AMERICA'S CHAMPION SWIMMER: GERTRUDE EDERLE
by David A. Adler
illustrated by Terry Widener
Gulliver;ISBN: 0152019693;$16;2000

Clear, lively text and clean acrylic paintings introduce young readers to the first woman to swim the English Channel. Women's social history is nicely interwoven in this out-of-the-mainstream picture-book biography.

Suggested for ages 6 - 10
Subjects: Athletes | Swimming | Women

THANK YOU, SARAH: THE WOMAN WHO SAVED THANKSGIVING
by Laurie Halse Anderson
illustrated by Matt Faulkner
Simon & Schuster;ISBN: 0689847874;$16.95;2002

Sarah Hale's 38-year crusade to make Thanksgiving a national holiday is energetically detailed through anecdote and illustration in this amusing, true tale of dogged persistence.

Suggested for ages 7 - 10
Subjects: Thanksgiving | Women

DIGGING FOR BIRD-DINOSAURS: AN EXPEDITION TO MADAGASCAR
by Nic Bishop
Houghton Mifflin;ISBN: 0395960568;$16;2000

One of today's premier science photographers serves up a superior piece of science writing, allowing the reader a remarkable glimpse into the work of paleontologist Cathy Forster.

Suggested for ages 7 - 10
Subjects: Dinosaurs | Women

ELEANOR
by Barbara Cooney
Viking;ISBN: 0670861596;$16;1996

The privileged yet lonely childhood of Eleanor Roosevelt is meticulously portrayed with old-fashioned illustrations. Orphaned at eight years old, Eleanor never forgot her father's encouragement to "be truthful, loyal, brave, and well-educated." Her indomitable spirit shines throughout.

Suggested for ages 7 - 9
Subjects: First Ladies | Orphans | Women

A NORTHERN LIGHT [AUDIOBOOK]
by Jennifer Donnelly
narrated by Hope Davis
Listening Library;ISBN: 0807208957;$30;2003

Through the eyes of 16-year-old Mattie, farm girl-turned-waitress at a hotel in the Adirondacks, this tale—based on an actual event in 1906—unravels the terrible mystery surrounding a young woman’s death. Davis skillfully recreates the rural locale and period and gives depth to the characters, including the hapless victim, heard only through the words of her increasingly frightened letters.

Suggested for ages 14 and up
Subjects: Women

OSCEOLA: MEMORIES OF A SHARECROPPER'S DAUGHTER
illustrated by Shane W. Evans
edited by Alan Govenar
collected by Alan Govenar
Jump at the Sun;ISBN: 0786804076;$15.99;2000

Engrossing reminiscences of African American life in the segregated South provide insights into a strong woman's life after emancipation and offer children the gift of oral history through the strong narrative voice of 91-year-old Osceola Mays.

Suggested for ages 10 - 12
Subjects: Race Relations | South | Women

IDA B. WELLS: MOTHER OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
by Dennis Brindell Fradin and Judith Bloom Fradin
Clarion;ISBN: 0395898986;$18;2000

Marked by fiery dedication and tireless energy, Ida B. Wells' anti-lynching crusade consumed her life even as her tendency to refuse compromises and offend supporters undermined her cause. A complex and absorbing portrait of this heroic woman.

Suggested for ages 12 - 16
Subjects: Civil Rights Movement | Race Relations | Women

MARTHA GRAHAM: A DANCER'S LIFE
by Russell Freedman
Clarion;ISBN: 0395746558;$18;1998

This biography of one of the founders of modern dance—a woman who lived a passionate, single-minded life will fascinate all who love the subject or have a dream of their own to follow. Black and white pho-tos are full of movement and emotion.

Suggested for ages 11 - 15
Subjects: Choreographers | Dancers | Women