Dr. Lora L. Tyson Education Curriculum Resource Center

Tells the story of Alice Coachman, an athlete from rural Georgia who made history in 1948 as the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal.

A biography of Wilma Rudolph, an African-American who overcame crippling polio as a child to become the first woman to win three gold medals in track during a single Olympics.

Ten-year-old Samantha "Sweet Feet" Gordon isn't just a girl who plays football. She's also the best player in a league full of boys and has become an online sensation. Known for flying past the defense to reach the end zone 35 times while racking up almost 2,000 yards in one season, Sam's YouTube highlight reel made her an overnight sensation. Appearing in her own Super Bowl commercial and on ESPN, Good Morning America, and Cartoon Network, Sam's attitude that girls can do anything, has inspired people across the world, from the U.S. women's soccer team to NFL greats to other kids just like her.

A picture book biography about Lizzie Murphy, the first woman to play in a major league exhibition game and the first person to play on both the New England and American leagues' all-star teams.

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, Chloe Kim became the youngest woman to ever receive an Olympic gold medal in snowboarding, and she was only seventeen! This amazing accomplishment led to Chloe winning three ESPY awards, becoming the inspiration for her own Barbie doll, and gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated. She is also the only athlete to have won three gold medals at the X Games before turning sixteen.

In her career, Megan has won Olympic gold medals, several World Cup trophies, ESPY Awards, and more. Not only is Megan a fierce competitor on the field, she's also a brave activist who stands up for the rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals like herself. Learn about Megan Rapinoe's incredible soccer career and inspiring life as an activist in this book for young readers!

Drawing on historical sites, archives, expertise, and the unquestioned authority of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon have created the first authorized graphic biography of Anne Frank. Carefully researched for historical authenticity, the book includes numerous panels featuring images that have been adapted from photographs of Anne and her family.

They called her "Minty." When she grew up, she became Harriet Tubman, the courageous and heroic woman who helped hundreds of slaves escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad. Minty, short for Araminta, was a feisty and headstrong young slave, whose rebellious spirit often got her into trouble. And when her father began to teach her the skills necessary for escape, she listened carefully, and learned.

Fifty years after her refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, city bus, Mrs. Rosa Parks is still one of the most important figures in the American civil rights movement. This picture-book tribute to Mrs. Parks is a celebration of her courageous action and the events that followed.

Includes short biographies of Lucy Stone, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Alice Paul and Carrie Chapman Catt.

Profiles the life and accomplishments of the schoolteacher who became the most famous leader of the women's rights movement.

Presents the life and achievements of Coretta Scott King, discussing her vital role in the Civil Rights Movement, her awareness campaigns, and her efforts to continue the work of her husband, Martin Luther King, Jr.

A bold and gripping graphic history of the fight for women's rights. The ongoing struggle for women's rights has spanned human history, touched nearly every culture on Earth, and encompassed a wide range of issues, such as the right to vote, work, get an education, own property, exercise bodily autonomy, and beyond. Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists is a fun and fascinating graphic novel-style primer that covers the key figures and events that have advanced women's rights from antiquity to the modern era.

Belva Lockwood was an extraordinary woman. From early in her life, she expressed herself and demanded her rights for equal education and equal pay. Eventually, Lockwood became the first women to practice law before the United States Supreme Court and the first woman to run a full presidential campaign in 1884 and 1888.

The lives these 10 women led are part of an incredible story about courage in the face of oppression, about the challenges and triumphs of the battle for civil rights, and about speaking out for what you believe in-- even when it feels like no one is listening.

eBook, available online
Shares the story of how "General" Rosalie Gardner Jones marched an army of women nearly one hundred seventy-five miles to win support for voting rights for women.

This book introduces the life of Coretta Scott King who worked beside her husband, Martin Luther King Jr., for equal rights of African Americans.

In graphic novel format, tells the story of Mary "Mother" Jones, a leading labor union and child labor activist in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Describes the life and work of Rigoberta Menchú Tum, an Mayan from Guatemala who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992.

