CurriConnects Book List - Women as Change Makers
Other lists
Ideas for using this list
More on Lexiles
Women as Change Makers
From Harriet Tubman to Greta Thunberg, women have influenced change worldwide for hundreds of years. Explore this list of changemakers to enhance classroom instruction.
Picture Books
Phenomenal AOC - Anika Aldamuy Denise, (978-0063113749), Non-fiction
Interest level: K-3
From a waitress in the Bronx to a lawmaker in Washington, D.C., Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez became the country's youngest Congresswoman in 2019.
Fighting for YES! - Maryann Cocca-Leffler, (978-1419755606), Non-fiction
Interest level: 1-4
Judith Heumann made a change for people with disabilities for her entire life. She began with a fight to attend elementary school, continued with a fight to get a teaching license that was denied because of her disability, and staged a sit-in for equal rights at the San Francisco Federal Building.
Pangolina - Jane Goodall, (978-1662650406), Fiction
Interest level: K-3, Lexile: 780
Pangolina leaves the safety of her family to venture out on her own. She gets trapped by a hunter and is taken to market to sell for her scales, which many people believe have magical powers. A young girl sees the young Pangolina and begs her mother to buy her so she can set Pangolina free.
With Love - Jane Goodall, (978-9888240906), Non-fiction
Interest level: K-2, Lexile: 990
Scientist and conservationist Jane Goodall shares stories about the chimpanzees she has lived among and studied for decades.
Goldie Takes a Stand - Barbara Krasner, (978-1467712019), Non-fiction
Interest level: K-4, Lexile: 630
Golda Meir was the first female prime minister of Israel. She worked to try and establish peace in the Middle Eastern region and set up a coalition government after her country went to war.
I am Malala Yousafzai - Brad Meltzer, (978-0593405888), Non-fiction
Interest level: K-4, Lexile: 610
As a young girl in Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai understood the value of education and wanted to go to school. When she begins to attend her father's school, the Taliban takes over the school and brutally attacks her. She is not deterred and continues to speak out about education and women's rights. She is the youngest person ever to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of Gambia - Miranda Paul, (978-1467716086), Non-fiction
Interest level: K-3, Lexile: 570
Goats are eating plastic bags in Gambia. Isatou Ceesay sees this problem and starts collecting plastic bags. She teaches others in her village to crochet the bags into purses.
Wilma's Way Home - Doreen Rappoport, (978-1484747186), Non-fiction
Interest level: PreK-4, Lexile: 840
Wilma Mankiller was the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation. She worked to improve living conditions in her community.
Fight of the Century: Alice Paul Battles Woodrow Wilson for the Vote - Barb Rosenstock, (978-1629799087), Non-fiction
Interest level: 2-5, Lexile: 650
Suffragist leader Alice Paul took on Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States, in the battle for women's rights. Between arguments and protests, President Wilson changed his position and the political landscape of the United States.
A Race Around the World: The True Story of Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland (She Made History) - Caroline Starr Rose, (978-0807500101), Non-fiction
Interest level: PreK-3, Lexile: 760
News Reporter Nellie Bly is best known for her investigative reporting on the treatment of the mentally ill in New York City. She also circumnavigated the globe in 72 days.
Greta and the Giants - Zoe Tucker, (978-0711253773), Fiction
Interest level: K-2
Young Greta lives in a beautiful forest. The Giants come to the woods and start taking all of the trees. Greta wants to save her animal friends and their forest home.
Our House is on Fire: Greta Thunberg's Call to Save the Planet - Jeanette Winter, (978-1534467781), Non-fiction
Interest level: K-3, Lexile: 680
When Greta learned about climate change in school, she knew she needed to take action. A weekly solo protest outside the Swedish Parliament grew into a worldwide movement.
The Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life with the Chimps - Jeanette Winter, (978-0375867743), Non-fiction
Interest level: K-3, Lexile: 630
Jane Goodall changed the face of animal conservation as she lived with the chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania.
Malala's Magic Pencil - Malala Yousafzai, (978-0241322574), Fiction
Interest level: K-3, Lexile: 610
Malala wishes for a magic pencil to make the world around her a better place. As she gets older, she realizes the magic in her pencils and how they can change the world.
Middle Grade Books
Who is Jane Goodall? - Roberta Edwards, (978-0448461922), Non-fiction
Interest level: 3-7, Lexile: 700
Jane Goodall changed the face of animal conservation as she lived with the chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania.
