How to use this Page

 More often than not children's books feature boys as the main characters. But, fortunately, more books are coming out each year that highlight girls.

Kristian Wilson on Bustle.com lists fifty feminist books for children, including:
The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
You Forgot Your Skirt, Amelia Bloomer! by Shana Corey
Princess Grace by Mary Hoffman
Me . . . Jane by Patrick McDonnell
The Ballad of the Pirate Queens by Jane Yolen
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty

Visit Kristian Wilson's article 50 Feminist Book Gifts For Your Nieces and Nephews This Holiday Season  for her complete list of contemporary and classic works that make great reading for the girls in your life. And don't take the headline literally. Of course, these books aren't just for your nieces and nephews and the holiday season. They make great gifts for any child at any time of year.

What are you favorite feminist children's books? Please share your comments below.

Hope you enjoyed this post! To be notified of future updates, use the subscription options on the right side bar.

Add a Comment

We were saddened to hear about the death last week of legendary children’s book author and illustrator Vera B. Williams. It’s a loss to our field; she was, truly, unique. Her groundbreaking picture books celebrated children and family and communities — all kinds of children, all kinds of families, and all kinds of communities. Both A Chair for My Mother and “More More More,” Said the Baby were Caldecott honor books (in 1983 and 1991, respectively), and they stand out among their fellows for their contemporary, unglossy settings, their sense of inclusiveness, and the forefronting of the loving relationships they portray.

Williams was also a two-time Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winner — for A Chair for My Mother in 1983 and Scooter in 1994 — and was a three-time BGHB Honor Award recipient (for Cherries and Cherry Pits in 1987; Stringbean’s Trip to the Shining Sea, written by Williams and co-illustrated with daughter Jennifer Williams in 1988; and Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart in 2002). Again — who can forget Bidemmi’s face shining out of the exuberantly colorful pages of Cherries and Cherry Pits; or the unforgettable sisters (unforgettable in both the poetry and the pictures) in Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart, one of the first children’s books to portray a family coping with the absence of a parent in prison.

In 2001 she wrote about “Childhood, Stories, and Politics” for The Horn Book Magazine. Here are a few salient quotes from that brief but important contribution: “I began to create my books just at a period when children’s books were becoming somewhat more open and more accurate about the range of family life in America, about color and class and ethnicity, about what girl characters could do and be.” And, “it is of solemn import to tell stories that involve us in the energies, talents, and great-heartedness of children and other not-so-powerful people.”

In 1992 she did a series of lovely covers for us. As with so much of her work it’s an image that looks reality right in the eye, messy laundry basket and breast-fed baby and all, and filled with love, closeness, and “not-so-powerful people.” Click here to read Horn Book Magazine reviews of select books by Williams.

And when it came time for Horn Bookers to talk about their favorites, Ms. Williams got even more love:

My favorite BGHB winner, reviewer edition: Robin Smith’s choice

The ones that got away: Leonard and I choose Vera B.

The post Vera B. Williams (1927–2015) appeared first on The Horn Book.

Add a Comment

Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart
by Vera B. Williams; illus. by the author
Primary, Intermediate    Greenwillow    72 pp.
9/01    0-06-029460-4    15.95    g
Library ed.    0-06-029461-2    15.89

For sisters Essie and Amber, a “Best Sandwich” means snuggling together with their teddy bear between them, breathing “each other’s breath / in and out and in and out / till they heard at last their mother’s key in the big front door.” Vera B. Williams has put together a different kind of “Best Sandwich”—a series of interconnected poems flanked by colored-pencil portraits in the beginning and the end—to tenderly convey the girls’ resilience and vulnerability in the face of parental absence. The story emerges bit by bit through sometimes heartbreaking vignettes. We learn in the poem “Essie Shook Amber to Make Her Memory Work” that Essie and Amber’s father is serving time for forgery (“Remember we were right in the kitchen / when the cops came, / Essie insisted”). Their mother must work long hours for minimal pay, leaving them with a complex daycare schedule or, all too often, with no daycare at all. But Williams deftly balances these disturbing images with scenes that show the sisters are still able to find refuge in simple childhood pleasures. In “Whoops,” the girls jump on their bed until the frame breaks, and even then they “can’t stop laughing / Look how far away the ceiling / We’re in a field / and that’s the sky.” Black-and-white pencil sketches interspersed with the poems enhance the emotion in them without causing a distraction, culminating in a joyous wordless three-page sequence when Amber and Essie’s father returns home. The decision to feature color only briefly at the book’s beginning and in “An Album” at the end turns out to be an inspired one. Before the main text starts, we see four portraits—a front and back view of each sister, standing expectantly, as if waiting to get to know us. By the end, we welcome the chance to savor a few snapshots of our new friends.