An elementary biography of one of the first leaders of the campaign for women’s rights who helped organize the women’s suffrage movement.

848, a group of women held a meeting in Seneca Falls, New York, to discuss women’s rights. The impact of that meeting was not immediate, but it was far-reaching. This book explores the role of women in early U.S. society and looks at the reformers of the nineteenth century who were determined to make changes. It tells the story of the women who campaigned for equality and follows the women’s movement into the early 1900s, when women gained the right to vote.

Biography of Ida B. Wells-Barnett, a journalist and teacher who wrote about and spoke against the injustices suffered by African-Americans.

A harmonious introduction to one of our country's most important singers and role models. Marian Anderson is best known for her historic concert at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939, which drew an integrated crowd of 75,000 people in pre-Civil Rights America. While this momentous event showcased the uniqueness of her voice, the strength of her character, and the struggles of the times in which she lived, it is only part of her story.

In the mid-1930s, Marian Anderson was a famed vocalist who had been applauded by European royalty and welcomed at the White House. But, because of her race, she was denied the right to sing at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. This is the story of her resulting involvement in the civil rights movement of the time.

This book examines the life and musical career of Janis Joplin.

Presents the life of one of the bestselling artists of all time, from her start singing in front of her father's Baptist congregation to being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

A portrait of the passionate performer and civil rights advocate Josephine Baker, the woman who worked her way from the slums of St. Louis to the grandest stages in the world. Meticulously researched by both author and artist, Josephine's powerful story of struggle and triumph is an inspiration and a spectacle, just like the legend herself.

Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic and third woman appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States, was a young girl when she dared to dream big. Her determination, along with guidance from generous mentors and the unwavering love of her extended Puerto Rican family, propelled her ever forward. In this adaptation for middle graders based on her bestselling adult memoir, My Beloved World, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor's extraordinary life inspires.

A biography of Eleanor Roosevelt, the most socially and politically active -- and controversial -- First Lady America had ever seen. Ambassador, activist, and champion of civil rights, Eleanor Roosevelt changed the soul of America forever. Includes selected quotes from Eleanor’s own writings.

Describes the life and highlights the accomplishments of the first female federal cabinet member in the United States, who was appointed the secretary of labor by Franklin Roosevelt.

Get to know celebrated Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg--in the first picture book about her life--as she proves that disagreeing does not make you disagreeable! Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has spent a lifetime disagreeing: disagreeing with inequality, arguing against unfair treatment, and standing up for what's right for people everywhere. This biographical picture book about the Notorious RBG, tells the justice's story through the lens of her many famous dissents, or disagreements.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was famous for her stylish collars (called jabots) and her commanding dissents. This opera-loving New Yorker has always spoken her mind; as a young lawyer, RBG advocated for gender equality and women's rights when few others did. She gained attention for the cases she won when arguing in front of the Supreme Court, before taking her place on the bench in 1993.

Stacey Abrams began her career in politics at the age of seventeen when she was hired as a typist for a congressional campaign. From there, she worked hard to get into Yale law school and, eventually, was elected into the House of Representatives. In 2018, she became the first Black woman in the United States to be a major party's nominee for governor when she was selected as the Democratic candidate. Although she didn't win that race, she decided to run again in 2022, proving that she never backs down from a challenge. Stacey made it her mission to help ensure that all people who are eligible have the right and ability to vote. Her Fair Fight Action organization helps prevent voter suppression across the country.

An anthology for young women by young women, featuring stories from ten inspiring young staffers who joined the Obama administration in their 20s with the hope of making a difference.

Laurie Lawlor presents a biography of the pioneering environmentalist. "Once you are aware of the wonder and beauty of earth, you will want to learn about it," wrote Rachel Carson, the pioneering environmentalist. She wrote Silent Spring, the book that woke people up to the harmful impact humans were having on our planet.

