Books based on real people pack an emotional punch. Not only do nonfiction stories help girls by teaching history and allowing them to see the world from different viewpoints, they provide role models and inspiration. My oldest recently came across the story of Virginia Hall in the book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. She’s quite taken with the decorated American spy who thwarted the Nazis during World War II (I’m confident there’s a Virginia costume in our future).
Girls need to have exposure to diverse people who have pursued dreams and overcome adversity. Through nonfiction stories they learn they’re not alone in their feelings and that others who came before them discovered ways to cope and respond to hardships.
Luckily, we live in an age where there are as many tales as there are children’s interests. Is your girl concerned about the earth? Tell her about Rachel Carson, an environmentalist who wrote the book Silent Spring. Does she worry about making her voice heard? Suggest she explore the world of Sojourner Truth.
Reading real stories encourages self-reflection, empathy, emotional intelligence, and offers a front seat to observing life lessons. They’re a win-win for anyone wanting to boost a child’s reading list.
Activities To Do With Girls
- Have your child write on a sticky note the names of the people they’re reading about. Arrange the names in chronological order, along with the years the people lived.
- Take time to sit down with your child; ask her to share the stories she is reading and what she likes (or dislikes) about the person.
- Don’t wait until your child can read a story to herself. Read a higher reading level book with her so you both can learn about a person and talk about them.
- Discuss the author’s sources for the story. Check to see if the book has a bibliography, end notes or an author’s note to explain what sources were used. This is a great way to reiterate lessons on fact checking and cross referencing.
- Keep in mind real stories about despicable people have value. They teach readers about terrible decisions that have dire consequences. Take the opportunity to talk about moral choices and human flaws.
- Suggest your girl write her own biography, along with creating a self-portrait, or interview an older family member and write their story.
Nonfiction Reading Suggestions
Ages 4+
Mahalia Jackson: Walking with Kings and Queens
Me…Jane (Jane Goodall)
Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine
Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist
No Truth Without Ruth: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Rosa (Rosa Parks)
Ages 6+
The Girl Who Ran: Bobbi Gibb, the First Woman to Run the Boston Marathon
Libba: The Magnificent Musical Life of Elizabeth Cotten
Bold & Brave: Ten Heroes Who Won Women the Right to Vote
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell
Ages 9+
Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement
The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor
I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Malala Yousafzai)
This Promise of Change: One Girl’s Story in the Fight for School Equality (Jo Ann Allen)
Grace, Gold & Glory: My Leap of Faith (Gabrielle Douglas)
Ages 12+
Soul Surfer (Bethany Hamilton)
Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery
How I Discovered Poetry (Marilyn Nelson)
Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution ( Ji-li Jiang)
Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina (Michaela DePrince)
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
Ages 14+
Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir (Margarita Engle)
This Star Won’t Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl
Ida M. Tarbell: The Woman Who Challenged Big Business–and Won!
Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX
Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx (Sonia Manzano)
Code Name Pauline: Memoirs of a World War II Special Agent (Women of Action) (Pearl Witherington Cornioley)
Fight Like a Girl: 50 Feminists Who Changed the World
Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen (Jazz Jennings)
Sally Ride: America’s First Woman in Space
Do You Dream in Color?: Insights from a Girl without Sight (Laurie Rubin)
Top photo by Rahul Shah from Pexels
First video by the Jane Goodall Institute
Second video by Smithsonian Folklife
Third video by Scholastic
Fourth video by Curious City
Fifth video by Simon & Schuster Books
More Girls That Create posts: Help Your Girl Interview Someone for Their Life Story and Picture Books Encouraging Artistic Girls
