Can you believe we’ve made it to March?!
Besides marking the time when everything changed last year, March is also the month we celebrate Women’s History! Following International Women’s Day on March 8th, Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate the many achievements women have contributed to our society.
Whether you’re a parent of a young girl or a young boy, reading and learning about these accomplishments is very important, and there are so many books that can make it fun too! Here are a few of my favorite book for middle graders that I think everyone should pick up this month:
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
This popular movie actually started as an incredibly powerful middle grade book! This true story reveals the narratives of NASA’s African-American female mathematicians, who played a crucial role in America’s space program. Definitely a must-read for the young math and science whizzes in your life!
Betty Before X by Ilyasah Shabazz
This book seems like a true story, but it’s important to recognize that it is fiction. The story follows 11-year-old Betty, who would grow up to be civil rights leader Dr. Betty Shabazz, wife of Malcolm X. Written by Betty’s daughter in real life, this book explores through fiction four important years in her mother’s childhood, painting an inspiring coming-of-age story that will still resonate with the young readers of today.
Finding Wonders by Jeannine Atkins
This book, written entirely in verse, explores three different narratives of three different real girls who grew up to make groundbreaking discoveries in science. According to the back of the book, the story “celebrates the joy of discovery and finding wonder in the world around us.”
I Am Malala (Young Reader’s Edition) by Malala Yousafzai
If you don’t know who Malala is by now, it’s time you learn! This book recounts Malala Yousafazi’s real-life story of being shot in the head by the Taliban at the age of 15 for her belief in girls being allowed to go to school. Her story is incredibly inspiring, and this young reader’s version is the perfect book for the young people in your life!
Have you read any of these books before? Let me know what you think of them in the comments!