Bio’s – great female role models for 6-8 year olds

Before Wilma Rudolph was five years old, polio had paralyzed her left leg. Everyone said she would never walk again. But Wilma refused to believe it. Not only would she walk again, she vowed, she’d run. And she did run – all the way to the Olympics, where she became the first American woman to earn three gold medals in a single olympiad. This dramatic and inspiring true story is illustrated in bold watercolor and acrylic paintings by Caldecott Medal-winning artist David Diaz. A worthy addition to your collection of female role models.

In the sprawling African scrub desert of Etosha National Park, they call her “the mother of all elephants.” Camouflaged and peering through binoculars, Caitlin O’Connell – the American scientist who traveled to Namibia to study African elephants in their natural habitat – could not believe what she was seeing. As the mighty matriarch scanned the horizon, the other elephants followed suit, stopping midstride and standing as still as statues. The observation would be one of many to guide O’Connell to a groundbreaking discovery! A fantastic story, and Caitlin O’Connell is one of the female role models for young people engaged in science, conservation or who love animals.

As a young girl in Kenya, Wangari was taught to respect nature. She grew up loving the land, plants, and animals that surrounded her – from the giant mugumo trees her people, the Kikuyu, revered to the tiny tadpoles that swam in the river. Although most Kenyan girls were not educated, Wangari, curious and hardworking, was allowed to go to school. There, her mind sprouted like a seed. She excelled at science and went on to study in the United States. After returning home, Wangari blazed a trail across Kenya, using her knowledge and compassion to promote the rights of her countrywomen and to help save the land, one tree at a time. Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace brings to life the empowering story of Wangari Maathai – the first African woman, and environmentalist, to win a Nobel Peace Prize. Engaging narrative and vibrant images paint a robust portrait of this inspiring champion of the land and of women’s rights – one of the great female role models for young people.

Emma Lazarus overcame the barriers of her day to become one of the leading poets of the nineteenth century. She used her celebrity to help the poor and impoverished immigrants of Eastern Europe. When the statue Liberty Enlightening the World came to the United States as a gift from France, it was Emma’s poem “The New Colossus” that became forever connected with this American icon. Emma’s words have served as a rallying call to generations of immigrants. In breathtaking color, veteran artist Stacey Schuett brings life to Erica Silverman’s story of one of the great women of America – and one of the female role models who’s often overlooked.

Eleanor Roosevelt was raised in a privileged but stern Victorian household. Alone and lonely for much of her childhood, Eleanor found solace in books and in the life of her lively and independent mind. Her intellectual gifts and compassionate heart won her the admiration of many friends – and the love of her future husband, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. While other young women of her standing were spending time at dances and parties, Eleanor devoted her energies to teaching children in New York City’s poorest neighborhoods. Later, she became the most socially and politically active – and controversial – First Lady America had ever seen. Ambassador, activist, and champion of civil rights, Eleanor Roosevelt changed the soul of America forever.

Doreen Rappaport captures the essence of Eleanor’s character and the deep significance of her legacy. With emotive paintings by Gary Kelley and selections from Eleanor’s own writings, Eleanor, quiet no more is an extraordinary tribute to an extraordinary woman.

If there was anything in the world better than playing baseball, Marcenia Lyle didn’t know what it was. As a young girl in the 1930s, she chased down fly balls and stole bases, and dreamed of one day playing professional ball.

With spirit, spunk, and a great passion for the sport, Marcenia struggled to overcome the objections of family, friends, and coaches – who felt a girl had no place in the field.

Full of warmth and youthful energy, Catching the Moon is the story of the girl who grew up to become the first woman to play for an all-male professional baseball team. Readers everywhere will be inspired by her courage to dream and determination to succeed – one of the wonderful female role models for the sporty child in your life.

Mary Anning, born in England in 1799, made an astounding discovery at age 12 when she unearthed the first full skeleton of a giant ichthyosaur – an extinct sea reptile – in the cliffs above her home in Lyme Regis. This incident – in which she was helped by a little dog she rescued from a cemetery – was the beginning of a long career that saw Mary become the world’s best-known fossil hunter (palaeontologist).

Jeannine Atkins’s sensitive and engaging portrait is strikingly illustrated by Michael Dooling, whose powerful paintings capture young Mary Anning’s devotion to her work – and all the joy she found in it. Mary Anning is one of the female role models young people can relate to… as she was almost the same age as them when she made her stunning discovery!