Learning About Women Who Dared to Discover

Books offer a window for children to learn about the world and start to imagine themselves in it. But, as A Mighty Girl recently discussed on Facebook, girls don’t always have the opportunity to see themselves in certain fields, especially the sciences.

“If someone asked you to name female scientists from history, how many names come to mind? Unfortunately, it’s a rare person, child or adult, who can name more than two or three female scientists — and, even in those instances, the same few names are usually mentioned time and again.”

From chemists like Alice Ball to primatologist Jane Goodall, history is full of amazing women role models who helped further our understanding of science and the world around us. In honor of International Women’s Day, and Women’s History Month, we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight books for young children about women in the sciences.

A Mighty Girl’s recent post, Ignite Her Curiosity: 60 Books to Inspire Science-Loving Mighty Girls, features a long list of books for girls about science and about women who made a difference in the field. The list includes books for all ages, including books for preschoolers and young readers. We’ve highlighted some of our favorites below.