Sunday, January 17, 2016

2016 Amelia Bloomer List

The 2016 Amelia Bloomer List of Books is out and it is incredible. If you are not aware of what this list is all about, it is , according to their blog, an annual booklist of the best feminist books for young readers, ages birth through 18.

As a woman, I want to teach my girls to read about other women and books by strong female authors and role models. And this list is exactly what this entails. The list has both Fiction and Non-Fiction sections. 

"The Amelia Bloomer Project members hope this list inspires you to wear your feminism like a merit badge. As the Lumberjanes say,
“. . . (Do) my best
Every day, and in all that I do,
to be brave and strong,
to be truthful and compassionate,
to be interesting and interested,
to pay attention and question
the world around me” "

Here is the list of books available for readers for the Middle Grade years as my girls are both in the Middle Grade year crowd. (Grades 4-6) They are listed by Author, Title and with their Grade level and book descriptions.  For a more in depth list and the list to the other grade levels, please visit the official 2016 Amelia Bloomer List website.

Middle Grade Non-Fiction

Fertig, Dennis. Sylvia Earle: Ocean Explorer. 2015. 48p. Gr.3-6.
As a pioneer marine botanist and fearless adventurer, Sylvia Earle explored depths others had never reached and saw things never seen before by woman or man.

Hile, Lori. Rachel Carson: Environmental Pioneer. 2015. 48p. Gr.3-6.
Rachel Carson was determined to do what she loved and not what was expected of her. Her research and poetic writing on the dangers of pesticides changed the way Americans thought about conserving nature’s resources.

Krieg, Katherine. Marie Curie: Physics and Chemistry Pioneer. 2015. 48p. Gr.4-6.
With the support of her family and other female scientists, Marie Curie discovered new elements and revolutionized science.

Lowery, Lynda Blackmon, as told to Elspeth Leacock and Susan Buckley. Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March. Illus. by PJ Loughran. 2015. 127p.  Gr.5-up.
Lynda Blackmon Lowery was the youngest person on the Selma Voting Rights March. Having already been to jail nine times and beaten on Bloody Sunday, Lynda stood up for her rights and her freedom.

*O’Shaughnessy, Tam. Sally Ride: A Photobiography of America’s Pioneering Woman in Space. 2015. 153p. Gr.4-8.
After spending years as an academic underachiever with a passion for tennis, Sally Ride discovered her love of physics and became the first American woman to travel to space.

Prévot, Franck. Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees. Illus. by Aurélia Fronty. 2015. 45p. Gr.3-5.
Wangari Maathai dedicated her life to restoring Kenya’s land by planting millions of  trees throughout the country. Although Maathai was met with political and sexist retaliation, she helped save her environment and empowered women through a common cause. 

Rosa, Sonia. When the Slave Esperança Garcia Wrote a Letter. Illus. by Luciana Justiniani Hees. 2015. Gr.3-6.
Esperança Garcia was a slave living in Brazil who, after learning to read and write, bravely decided to write a letter to the governor detailing her mistreatment and her desire to be returned to her family.

Senker, Cath. Stories of Women in the 1960s: Fighting for Freedom. 2015. 112p. Gr.4-8.
Through their accomplishments in political and social arenas, Betty Friedan, Ella Baker, Barbara Castle, and Mary Quant blazed paths and demonstrated new possibilities for American and British women.

Silvey, Anita. Untamed: The Wild Life of Jane Goodall. 2015. 96p. Gr. 5-9.
Jane Goodall’s passion and perseverance led her to become the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees.  Having spent decades in field observation, Dr. Goodall now teaches new generations to care for and ensure the safety of large primates.

Waxman, Laura Hamilton. Aerospace Engineer Aprille Ericsson. 2015. 32p.  Gr.3-5.
Despite being the only girl or African American in most of her science classes, Aprille Ericsson persevered to become an engineer at NASA. Ericsson uses her achievements to inspire other young women to pursue their STEM dreams.

*Weatherford, Carole Boston. Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement. Illus. by Ekua Holmes. 2015. 45p. Gr.4-7.
Fannie Lou Hamer played an integral part in the Civil Rights Movement by raising her voice and fighting for freedom. 

Middle Grade Fiction

Al Mansour, Haifaa. The Green Bicycle. 2015. 346p. Gr.4-8.
Wadjda challenges the idea of ‘acceptable’ behavior for girls in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by selling mix tapes and snacks to fund her dream of a bicycle. Despite the repercussions of her rebellious actions, she refuses to have her feminist spirit silenced.

Cornwell, Betsy. Mechanica. 2015. 307p. Gr.5-8.
Nicolette Lampton endures typical Cinderella trials: a dead mother, a dead father, a shrewish stepmother, two condescending stepsisters, and competition for the charming prince. Yet as Mechanica, Nicolette follows in her mother’s footsteps creating wondrous automata. 

Ellis, Grace, and Noelle Stevenson. Beware the Kitten Holy (Lumberjanes, vol. 1). Illus. by Brooke Allen. 2015. 127p. Gr.6-9.
The Lumberjanes – Jo, Molly, Mal, April, and Ripley- are a group of young women spending the summer at a camp for “hard-core lady-types.” They work together to defeat monsters, and use their unique skills to solve the mystery of what’s really going on at the camp.

Ellis, Grace, and Noelle Stevenson. Friendship to the Max (Lumberjanes, vol. 2). Illus. by Brooke Allen. 2015. 111p Gr.6-9.
Once again, the Lumberjanes must depend on each other and combine their diverse talents to save their beloved camp–and possibly the universe.  

Hannigan, Kate. The Detective’s Assistant. 2015. 361p. Gr.4-6.
Eleven-year-old Nell Warne arrives orphaned and unwelcomed at her Aunt Kitty’s doorstep. To prove her value in her independent aunt’s life, Nell helps Aunt Kitty solve cases with the Pinkerton Detective Agency. 

Hilton, Marilyn. Full Cicada Moon. 2015. 389p. Gr.4-7.
Mimi is a half-Japanese, half-black young scientist who dreams of becoming an astronaut. As she adjusts to a new home in Vermont, she and many of her classmates fight for the right to take wood shop and the agency to dismantle racist and sexist stereotypes.

Shang, Wendy Wan-Long. The Way Home Looks Now. 2015. 261p. Gr.3-7.
Through the story of Peter Lee and his family’s grief, this novel explores gender norms in the context of 1970s Little League baseball. 

Stead, Rebecca.  Goodbye Stranger. 2015. 289p.  Grade 5-8.
This novel broadly examines the meaning of life, love, friendship, and identity in the lives of middle school girls on the cusp of adolescence.

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the book ideas! You should link this up to my Junior High Junction link up. It's live on my blog today.

    http://myfullhandsandheart.blogspot.com/2016/02/junior-high-junction-month-in-review.html

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  2. Never heard of this list before. I will have to look more closely at some of these titles. - Lori

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