There are lots of great books that have been published in the last few years that feature smart, strong, interesting and diverse female characters. In this article, we learn about empowering books for girls from babies through tweens that feature empowered women of the present day (plus some badass fictional girls!).
Want to find a children’s book to instill a sense of girl power, self-esteem, and confidence in your daughters, granddaughters, nieces, or friends’ little girls of all ages? Our children’s literature expert, Rebekah Fitzsimmons, PhD, has you covered with this list!
Feminist Board Books for Toddlers
Feminist Baby by Loryn Brantz
This Little Trailblazer: A Girl Power Primer by Joan Holub
Little People, Big Dreams Series by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara
My Feminist ABC: A Book for Tiny Activists
I Like Myself! by Karen Beaumont
I Look up to… Misty Copeland by Anna Membrino
Picture Books for Elementary Age Girls
Dear Girl, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Little Leaders: Bold Women in History by Vashti Harrison
She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World by Chelsea Clinton
Rad American Women A-Z by Kate Schatz
Wilma’s Way Home: The Life of Wilma Mankiller by Doreen Rappaport
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
Secret Engineer: How Emily Roebling Built the Brooklyn Bridge by Rachel Doughtery
I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Franesca Favilli
Born to Ride: A Story about Bicycle Face by Larissa Theule
Mary Wears What She Wants by Keith Negley
Independent Dames: What you never Knew about the Women and Girls of the American Revolution by Laurie Halse Anderson
Ziora’s Quest: Mommy’s Milk Rocks! by Amaka Nnamani
Turning Pages by Sonia Sotomayor
Chapter Books about Empowered Girls and Women
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Zoey and Sassafrass Series by Asia Citro
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
The Birchbark House by Lousie Edrich
Braced by Alyson Gerber
Lumberjanes Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy by ND Stevenson
NOTE: We’ve also got great feminist books for boys and girls and the best children’s books about diversity. Got teenage girls who could use a boost of confidence? Try feminist books for teen girls!
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Board Books About Empowered Girls and Women for Toddlers
Feminist Baby by Loryn Brantz
Book Details
- 22 pages
- Ages 0-3 years
This adorable and laugh-out-loud funny board book is adapted from Loryn Brantz’s viral comic. Your own budding feminist will delight as the Feminist Baby plays with dolls and cars, wearing pink and blue. This book is a perfect introduction to teaching your little one she can do anything she wants (as long as she just please goes to bed when you ask).
This Little Trailblazer: A Girl Power Primer by Joan Holub
Book Details
- 26 pages
- Ages 1-5
Learn all about influential women who changed history in this engaging and colorful board book perfect for trailblazers-in-training! The rhyming couplets are great for the youngest readers, while the opposite page has more information in smaller print.
Little People, Big Dreams Series by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara
Book Details
- Collection of 5 books
- Each book is about a different woman who made an impact
- Ages 2-6 years
Each book in this series features the story of a trailblazing woman, including Amelia Earhart, Coco Chanel, Frida Kahlo, and Marie Curie. Read these books to your little girls to inspire them to be as ambitions as these women were!
My Feminist ABC: A Book for Tiny Activists from Duopress Labs
Book Details
- 20 pages
- Ages 0-4 years
This inspiring board book teaches little ones an alphabet of female (and human) values. With bright colors and diverse characters, your child will learn the basics of feminism and the alphabet–win/win!
I Like Myself! by Karen Beaumont
Book Details
- Sturdy board book is just right for little hands
- 32 pages
- 1-4 years
Beaumont’s dedication on the inside of this book says, “Wishing every child the magic of self-acceptance and love.” High on energy and imagination, this ode to self-esteem encourages kids to appreciate everything about themselves–inside and out. Messy hair? Beaver breath? So what! Here’s a little girl who knows what really matters. At once silly and serious, Karen Beaumont’s joyous rhyming text and David Catrow’s wild illustrations unite in a book that is sassy, soulful–and straight from the heart.