Robert F. Sibert Medal winner
Bugs, of all kinds, were considered to be "born of mud" and to be "beasts of the devil". Why would anyone, let alone a girl, want to study and observe them? One of the first naturalists to observe live insects directly, Maria Sibylla Merian was also one of the first to document the metamorphosis of the butterfly.

Briefly describes Sally Ride's career and her 1983 astronaut mission that would make her the first woman in space.

Looks at the life and career of the physician and NASA astronaut who became the first American woman in space in 1983.

Ten biographies of American women inventors, including Madam C.J. Walker, Lillian Gilbreth, Beulah Henry, Elizabeth Lee Hazen, Rachel Fuller Brown, Katherine Blodgett, Gertrude B. Elion, Stephanie Louise Kwolek, Edith Flanigen, and Ellen Ochoa.

A biography of the scientist known as the "Shark Lady," reveals how she turned a childhood passion into her life's work, devoting herself to studying sharks and educating the public on the graceful, clever sea creatures.

What does it take to be an astronaut? Excellence at flying, courage, intelligence, resistance to stress, top physical shape, any checklist would include these. But when America created NASA in 1958, there was another unspoken rule: you had to be a man. Almost Astronauts is the story of thirteen true pioneers of the space age.

A foremost scientist at the turn of the century, Marie Curie grew up in a family that valued education. She was the first woman to study at the Sorbonne, and the first woman to teach there. She received the Nobel Prize twice, once in physics, once in chemistry. With her husband Pierre, she investigated the nature of radioactive elements, coined the term "radioactivity", and discovered the elements polonium and radium.

Marie Curie was forbidden to attend the male-only University of Warsaw, so she enrolled at the Sorbonne in Paris to study physics and mathematics. There she met a professor named Pierre Curie, and the two soon married, forming one of the most famous scientific partnerships in history. Together they discovered two elements and won a Nobel Prize in 1903. (Marie later won another Nobel for chemistry in 1911.)

The inspiring story of a young Swedish schoolgirl who sparked a worldwide revolution. When she was just fifteen years old, Greta Thunberg knew she wanted to change the world. With a hand-painted sign that read "School strike for the climate" in Swedish, Greta sat alone on the steps of the Swedish parliament to call for stronger action on climate change. Her one-person strike would soon spark a worldwide movement.

Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award Winner
If you've ever felt different, if you've ever been low,if you don't quite fit in, there's a name you should know...Meet Dr. Temple Grandin--one of the world's quirkiest science heroes!When young Temple was diagnosed with autism, no one expected her to talk, let alone become one of the most powerful voices in modern science. Yet, the determined visual thinker did just that. Her unique mind allowed her to connect with animals in a special way, helping her invent groundbreaking improvements for farms around the globe!The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin is the first book in a brand new educational series about the inspirational lives of amazing scientists. In addition to the illustrated rhyming tale, you'll find a complete biography, fun facts, a colorful timeline of events, and even a note from Temple herself!

In 1912, airplanes looked like bicycles with wings. When a spirited young woman named Harriet Quimby decided to learn to fly, everyone said it would be too dangerous. But Harriet tried it anyway! She was the first woman in the United States to earn her pilot's license. Before long, she was the first woman to fly across the English Channel.

A simple biography of the blind and deaf woman who spent her life writing and helping others with similar disabilities.

An account of the life and exploits of the sharpshooting entertainer.

While American women were fighting for their right to vote, Blanche Stuart Scott asserted her right to fly. She became the first woman to fly a plane in public in America.

Presents a brief biography of Madam C.J. Walker, in simple text with illustrations, describing the life and times of this African-American inventor, entrepreneur and philanthropist who created hair-care products for women.

A biography, with numerous photographs and quotes from Earhart herself, tracing this determined woman's life and interest in flying. Corinne Szabo uses duotone photos and maps to transport us back to the world of the sky pioneer who changed the history of women's aviation. The book also includes a detailed map charting the proposed around-the-world route of this American heroine's final flight.

An illustrated exploration into the lives of 13 influential Muslim women who have left a lasting impact on history, including religious, literary, humanitarian and political figures.