away from the jazz and razzmatazz. As ever, the Little People, Big Dreams series both educates and inspires. 

Written and illustrated by a direct descendant of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, this colourful picture book is full of facts about 13 inspirational women from history, showcasing their achievements in a fun and accessible way.

Rosa Park’s story is brought to life for a young audience in this wonderfully accessible picture book, with comic-style illustrations.

Fiona Robinson’s beautifully blue book about the life of 19th-century born Anna Atkins is an inspiring testament to a father’s commitment to his daughter’s education, and to her passion for the natural world. Young nature lovers will be inspired by Anna’s story.

Featuring simply-told stories and glorious illustrations, this book about incredible, determined women from around the world is sure to inspire a generation of young readers.

This slightly fictionalised version of the experiences of female pilots in World War Two is a fascinating read in terms of untold history. It’s also an inspiring and heartwarming story of the close bonds these pioneer female pilots formed with each other. Brilliant.

An appealing, meaningful and well-researched book, perfectly pitched for older primary aged children. It’s impossible not to be inspired by the work of these women artists, and hopefully learning about their contributions will ensure a new generation of artists.

So many women’s achievements in sport have been overlooked in favour of men’s over the years, so it’s a great pleasure to see these 50 women celebrated. The text is engaging and factual, represented clearly and with a focus on inspiring and empowering readers.

This beautifully illustrated introduction to Michelle Obama’s inspiring life is a must for anyone with a dream, and a reminder that with hard work and focus, everything is possible.

This amazing and deeply inspiring story of a largely unknown scientist – and pioneer of the care of Komodo dragons – is a fascinating read, beautifully illustrated. 

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is credited with having invented the science fiction genre. But many adults and very few children will know the fascinating story of her life. A great introduction to Mary, a teen girl writing in a man’s world.

The 50 women profiled in this book are leaders in their fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Thoroughly inspiring and informative, in a fun and stylish illustrated format: a must for every child.

A beautifully written and illustrated book about the inspiring life story of Mae Jemison, the first black woman in space, from the wonderful Work It Girl series. 

If you’re worried that your children experience a lack of female role models in the worlds of science, politics, the arts, history, sport and technology, worry no more!

Celebrated in this lavish hardback, the stories of 50 great women redefine their ​“herstory”, from disability activist Helen Keller to Indian poet, singer and saint Mira Bai and Aboriginal Australian Olympic athlete Cathy Freeman.

Adam Murphy interviews 18 amazing women from history. With a casual, chatty style and colourful comic-strip illustrations, this unique, accessible and slightly macabre series is packed full of humour and fascinating facts.

A joyful anthology of 15 short stories celebrating Black girls that any reader would enjoy.  

In this wonderful book, Granström and Manning tell the stories of 21 amazing women from across the world, as well as highlighting the stories of other women relevant to their stories. 

A fascinating, engaging and empowering story of Lily, a teenage munitions worker at the Woolwich Arsenal, and the origins of women’s football during the First World War.

An inspirational book detailing the achievements of 100 women of colour which includes a full page portrait and biography of each amazing woman.

For thousands of years, the work of brilliant female creatives has gone unappreciated, whether they were taking part in weaving, sewing, embroidery or crockery. This fascinating book profiles wonderful women artists from across the world and gives their work the attention it deserves.

Lightning Mary tells the true story of Mary Anning, a Victorian fossil expert, whose discoveries of the ichthyosaur contributed to changes in scientific thinking about the history of the earth. A brilliant read.

Set in Jamaica and London in 1781, this insightful novel follows the fate of half-sisters Ruth and Anna, who are born to the same slave mother. As well as highlighting the appalling treatment of slaves, this moving tale celebrates the bond between sisters.

This fun and fascinating collection celebrates women who left their mark on history before the age of 20. Featuring a diverse range of women, and written in a chatty style, this book will inspire any girl (or boy) to go out there and rock the world themselves.

This is the incredible true story of Noor Inayat Khan, a Muslim woman who spied for Britain during the Second World War. Noor is written by Sufiya Ahmed as a brave and fiercely impassioned young woman, painting her life with meticulous detail and a realistic first person voice.

Goddesses, spirits, saints and other female figures in world religions, faiths and practices are a fascinating and empowering subject to learn about. In Dr Ramirez’s brilliant book, 9–12 year-olds will be fascinated to learn about 50 key figures from around the world.

A biography of the suffragette Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, whose fascinating life has been ignored by many other books for children and teenagers about the suffragettes. Sufiya Ahmed’s powerful and detailed biography puts right the unfair impression that only white women in history cared about women’s rights.

This dyslexia friendly book looks at feminism and friendship, set against the looming backdrop of the First World War. Lizzy is a fantastic character, full of passion and wonderfully unafraid to stand up for herself after joining the Suffragettes.

This is the real life story of one of the most incredible and inspirational young people in the world. Reading this book might just change the way you think and feel.