Sponsored by Lerner Books
It’s 1967, and Kitty Granger is about to accidentally become a spy. A working-class girl from London’s East End who today would be recognized as on the autism spectrum, she’s spent sixteen years hiding her “peculiarities” from the world. But after she survives a chance encounter with a Russian spy ring, two British secret agents offer her a job. With help from an unusual team of fellow spies, Kitty must use her wits, training, and instincts to get out alive. And she might as well save the country while she’s at it.
Hey YA Readers!
Let’s dig into some great books for Women’s History Month, shall we? I’ve pulled together a roundup of biographies of well-known — as well as lesser-known — women throughout American history written for YA readers. Find included a wide range of styles, voices, and perspectives, all united in their goals of highlighting the important work of female-identifying people.
Some of these are new books, while others pull from the backlist. There really is something here for every type of reader, and for those who work with YA readers, don’t forget the power of pulling books like these into lists, into assignments, and into gorgeous displays. Note that some of these YA biographies might skew younger, meaning they’d be great picks for your older middle grade readers as well.
These books are all stand-alone biographies, but keep your eyes on your inbox for a look at some recent collective biographies in a future edition of the newsletter.
Baseball’s Leading Lady: Effa Manley and the Rise and Fall of the Negro Leagues by Andrea Williams
Before Jackie Robinson, the only way for Black athletes to play professional sports was through Negro Leagues Baseball. Williams’s book is about Effa Manley, one of the successful business people who helped found and fund the League. Manley was co-owner of the Newark Eagles, who she helped lead to winning the Negro World Series in 1947. In addition to being about Manley’s savviness, this is a look at integration and the end of the Negro Leagues.
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
Every year during Black History Month, there seems to be a big piece in mainstream media asking if anyone ever heard of Claudette Colvin and then breaking down how she refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white woman before Rosa Parks. The thing is: Hoose wrote this incredible biography of Colvin in 2009 and won a slate of awards for it, so indeed, many people have heard her story. If you haven’t — or you haven’t revisited it — pick up this outstanding biography of 15-year-old Colvin and her work toward Civil Rights, based on interviews with Colvin herself.
Fighter in Velvet Gloves: Alaska Civil Rights Hero Elizabeth Peratrovich by Annie Boochever with Roy A. Peratrovich Jr.
Fellow Book Rioter and YA reader Tirzah sent me the description for this book and asked if I’d heard of it. I hadn’t, but now I can’t stop thinking about how much I want to read it. Published by a university press for young adults, this is the story of Elizabeth Peratrovich, Alaska Native Tlingit, and her experiences of discrimination as a Native in Alaska. Her experiences led her to the Alaska Territorial Legislative Session, wherein she talked about growing up and being treated terribly, which helped lead to America’s first Civil Rights legislation: the Alaska Anti-Discrimination Act.
Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide by Isabel Quintero, illustrated by Zeke Peña
This fabulous graphic biography follows the life of photographer Graciela Iturbide. While not American by birth — she was born in Mexico City, the oldest of 13 children — a healthy part of her career in photography took her through the United States. A fascinating read about a lesser-known artist and one that readers who love photography or dream of a life in the arts will want to pick up ASAP.
The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks: Young Reader Edition by Jeanne Theoharis and adapted by Brandy Colbert
Get to know the real history of Rosa Parks with this biography that challenges the notion she was but a quiet and innocent protester when she refused to give up her seat to a white person, launching the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Over the course of six decades, Parks was an activist and protester, and Theoharis, with the adaptation skills of beloved YA author Colbert, dive into the ways she worked to dismantle oppressive systems of discrimination.
Want even more YA biographies of awesome women through history? I did a big roundup of titles on my personal blog last summer worth digging into.
Until later this week, happy reading!
— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.
Big thanks again to today’s sponsor, Lerner Books, publishers of The Secret Life of Kitty Granger, for making the newsletter possible.
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