I Look up to… Misty Copeland by Anna Membrino
Book Details
- 22 pages
- 0-3 years
- Each page spread highlights an important trait and is enhanced by a quote from Misty herself
It’s never too early to introduce your child to women you admire! This board book distills American ballet dancer Misty Copeland’s excellent qualities into a shareable read-aloud text with graphic, eye-catching illustrations.
Feminist Picture Books for Elementary Age Girls
Dear Girl, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Book Details
- 40 pages
- Ages 3-8
Dear Girl, is a remarkable love letter written for the special girl in your life: a gentle reminder that she’s powerful, strong, and holds a valuable place in the world. Through Amy and Paris’s charming text and Holly Hatam’s stunning illustrations, any girl reading this book will feel that she’s great just the way she is—whether she enjoys jumping in a muddy puddle, has a face full of freckles, or dances on table tops.
Little Leaders: Bold Women in History by Vashti Harrison
Book Details
- Features 40 Women of Color
- Reading age: 4-9 years
This beautiful book is inspired by Vashti Harrison’s personal Black History Month social media project and describes 40 notable Black women through US history. As O, the Oprah Magazine gushes, “Vashti Harrison’s adorable, idiosyncratic drawings… are poster worthy.”
She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World by Chelsea Clinton
Book Details
- 32 pages
- Ages 4-9 years
She Persisted is for everyone who has ever wanted to speak up but has been told to quiet down, for everyone who has ever tried to reach for the stars but was told to sit down, and for everyone who has ever been made to feel unworthy or unimportant or small.
With its charming illustrations and repeated refrain of “She persisted,” this book shows readers that no matter what obstacles may be in their paths, they shouldn’t give up on their dreams.
Rad American Women A-Z by Kate Schatz
Book Details
- 64 pages
- Common Core aligned for students grades 3-8 (ages 8-14 years)
- Bright visuals captivate younger children
- Subject matter stimulates high schoolers and beyond to learn more
Don’t be fooled by this being another ABC book! Like all A-Z books, this one illustrates the alphabet—but instead of “A is for Apple”, A is for Angela—as in Angela Davis, the iconic political activist. B is for Billie Jean King, who shattered the glass ceiling of sports; C is for Carol Burnett, who defied assumptions about women in comedy; D is for Dolores Huerta, who organized farmworkers; and E is for Ella Baker, who mentored Dr. Martin Luther King and helped shape the Civil Rights Movement. There are artists and abolitionists, scientists and suffragettes, rock stars and rabble-rousers, and agents of change of all kinds.
As author and playwright Kate Borstein (who is included in this book) says, “I surely hope that this one-of-a-kind collection of radical American women reaches the hands of all children who want to grow up and become amazing women.”
Wilma’s Way Home: The Life of Wilma Mankiller by Doreen Rappaport
Book Details
- 48 pages
- Grades 1-5 (6-11 years)
If you’re looking for a deep dive into the life of an influential woman, Wilma’s Way Home may be the book for you.
As a child in Oklahoma, Wilma Mankiller experienced the Cherokee practice of Gadugi, helping each other, even when times were hard for everyone. But in 1956, the federal government uprooted her family and moved them to California, wrenching them from their home, friends, and traditions. Separated from her community and everything she knew, Wilma felt utterly lost until she found refuge in the Indian Center in San Francisco.
Despite many obstacles, from resistance to female leadership to a life-threatening accident, Wilma’s courageous dedication to serving her people led to her election as the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation. As leader and advocate, she reinvigorated her constituency by empowering them to identify and solve community problems.
This beautiful addition to the Big Words series will inspire future leaders to persevere in empathy and thoughtful problem-solving, reaching beyond themselves to help those around them.
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
Book Details
- Great for girls interested in STEM
- 32 pages
- K-2 grade level (5-8 years of age)
Is fiction more your little girl’s speed? Check out Rosie!
Rosie dreams of becoming a great engineer, and her room becomes a secret workshop where she constructs ingenious inventions from odds and ends. From hot dog dispensers to helium pants and python-repelling cheese hats, Rosie’s creations would astound anyone—if only she’d let them see.