A Chair for My Mother
by Vera B. Williams; illus. by the author
Primary    Greenwillow   32 pp.
1982    0-688-00914-x    9.00    g
Library ed.    0-688-00915-8    8.59

Color-splashed watercolors recalling the patterns of Matisse and the primitive quality of Gauguin evoke the love and warmth among a child, her mother, and her grandmother. Sitting in their kitchen, with its mottled linoleum and old-fashioned white appliances, they count the tips the mother earned as a waitress at the Blue Tile Diner. The money — like all their spare change — is put into a large glass jar; when they “can’t get a single other coin into the jar,” they will take the money and buy “a wonderful, beautiful, fat, soft armchair” to replace the chairs and sofa the family lost in a fire. At last, the jar is full, and the three set out to shop for the chair, stopping only when they find one that lives up to their dreams — a gloriously overstuffed armchair covered in red upholstery splashed with large pink roses. The cheerful paintings take up the full left-hand pages and face, in most cases, a small chunk of text set against a modulated wash of a complementing color; a border containing a pertinent motif surrounds the two pages, further unifying the design. The result is a superbly conceived picture book expressing the joyful spirit of a loving family.

Cherries and Cherry Pits
by Vera B. Williams; illus. by the author
Primary    Greenwillow   40 pp.
1986    0-688-05145-6    11.55    g
Library ed.    0-688-05146-4    11.88

In A Chair for My Mother (Greenwillow) and the other two books about the child Rosa, Vera Williams abundantly demonstrated both her flair for exuberant color and design and her faith in the love and caring that unites human beings. Now in a wholly original picture book she plunges into memory and transmutes the recollected events and emotions of her childhood into vibrant experiences. With utter ingenuousness a young narrator talks about her friend, the girl Bidemmi, who “loves to draw” with many-colored magic markers, picturing the inventive tales she tells. Bidemmi’s first three accounts begin with someone leaving a subway train, carrying a small bag of cherries, and, as with most imaginative young raconteurs, the words come tumbling out. First, a big, strong black man arrives home and, gathering his children to him, lovingly feeds them his “really red cherries.” Then Bidemmi changes her characters: this time “a tiny, white woman,” wearing a “black hat with a pink flower” and “old, old shoes,” goes home to her single room and shares her cherries — “light red and sour” — with her pet parrot. Next, a tall, lithe black boy, who “looks a lot like my brother,” brings dark red cherries as a gift to his little sister. Finally, quietly exultant, Bidemmi herself becomes the central figure. Emerging from a subway staircase, she buys cherries from a vendor, plants the pits in her “junky, old yard,” nurtures a little sprout, and coaxes a young tree into bloom and leaf. At last, constantly depicting the miraculous process, Bidemmi finds glorious ripe cherries hanging from the branches, enough for all her neighbors and “even for their friends from Nairobi and Brooklyn, Toronto and St. Paul.” The four unconnected episodes are unified by the underlying motif and by the ingeniously designed illustrations, which feature both the youthful artist and her art: while sensitive watercolor paintings show Bidemmi engrossed in her work, her own pictures are unaffectedly naive, energetic magic-marker drawings. Profound as well as enchanting, the book implicitly deals with a philosophical concept, presenting in a young child’s terms an image of the ecstasy of creation — of the human mind totally engaged in creative imagination.

