"You can be passionate and take action about many things: Mahani has been able to combine music, environmental activism, cultural preservation, family, and more!"

Imagine having to leave your beloved home to pursue the career of your dreams — only to have the opportunity to return and inspire a new generation while protecting the local environment! That's the incredible story of musician Mahani Teave, who's been called "one of the world’s greatest pianists" by The New York Times. Now, a gorgeous new picture book is introducing kids to this inspiring role model! Continue reading → Continue reading

Dr. Helen Taussig envisioned and helped develop a life-saving operation for the nearly always fatal "blue baby syndrome," saving the lives of tens of thousands of babies.

Dr. Helen Taussig overcame severe dyslexia, partial deafness, and sexism to earn a medical degree and, in the 1940s, she helped develop a life-saving operation for "blue baby syndrome," a birth defect of the heart that had a very high morality rate. Now recognized as the founder of the field of pediatric cardiology, her unique insights on previously incurable babies would go on to change the field of neonatal medicine forever. "To be a leader, you have to recognize where the gaps are," observed Dr. Anne Murphy, a pediatric cardiologist at Johns Hopkins Children's Center. "[Dr. Taussig] recognized there was a gap in caring for these patients with heart defects... and she made the effort to work with others to make a difference."

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"I look for traits such as perseverance, creativity, empathy, and courage in the people I write about. But most importantly, I look for people who have never given up on their dreams."

Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara celebrated the birth of her twin nieces with an extra special gift: the very first volume in the Little People, BIG DREAMS picture book biography series! The series, with its stylish artwork, intriguing subjects, and empowering stories, quickly became a bestseller. Today, more than 7.5 million copies of her books have been sold and the series is about to reach an enormous milestone: Sánchez Vegara has just released her 100th volume, telling the story of Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate! Continue reading → Continue reading

The best biographies, memoirs, and historical fiction for adults about heroic women of World War II.

Women have always served their countries in many ways during wartime, but the sheer scope of World War II demanded more of them than ever — and they answered the call. Around the world, women served as military nurses, pilots, resistance fighters, codebreakers, spies, and in other roles. For decades, their stories were little known. Sometimes, details were classified so women couldn't tell anyone, even their families, about the work they had done during the war. Other times, they hesitated to share their experiences, often because they humbly believed that their contributions were "ordinary." And, in some cases, their work was left out of histories because society did not recognize that women could be veterans, and that an Army nurse or a WASP pilot or an SOE spy deserved just as much celebration for her heroism as any soldier. Continue reading → Continue reading

Beverly Cleary redefined children's literature for a generation of young readers.

For decades, children have delighted in the adventures of Ramona and her sister Beezus, Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy, and Ralph, the motorcycle riding mouse! Although these books were written long ago, their characters feel like they could still be living in the house next door thanks to the remarkable writing of their author, Beverly Cleary, who died in 2021 at the age of 104. When asked about the multi-generational appeal of her books, Cleary credited the spirit of childhood which she believed is just as timeless as her stories. "I think deep down inside children are all the same," she told NPR in a 2006 interview. "They want two loving parents and they would prefer a house with a neighborhood they can play in. They want teachers that they can like. I don't think children themselves have changed that much." Continue reading → Continue reading

Virginia Hall was one of the greatest spies of World War II but her incredible story is largely unknown today.

The Nazis considered Virginia Hall the "most dangerous of all Allied spies," yet the story of the "Limping Lady" is largely unknown today. Hall spent nearly the entire war in France, first as a spy for Britain's newly formed Special Operations Executive (SOE) and later for the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Special Operations Branch. Even her cumbersome wooden prosthetic leg, which she nicknamed Cuthbert, proved no obstacle to Hall's courage and determination to defeat the Nazis. While undercover in France, she proved exceptionally adept at eluding the Gestapo as she organized resistance groups, masterminded jailbreaks for captured agents, mapped drop zones, reported on German troop movements, set up safe houses, and rescued escaped POWs and downed Allied pilots. Even years after the war, however, she rarely talked about her extraordinary career; a reticence she likely developed during her years as a spy since, as she once observed, "Many of my friends were killed for talking too much." Continue reading → Continue reading

The courageous teenager rode 40 miles on horseback to muster local militia troops in response to a British attack on the town of Danbury during the U.S. Revolutionary War.

On the night of April 26, 1777, 16-year-old Sybil Ludington climbed onto her horse and set off on a mission: a 40-mile ride to muster local militia troops in response to a British attack on the town of Danbury, Connecticut. Riding all night through rain — and traveling twice the distance that Paul Revere rode during his famous midnight ride — Sybil returned home at dawn having given nearly the entire regiment of 400 Colonial troops the order to assemble. Following the battle, General George Washington personally thanked Sybil for her service and bravery. Although every American school child knows the story of Paul Revere — largely thanks to the famous poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow — unfortunately few are taught about Sybil Ludington's courageous feat. Continue reading → Continue reading

The Mighty Girl activist leading a movement for inclusive coloring.

Bellen Woodard was only 8 years old when she noticed that her classmates often asked for the "skin color" crayon, when what they really meant was peach. That simple observation led her to becoming the world's first crayon activist! Since then, Bellen, who's now 11, has founded the More than Peach Project, created her own line of art supplies with more inclusive colors for skin, and written a picture book. Now, she's released a new interactive guide, Change The World: Activities for Colorful Activism, designed to help kids build confidence, help their communities, and create a more inclusive world. "Don't shrink," she tells her readers. "And as the world swirls and whirls you grow. And grow." Continue reading → Continue reading

At 8 years old, Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins joined the "Capitol Crawl" with other disability rights activists demanding passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

On March 12, 1990, over 1,000 disability rights activists marched from the White House to the U.S. Capitol to demand the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which had been stalled in Congress. To illustrate the barriers that many people with disabilities faced every day, over 60 activists cast aside their wheelchairs and crutches and began crawling up the 83 stone steps that lead to the Capitol building — among them was Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, an 8-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who declared "I’ll take all night if I have to" as she pulled herself up the steps. In honor of the anniversary of the historic "Capitol Crawl" — which helped drive the successful passage of the ADA, the world's first comprehensive civil rights law protecting the rights people with disabilities — we're sharing the story of this determined young activist whose actions helped transform the lives of people with disabilities across the nation. Continue reading → Continue reading

In celebration of International Women's Day, we're featuring a collection of 50 books about global girls and women from Afghanistan, Chile, the Philippines, China, and many other countries around the world!

When we highlight children's books about real-life Mighty Girls and women, they often focus on individuals from Western countries such as the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. While kids' books about remarkable women from elsewhere around the world are often harder to find, there are fortunately growing numbers of titles celebrating the accomplishments of girls and women worldwide. Continue reading → Continue reading