This empowering picture book encourages young readers to explore their creativity, persevere through challenges, and celebrate the journey toward achieving their goals. Whether you’re a budding engineer or simply love stories of resilience, Rosie Revere, Engineer is a delightful read for all ages.
Secret Engineer: How Emily Roebling Built the Brooklyn Bridge by Rachel Dougherty
Book Details
- Great for girls interested in STEM
- 40 pages
- 5-8 years
On a warm spring day in 1883, a woman rode across the Brooklyn Bridge with a rooster on her lap.
It was the first trip across an engineering marvel that had taken nearly fourteen years to construct. The woman’s husband was the chief engineer, and he knew all about the dangerous new technique involved. The woman insisted she learn as well. When he fell ill mid-construction, her knowledge came in handy.
She supervised every aspect of the project while he was bedridden. Women weren’t supposed to be engineers. But this woman insisted she could do it all, and her hard work helped to create one of the most iconic landmarks in the world.
This is the story of Emily Roebling, the secret engineer behind the Brooklyn Bridge.
I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy
Book Details
- 40 pages
- Reading age 4-9 years
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.
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Franesca Favilli
Book Details
- 100 stories about remarkable women and their extraordinary lives
- 4-9 years of age
What if the princess didn’t marry Prince Charming but instead went on to be an astronaut? What if the jealous step sisters were supportive and kind? And what if the queen was the one really in charge of the kingdom?
Illustrated by sixty female artists from every corner of the globe, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls introduces us to one hundred remarkable women and their extraordinary lives, from Ada Lovelace to Malala, Amelia Earhart to Michelle Obama. Empowering, moving and inspirational, these are true fairy tales for heroines who definitely don’t need rescuing.
Born to Ride: A Story about Bicycle Face by Larissa Theule
Book Details
- 32 pages
- Ages 4-9 years
Louise Belinda Bellflower lives in Rochester, New York, in 1896. She spends her days playing with her brother, Joe. But Joe gets to ride a bicycle, and Louise Belinda doesn’t.
In fact, Joe issues a solemn warning: If girls ride bikes, their faces will get so scrunched up, eyes bulging from the effort of balancing, that they’ll get stuck that way FOREVER! Louise Belinda is appalled by this nonsense, so she strikes out to discover the truth about this so-called “bicycle face.”
Set against the backdrop of the women’s suffrage movement, Born to Ride is the story of one girl’s courageous quest to prove that she can do everything the boys can do, while capturing the universal freedom and accomplishment children experience when riding a bike.
Mary Wears What She Wants by Keith Negley
Book Details
- 48 pages
- Best for grades K-2
- 4-8 years
This book is inspired by the true story of Mary Edwards Walker, a trailblazing doctor who was arrested many times for wearing pants. This fresh, charming picture book encourages readers to think for themselves while gently challenging gender and societal norms.
Ziora’s Quest: Mommy’s Milk Rocks by Amaka Nnamani
Book Details
- 40 pages
- Ages 3-10
- Great for big siblings
Join Ziora, a 6 year old girl with a new baby sister, on a magical journey to learn cool facts about Mommy’s Milk. In this one-of-a-kind book, kids see age appropriate pictures of moms breastfeeding and pumping everywhere – at home, in a cafe, and at work. This empowering book normalizes breastfeeding/chestfeeding at a young age and lets kids know how special their body is.
Independent Dames: What You Never Knew about the Women and Girls of the American Revolution by Laurie Halse Anderson
Book Details
- 40 pages
- Age 6-10
Listen up! You’ve all heard about the great men who led and fought during the American Revolution; but did you know that the guys only make up part of the story?
What about the women? The girls? The dames? Didn’t they play a part?
Of course they did, and with page after page of superbly researched information and thoughtfully detailed illustrations, acclaimed novelist and picture-book author Laurie Halse Anderson and charismatic illustrator Matt Faulkner prove the case in this entertaining, informative, and long overdue homage to those independent dames!
Turning Pages by Sonia Sotomayor
Book Details
- 40 pages
- Ages 4-8
- Written by the first Latina Supreme Court Justice
As the first Latina Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor has inspired young people around the world to reach for their dreams.
But what inspired her?