“More More More,” Said the Baby: Three Love Stories
by Vera B. Williams; illus. by the author
Preschool    Greenwillow   32 pp.
10/90    0-688-09173-3    12.95
Library ed.    0-688-09174-1    12.88

A book for parents, grandparents, and other significant adults to enjoy with their littlest ones. This trio of gentle vignettes shows three toddlers gathered up and cuddled by grownups. Little Guy’s daddy throws him up high, swings him around, and then “gives that little guy’s belly a kiss right in the middle of the belly button.” Little Pumpkin’s grandma has to “run like anything just to catch that baby up” and then nibbles on the toes of her “best little grandbaby.” Both children respond with laughter and with a plea for “More. More. More.” Little Bird’s mother tenderly prepares her sleeping child for bed, kissing each of the baby’s eyes as a final good-night. “‘Mmm,’ breathes Little Bird. ‘Mmm. Mmmm. Mmmm.'” The variety of family members depicted, as well as the several ethnic groups identified — even within an individual family — presents an opportunity for much discussion with very young children about what constitutes a family. The pages reverberate with bright colors and vigorous forms. The text, which is painted onto the pages, with each letter bearing its own rainbow of hues, is visually integrated into the design of the book in uniquely successful fashion. The rhythmic language begs to be read aloud, and young listeners are sure to wriggle with delight at all the many ways their favorite grownups have of saying “I love you.”

Scooter
by Vera B. Williams; illus. by the author
Intermediate    Greenwillow/Morrow   150 pp.
10/93    0-688-09376-0    15.00
Library ed.    0-688-09377-9    14.93

When Elana Rose Rosen, her prized scooter with the silver and blue stripes on the wheels, and her mom move to the Melon Hill Houses, a complex of high-rise apartment buildings in New York City, Elana is overwhelmed by the thought of so many apartments with so many people she doesn’t know. Thanks to a rather dramatic accident on her scooter and her own irrepressible personality, Lanny soon has a wonderfully varied group of friends and is busily organizing the Melon Hill kids to compete in their Borough-Wide Field Day. Through Petey, a trusting, silent little boy who never speaks but follows Lanny around like a shadow, she meets Mrs. Grenier, Petey’s babysitter. In spite of Mrs. Grenier’s never-ending litany of complaints, which prompt Lanny to name her “Mrs. Grenier the Whiner,” Lanny “really loves her,” and she and Petey become a kind of extended family to her. Lanny is a delightful character who lives every moment and feels every emotion more intensely than most people. Whether she’s having a raging temper tantrum, showing loyalty and affection, or competing on her beloved scooter, Lanny remains completely genuine and natural while giving more than one hundred per cent to every experience. Williams’s graphics and drawings that somersault and zoom across and around the pages add to the exuberance of the story. Lanny and her scooter will win readers’ hearts as well as two blue ribbons.

The post Reviews of select books by Vera B. Williams appeared first on The Horn Book.

Add a Comment

When was the last time someone read aloud to you? Odds are you remember it. Reading together creates a shared experience with lasting impact – a warmer heart, a fuller mind, a better vocabulary. It offers benefits we never outgrow, so it’s a practice we should all continue, long into adulthood!

Today in celebration of World Read-Aloud Day I’ve handpicked several titles from the First Book Marketplace that I know from experience make great read-alouds.

For Babies

“More More More,” Said the Baby by Vera B. Williams

This multiethnic celebration of love and family is one of my favorite books to give new babies! As three babies cavort and play with a parent or grandparent, each one begs for the fun to continue, saying, “More More More!” Children listening to this book will quickly add its refrain to their repertoires and make this title a frequent request.

For Toddlers and Preschool

A House in the Woods by Inga Moore

This picture book gem is relatively new, but it looks and reads like a classic. When a moose, bear, and pig decide to move in together, they hire a team of talented beavers to design and build their house. Kids love following each step of its assembly, and readers of all ages love noting the intricate and funny details in the book’s illustrations. Heartwarming and utterly wonderful!

