I have two more Strong Girl books to add to your TBR stack and to your library.
Marley Dias Gets It DONE: And So Can You!
Scholastic Press, 2018
Marley Dias, founder of the #1000BlackGirlsBooks movement has written a book that is part memoir and autobiography and a whole lot Girl Power. This full-color book is jam packed with advice, inspiration, and action steps for young social activists. My favorite chapter is "Be The Change You Want to See in the World: Get Woke." She identifies three levels of Wokeness: Awareness, Consciousness, and Wokeness, then illustrates the levels using Disney Princesses. Cinderella is aware, Jasmine is conscious, but Mulan and Belle are full-on woke. It wouldn't be Marley Dias if she didn't have several sections on books and reading (her section on How To Read is fabulous!), plus an extensive booklist of books that feature black girls as the protagonist.
What Would She Do?: 25 True Stories of Trailblazing Rebel Women
by Kay Woodward
Scholastic Press, February 27, 2018
This book features the stories of 25 women from all times in history and from all over the globe. For each woman, there is a short blurb, full-color illustrations, a single-page highly readable biography, a quote...and a question that a modern girl might ask with an answer based on that woman's life and legacy. Because of all of these features, this book will be accessible to a wide range of readers, and will likely be one they go back to over and over again to dig more deeply into the lives of these inspirational women.
Thank you ladies- always looking for books my ELLs can read and learn about powerful women. Im going to check this out-
ReplyDeleteThank you for the recommendations. I can't wait to add these books to my classroom library. I am always looking for new books that showcase diverse main characters. Many children's books focus only on strong male characters or portray girl characters as someone needing saving. There is such a need for books that portray girls as strong, confident, curious, and smart. Children learn about the world around them through reading. We must provide students with books where the characters reflect themselves. Students should have access to all kinds of books where the main characters reflect many different types of students.
ReplyDeleteWith so many sexual abuse scandals in the news, children now more than ever need books with strong female heroines. Females in these books are brave, smart, and capable. That is what all our children (not just girls, but boys too) need to see. Books that feature strong female characters empower all kids. It shows them that anyone can be a hero.
Some of my other favorite books that star strong females are: Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, She Persisted, Ada Twist Scientist, Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History, and Malala: Activist for Girls’ Education. These books show kids that any girl (no matter her home life or race) can be a hero.
Thank you so much for sharing these works of art. I am always looking for ways to empower young women of all backgrounds. These pieces can be used to teach critical literacy to females. Both of these pieces can teach women how to think for themselves and evaluate the different pieces of literature that are put in front of them. Because textbooks are historically biased and written by males, using books written by empowered females is so important for boys and girls in order to close the gender gap and work towards equality. I love that these pieces show modern and historical women doing amazing things, and connects the historical women to modern women. The diversity shown in these books is something that I believe show be present in all classrooms.
ReplyDeleteShowing examples of powerful women of all backgrounds to boys and girls at a young age is so important in creating a diverse and equal classroom environment where everyone's opinion is valued. My hope is that the students will carry this view into the real world and the workplace as they grow. Our world is so diverse and these books will make teaching about it and making it real to students easier. Thanks again!
I am grateful to have read this post. Although I am an educator, I am most excited to read these two book titles for myself. Growing up as a young girl I was not an avid reader. I did not enjoy fairytales and non-fiction books. I did not develop a love for reading until I was well into young adulthood (22 years of age). I learned that I loved how to books, informational text, memoirs, and autobiographies. I love learning about the world and the people that have built it. I wish for nothing more than to raise my daughters in a literary world in which their girlhood/womanhood is celebrated. Girls are powerful. Woman are the life of humanity. I love seeing young girls like Marley Diaz standing tall and affirming the importance of girls taking social, political, and educational action to make their mark on the world.
ReplyDeleteThank you for these book suggestions.
You're the second person to recommend Marley Dias's book to me this week. I'm so glad that she's continuing with her initiative and extending her outreach, especially to black girls.
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