For young Sonia, the answer was books!
In Turning Pages, Justice Sotomayor shares that love of books with a new generation of readers, and inspires them to read and puzzle and dream for themselves. Accompanied by Lulu Delacre’s vibrant art, this story of the Justice’s life shows readers that the world is full of promise and possibility–all they need to do is turn the page.
Chapter Books / Middle Grades Books About Empowered Girls and Women
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Book Details
- 336 pages
- 9-12 years
- Newbery Honor book
- First book in a 3 part series
Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king’s priests have divined her village the home of the future princess. In a year’s time, the prince will choose his bride from among the village girls.
The king’s ministers set up an academy on the mountain, and every teenage girl must attend and learn how to become a princess. Soon Miri finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires. Winning the contest could give her everything she ever wanted–but it would mean leaving her home and family behind.
But when bandits seek out the academy to kidnap the future princess, Miri must rally the girls together and use a power unique to the mountain dwellers to save herself and her classmates.
Zoey and Sassafrass Series by Asia Citro
Book Details
- Set of 6 books
- Grades 2-6
- Highlights child-led inquiry science
- Topics align with Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards
With magical animals, science, mystery, and adventure — the Zoey and Sassafras series has something for everyone! Easy-to-read language and illustrations on nearly every page make this series perfect for a wide range of ages.
Each story features a new magical animal with a problem that must be solved using science. There isn’t a set formula for each book; Zoey sometimes needs to run experiments, while other times she needs to investigate a mystery, and yet other times she needs to do research. Zoey models how to keep a science journal through her handwritten entries in each story. Each story is complete with a glossary of the kid-friendly definitions for scientific terms used. The series highlights child-led inquiry science and the topics covered align with both Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Book Details
- Newbery Honor winning story about a feisty heroine
- 240 pages
- 3rd-7th grade reading level
Gail Carson Levine’s examination of traditional female roles in fairy tales takes some satisfying twists and deviations from the original.
At birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent young fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the “gift” of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey.
Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella: “Instead of making me docile, Lucinda’s curse made a rebel of me. Or perhaps I was that way naturally.”
The Birchbark House by Lousie Edrich
Book Details
- 256 pages
- 7-10 years
- Teacher’s Pick
“[In this] story of a young Ojibwa girl, Omakayas, living on an island in Lake Superior around 1847, Louise Erdrich is reversing the narrative perspective used in most children’s stories about nineteenth-century Native Americans.
Instead of looking out at ‘them’ as dangers or curiosities, Erdrich, drawing on her family’s history, wants to tell about ‘us’, from the inside. — The New York Times Book Review
Braced by Alyson Gerber
Book Details
- 304 pages
- Grade level 3-7
- Written by a debut author who wore a back race of her own
Rachel Brooks is excited for the new school year. She’s finally earned a place as a forward on her soccer team. Her best friends make everything fun. And she really likes Tate, and she’s pretty sure he likes her back. After one last appointment with her scoliosis doctor, this will be her best year yet.
Then the doctor delivers some terrible news: The sideways curve in Rachel’s spine has gotten worse, and she needs to wear a back brace twenty-three hours a day. The brace wraps her in hard plastic from shoulder blades to hips. It changes how her clothes fit, how she kicks a ball, and how everyone sees her–even her friends and Tate. But as Rachel confronts all the challenges the brace presents, the biggest change of all may lie in how she sees herself.
Written by a debut author who wore a brace of her own, Braced is the inspiring, heartfelt story of a girl learning to manage the many curves life throws her way.
Lumberjanes Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy by ND Stevenson
Book Details
- First book of 4
- 128 pages
- Ages 8-12 years
Friendship to the max! Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together…and they’re not gonna let any wacky quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! LUMBERJANES is one of those punk rock, love-everything-about-it stories that appeals to fans of basically all excellent things. It’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Gravity Falls and features five butt-kicking, rad teenage girls wailing on monsters and solving a mystery with the whole world at stake.
Got a voracious reader in your life who has already zipped through all of these empowering books for girls and looking for something more specific? Ask for more specific recommendations in the comments!
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