For Kindergarten – 1^st Grade

I Stink! By Kate and James McMullan

Rambunctious readers will find a kindred spirit in the lively trash truck that narrates this wry and clever book. With a voice that oozes personality he regales readers with accounts of all the items he eats as he makes his rounds. Kids delight in his gross list of consumables and love imitating the truck’s sound effects. The book also makes a great entry point to conversations about waste management, recycling, and composting.

2^nd Grade – 3^rd Grade

National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry: 200 Poems with Photographs That Squeak, Soar, and Roar! edited by J. Patrick Lewis

This hefty hardcover is truly a book for all ages, and a gift no reader will outgrow. A terrific collection of poems paired with stunning photographs, it’s a visual and auditory feast that’s perfect for any animal lover and the ultimate resource for teachers. This is a book you’ll reach for all year long!

For 4^th – 5^th Grade

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage

Want to captivate and entertain a room full of kids? This Newbery Honor-winner will absolutely do the trick! A small-town Southern murder mystery, it’s both riotously funny and wonderfully suspenseful. Memorable characters, distinct voices, and rich metaphors make it an utter delight from start to finish.

For Middle School

Buried Alive! How 33 Miners Survived 69 Days Deep Under the Chilean Desert by Elaine Scott

Good nonfiction is both illuminating and captivating, and this book is both. A well-researched account of the collapse that almost buried 33 Chilean miners, it explains both the science that saved them and the psychology that kept them alive during a harrowing, lengthy ordeal. Moving and inspiring, it’s a must-read for middle schoolers and a great book for adults and kids to read together!

What books have you enjoyed reading aloud with your family or students? Please add a comment and share your favorites!

The post World Read-Aloud Day: Six Great Books to Read Aloud appeared first on First Book Blog.

Add a Comment

During our common planning time today, my colleagues and I brainstormed a list of texts we’re going to have students select from for their literary essays. Many people think that kids should pick whatever book they’re reading, I’ve come to believe that having children select from a pre-selected set of short texts is better. [...]

Add a Comment

In preparation for this month's Carnival of Children's Literature (check out Kelly's post). Everyone's blogging about gift books. I thought about blogging my choices to give this Christmas, but there was a really big problem with that.

See, the people who would be receiving such books? Would be reading this blog (Yes y'all you're getting books for Christmas. I'm sure you're shocked and amazed because you know, that's all I ever give anyone.)

So, I thought I'd turn it on it's head a bit and blog about books that people have given to me!

There's always a problem when giving your favorites to someone else. I'm not entirely sure my mother ever forgave me for not loving Trixie Belden the same way that she does.

On the other hand, I (and my classmates) will always love my parents for shipping a box full of John Steinbeck and Kurt Vonnegut novels to me when we ran out of English-language novels in China.

Now, my favorite books that have been given to me are cookbooks. This is interesting, because usually when I open them, I'm a little less than enthusiastic, but 3 of my top 5 cookbooks? Were presents to me. Desperation Dinners was given to Dan and me by my parents. It has the basis for my awesome Chicken/Tortellini/Pesto soup. (Um, add some tortellini.) Also, Dan's awesome white chicken chili is from here.


Dan's dad gave us How To Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food and when Mark Bitman says everything, he means everything. So, it not only contains the recipe to awesome pie crust, killer mocha butter-cream frosting, what to do with random chicken breasts or or how to make a good, basic marinara sauce, but when I didn't believe that whipped cream only involved cream and a wire whisk? Bitman proved me wrong (although he did suggest a smidge of sugar). When I realized I hadn't boiled an egg in a decade and didn't remember how long it should be in the water? This book told me. It also suggested that a medium boiled egg is much easier than a poached one with the same results. (My suggestion is to serve them on toast finely spread with Boursin cheese. Or on toast with crab cake.)

