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During the month of March, we are knee-deep in learning about biographies and writing biography research reports. I love reading aloud biography picture books about amazing women to tie in to both our biography project of the month and our weekly book talks.
While there are so many amazing books that celebrate women heroes, I have found that these 6 are my favorite to use with upper elementary students as we celebrate Women's History Month. I love that the students learn so much from these read-aloud books and get to meet amazing women that they may not of heard of. Inspiring stories such as these, truly do make an impact on students.
Read about each of my favorite read alouds to share to celebrate women who changed the world below and scoop up some fun and FREE activities to use with these books below.
Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World
Written by Katherine Halligan
I love this anthology that tells the stories of 50 amazing women! One of the great things about this book is that the contents page categorizes the biographies by topic, 10 amazing women for each topic. For example, one topic is "Think & Solve." This category has 10 biographies about women who solved problems like Marie Curie. Each biography in the book is two pages long, making it the perfect quick read aloud for each day of the month. Perfect to read during morning meeting or snack! From Coco Chanel to Anne Frank, this book has such a variety of women to read and learn about.
Shaking Things Up
Written by Susan Hood
This book is also an anthology, but each biographical piece is written in the form of a poem! I love using poetry for read alouds! Each poem is illustrated by a different female artist, making it a true celebration of women! I especially love that these poems celebrate young women and girls as they fight and act with bravery to change the world! Complete with a timeline at the front of the book and a small bio for each poem, this book will keep students engaged and allow you to share about 14 amazing women in a short amount of time! Follow up this book by having your students write their own bio poems celebrating who they are and their accomplishments!
The Girl With a Mind for Math
Written by Julia Finley Mosca
This book tells the story of Raye Montague, an engineer who is credited with changing the course of ship design forever. She was an amazing mathematician who worked for the US Navy achieving amazing accomplishments throughout her life. I love that this story connects women to mathematics, engineering, and the US Military. Written in rhyme this book is fun to read and informative!
Helen's Big World: The Life of Helen Keller
Written by Doreen Rappaport
This is one book that I truly look forward to reading each and every year! I have driven by her beautiful home in Connecticut on my way to teach each morning and each time I would get a huge rush of inspiration. (See her home in CT HERE) The story of Helen Keller is one that I am in awe of and love sharing with the kids. This picture book does a wonderful job of bringing her story to life, both the struggles and accomplishments, through engaging text and beautiful illustrations. The kids love to see the sign language chart at the end of the book, too!
Planting Seeds: The Life of Librarian & Storyteller Pura Belpre
Written by Anika Aldamuy Denise
Celebrating women of all races and ethnicities is a must, not just during Women's History Month, but all year long! This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of Pura Belpre, the first Puerto Rican librarian in New York City. She was a multi-bilingual storyteller who shared stories, legends, and her own tales that she wrote herself. This book truly celebrates women, storytelling, books, and the power of libraries. I especially love the author's note at the end that tells more about Pura's life.
Counting the Stars: The Story of Katherine Johnson, NASA Mathematician
Written by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Counting the Stars tells the incredible story of the brilliant Katherine Johnson who became a NASA scientist. At a young age, Katherine loved counting and stars. Born during a time when going into space seemed impossible, Katherine dreamed the unimaginable. She skipped grades in school and was able to solve any mathematical problem, often times just in her head! Katherine, was the only woman who joined teams of men at NASA that worked together to launch satellites and space crafts. This is a truly inspirational story!
Have more time and want to share even more amazing books with your students? Try one of these:
Other favorite titles:
- Shark Lady: The True Story of Eugenie Clark written by Jess Keating
- Dinosaur Lady written by Linda Skeers
- What Miss Mitchel Saw written by Hayley Barrett
- Dancing Hands How Teresa Carreno Played the Piano for President Lincoln written by Margarita Engle
- Breaking the Ice: Story of the First Woman to Play in the NHL written by Angie Bullaro
- Mary Wears What She Wants written by Keith Negley
Want to mix up your read-aloud block with something different?
Share this video of the read-aloud of the book The House that Jane Built by Tanya Lee Stone about Jane Addams, the first woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
When it comes to engaging students in biography and nonfiction reading activities, don't overlook the power of an amazing informational picture book! These books about these amazing women can be read any day, not just during March for Women's History Month!
Looking for Women's History Month Activities?
Try these print and digital reading passages!
Try these print and digital reading passages!
GRAB the FREE activities from this post:
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