Timely Take-aways: Strong Women through History

From medieval times to the present, several new books explore strong women through history and why they are often misrepresented, overlooked, or unheard.

Brave Hearted: The Women of the American West 
Katie Hickman, 2022, Spiegel & Grau             
Themes: US History, American West, Women

Through a wide range of primary source documents, explore the little-known world of diverse women who survived harsh landscapes and circumstances.

Take-aways: Update the curriculum to include first-hand accounts of diverse women of Native American, African, and Chinese descent.

The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry that Forged the Medieval World
Shelley Puhak, 2022, Bloomsbury, Macmillan       
Themes: World History, Medieval, Women

During 6th century, two powerful women of the Merovingian Empire ruled for decades while balancing statecraft and family life.

Take-aways: Use these queens to show how history often misrepresents women’s contributions.

Poor Richard’s Women: Deborah Read Franklin and the Other Women Behind the Founding Father
Nancy Rubin Stuart, 2022, Beacon Press, Penguin Random House       
Themes: US History

Readers are introduced to the many women who impacted the life of Benjamin Franklin.

Take-aways: Update the Colonial Period curriculum to include the women who surrounded the men who are often the focus on US history courses. Discuss the use of personal correspondence in historical research.

Women Healers: Gender, Authority, and Medicine in Early Philadelphia 
Susan H. Brandt, 2022, University of Pennsylvania Press         
Themes: US History, Women

Explore the role of women in medical science through the works of Elizabeth Coates Paschall and the accomplishments of other practitioners of European, African and Native American descent.

Take-aways: Share the authoritative medical work of diverse women during the mid-19th century.

Off with Her Head: Three Thousand Years of Demonizing Women of Power
Eleanor Herman, 2022, William Morrow: HarperCollins                   
Themes: History, Women

From the ancient world to the politics of today, trace the history of misogyny against women.

Take-aways: Use the book’s humorous examples to discuss with students the different ways women of power have been portrayed through history.

Warrior Queens & Quiet Revolutionaries
Kate Mosse, 2023, Mantle: Macmillan                                             
Themes: History, Women

Through a diverse cast of women from around the world along with personal connections, Mosse addresses why the achievements of women are often overlooked or under-represented.

Take-aways: Explore Mosse’s book for unique women that will bring history alive for students.

Young Queens: Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power

Leah Redmond, 2023, Farrar, Straus & Giroux                   
Themes: History, Europe, Women

In the sixteenth-century, Catherine de’ Medici, Elisabeth de Valois, and Mary, Queen of Scots transformed Europe.

Take-aways: Use the intertwining lives of these three women to demonstrate the different ways women were able to survive and thrive in male dominated societies.

Whether helping educators keep up-to-date in their subject-areas, promoting student reading in the content-areas, or simply encouraging nonfiction leisure reading, teacher librarians need to be aware of the best new titles across the curriculum and how to activate life-long learning. - Annette Lamb