The third was a wedding present from our friend Alden, The Naked Chef which has some great recipes for various things and ways to do things the completely from scratch and where you can take shortcuts. I like this one because Oliver really gives you the freedom to experiment and really just provides base recipes and lets you run wild, for, as I've always said, one must approach love and cooking with reckless abandon. (In case you were wondering, my other top two cookbooks are Joy of Cooking (older editions are better) and Betty Crocker Cookbook which I DO NOT have. *hint hint*)

One gift I really remember from childhood was receiving a copy of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret from a family friend for my birthday. (Maybe 10? 11? 12? Somewhere in there.) Not only did it open my eyes to a lot of things (we must, we must, we must increase our bust) but it was the first Judy Blume book I read, but far from the last one. I now have teary-eyed moments over this book with mothers at the library.

Something about having an 18-page wish list on Amazon is that people tend to buy you things of it, which is, well, the point. But some of my favorite gifts are the little spur of the moment ones. Dan gave me 501 French Verbs when I was taking French in England and mentioned that I missed having it as a reference. The next week, we went out of coffee and he pulled it out of his bag for me. Similarly was when I was reading The Guns of August and had no idea what pre WWI Europe looked like... a few days later, he brought me home a copy of the Rand Mcnally Historical World Atlas. And then there was the supreme silliness when, right before we went down to Houston to spend Passover with his family and presented me with My First Passover Board Book...

For Christmas a few years ago, Dan's mom gave me a copy of the hysterical Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About. (MotherReader agrees that this book brings the funny). She got it off my amazon wishlist and promptly forgot about it. Until we gave her a copy this year because, really people IT BRINGS THE FUNNY.

And who doesn't love going to the bookstore with parents who pay for their books? Everything from mama buying my copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at the midnight release party (she bought one for herself and one for me... when it comes to Harry, there's no sharing.) And most recently, Hardboiled and Hard Luck.

I love getting books and hope people never stop giving them to me!

Display Comments Add a Comment

I still read to my kid most nights, even though kid will be 12 next month.

So I need a good book, preferably one that doesn't start off with a parent dying, like Grief Girl (liked it quite a bit, though), Cures for Heartbreak (so-so, despite good reviews, plus fairly clear descriptions of sex caused book to be put aside), and we're now reading something where the dad has just died.

I would prefer something funny, like Storky (we're planning on getting Stuck in the 70s), or kind of dramatic, like Skate. And no detailed explanations of sex - kid is just not ready for that [Full confession: and Mom feels pretty funny reading it aloud.]

Kid has a good vocab and can deal with complex themes. Although maybe that's not what we are looking for.

I'm now open for suggestions.





Subscribe with
JacketFlap's
Children's
Publishing
Blog Reader

Add a Comment

Work has been unexpectantly busy already this week. Focus was required, long hours were spent laboring over Excel, extra eye drops were needed to keep my contacts from drying out, hyperbole abounded.

No blogs were posted though since I had to actually work.

My homework for the Denver Publishing Institute is supposed to arrive today (with any luck it will be there when I get home). I’ve been driving people crazy while I waited. Originally I thought it was supposed to arrive the week before last, and when it didn’t I shot off an email to the school. Did it go to the wrong address? Had the US Postal Service continued its war against me (which in the past resulted in a W2 arriving three weeks late with a hole punched through it, my insurance packet not arriving at the insurance company in time, and various letters of semi-importance disappearing into the ether)? What would happen if my homework didn’t arrive?

Really, how much time would I have to procrastinate?

Turns out that they hadn’t sent the package yet; it went out via UPS on Tuesday of last week. It arrived on Friday while I was at work so the UPS guy said he would try again today. My apartment manager also said he would keep an eye out for it, which is good because it is so very beautiful outside and I think a trip to the park or local coffee shop with outdoor seating is in the cards.

I just love to read in the sun and I want to cut down on my paleness. A girl who comes by my hair color naturally just shouldn’t be this white. It’s blinding. Plus I have to catch up on all the reading that I didn’t do over Memorial Day weekend.

So just for the sake of asking:

Read anything good lately?

Display Comments Add a Comment