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Inspiring Young Changemakers - Jess Harriton, (978-1953424341), Non-fiction
Interest level: 2-12, Lexile: 890
This collection tells the story of 100 women who have made changes in the world.
Rolling Warrior: The Incredible, Sometimes Awkward, True Story of a Rebel Girl on Wheels Who Helped Spark a Revolution - Judith Heumann, (978-0807003596), Non-fiction
Interest level: 5-9, Lexile: 760
Judith Heumann made changes for people with disabilities for her entire life. She began with a fight to attend elementary school, continued with a fight to get a teaching license that was denied because of her disability, and staged a sit-in for equal rights at the San Francisco Federal Building.
Who is Greta Thunberg? - Jill Leonard, (978-0593225677), Non-fiction
Interest level: 3-7, Lexile: 910
When Greta learned about climate change in school, she knew she needed to take action. A weekly solo protest outside the Swedish Parliament grew into a worldwide movement.
Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birut? Galdikas - Jim Ottaviani, (978-1250062932), Non-fiction
Interest level: 7-9
Covering the lives of Jane Goodall and two other primatologists, this nonfiction graphic novel presents the lives of three women in science who helped the world learn more about primates and ourselves.
Untamed: The Wild Life of Jane Goodall - Anita Silvey, (978-1426315183), Non-fiction
Interest level: 3-7, Lexile: 1100
Jane Goodall changed the face of animal conservation as she lived with the chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania.
ABCs of AOC: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from A to Z - Jamia Wilson, (978-0316495141), Non-fiction
Interest level: 3-7
From a waitress in the Bronx to a lawmaker in Washington, D.C., Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez became the country's youngest Congresswoman in 2019.
Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls' Rights - Malala Yousafzai, (978-1526361592), Non-fiction
Interest level: 1-5, Lexile: 570
As a young girl in Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai understood the value of education and wanted to go to school. When she begins to attend her father's school, the Taliban takes over the school and brutally attacks her. She is not deterred and continues speaking about education and women's rights. She is the youngest person ever to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Young Adult Books (ages 12-18; Grades 7 and up)
Queens of the Resistance: Alexandra Ocasio Cortez - Brenda Jones, (978-0593189856), Non-fiction
Interest level: YA
From a waitress in the Bronx to a lawmaker in Washington, D.C., Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez became the country's youngest Congresswoman in 2019.
Alice Paul and the Fight for Women's Rights: From the Vote to the Equal Rights Amendment - Deborah Kops, (978-1629793238), Non-fiction
Interest level: 5-12, Lexile: 1050
Alice Paul impacted the suffrage movement and the equal rights movement in America.
Young Changemakers: Changing the World One Story at a Time - Kristi Maggio, (979-8987413104), Non-fiction
Interest level: YA
Learn how young people are using social media to change the world.
Liz and Nellie: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's Race Around the World in Eighty Days - Shonna Slayton, (978-0997449907), Non-fiction
Interest level: YA
Nellie Bly sets off to circumnavigate the globe in less than Jules Verne's eight days. As she set off to the east, Elizabeth Bisland set off to the west, and the race was on.
No One is Too Small to Make a Difference - Greta Thunberg, (978-0241446737), Non-fiction
Interest level: YA
Greta Thubnerg is a leader in the global fight against climate change. This book is a collection of some of her speeches around the world.
Our House is on Fire - Greta Thunberg, (978-0143133568), Non-fiction
Interest level: YA, Lexile: 940
Greta Thubnerg is a leader in the global fight against climate change. This book is a collection of some of her speeches around the world.
Crafting Change: Handmade Activism, Past and Present - Jessica Vitkus, (978-0374313326), Non-fiction
Interest level: YA
This book focuses on using creativity to fuel activism. It brings projects such as the AIDS quilt to light. Each chapter of the book discusses a movement, gives historical context, and gives a project idea.
I am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World - Malala Yousafzai, ((978-0316327916), Non-fiction
Interest level: 5 and Up, Lexile: 830
As a young girl in Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai understood the value of education and wanted to go to school. When she begins to attend her father's school, the Taliban takes over the school and brutally attacks her. She is not deterred and continues to speak out about education and women's rights. She is the youngest person ever to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.