This Women’s History Month, discover the stories of some extraordinary women who helped change the world for the better with the following picture books. The following books were published int 2025. All synopses are provided by each book’s respective publisher.
FANNY’S BIG IDEA: HOW JEWISH BOOK WEEK WAS BORN, by Richard Michelson and Alyssa Russell, Rocky Pond Books, Nov. 4, 2025, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 6-9)
Fanny Goldstein immigrated to America from Russia when she was six. She loved the fact that in her new country she could borrow books for free and take part in all kinds of activities at the Saturday Evening Girls Club. Right away, her curiosity attracted the notice of the club’s founder, who was also the head of the Boston Public Library.
It wasn’t long before Fanny was hired as the librarian’s assistant, and then at thirty-three, as the first Jewish director of a Boston branch library. And when Fanny noticed how rarely Jewish families checked out books about their own history, she had an idea that would influence libraries and readers for decades to come: She decided to host a week-long party to celebrate Jewish books and culture. It was such a success that it launched a national event which has continued for 100 years! —Synopsis provided by Rocky Pond Books
TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD: BARBARA HILLARY, THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO REACH THE NORTH AND SOUTH POLES, by Deborah Blumenthal and Anastasia Magloire Williams, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Oct. 21, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99
As a young girl, Barbara Hillary imagined a life of adventure. Despite facing hardships in her childhood and illness as an adult, she never gave up on her dream: to travel the world and explore hard-to-reach places. So, at age seventy-five, she became the first Black woman to set foot on the North Pole. Less than four years later, she did the same at the South Pole.
Barbara loved everything the world has to offer. During her travels, she discovered that the remote places she cared so much about were threatened by climate change. From then on, she dedicated herself to saving the planet for future generations. She never let her age—or anything else—stop her until she stood at the top of the world! —Synopsis provided by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
THE HIGH-FLYING, DEEP-DIVING ADVENTURES OF KATHY SULLIVAN: ASTRONAUT AND OCEANOGRAPHER, by Diane Stanley and Jessie Hartland, Beach Lane Books, Sept. 16, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99 (ages 4-8)
Growing up, Kathy Sullivan always knew the world was bigger than her neighborhood. She loved to study maps and wonder about distant places. And when she was six years old and saw Sputnik in the sky, she knew space would be the most amazing adventure of all.
One of the first six trailblazing women to join NASA’s storied astronaut corps, Kathy was the first American woman to walk in space and a veteran of three shuttle missions. She was in the first NASA Astronaut Group 8, provided support for the first Space Shuttle mission and the Kennedy Space Center crew, and was part of the team that launched, rescued, and maintained the Hubble Space Telescope.
After spending 532 total hours in space, Kathy left NASA and fulfilled another dream: traveling to the sea floor. Kathy became the first woman to travel to the Mariana Trench, the lowest known point on planet Earth. Kathy never forgot the maps she loved as a child and followed her curiosity to the highest reaches and most sunken depths—farther than anyone else. —Synopsis provided by Beach Lane Books
THE SPY IN THE MUSEUM: HOW ROSE VALLAND SAVED ART FROM THE NAZIS, by Erin McGuire, Beach Lane Books, Sept. 16, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99 (ages 6-10)
Rose Valland loved art. When the Nazis invaded Paris during World War II and took over her beloved museum, Rose could have fled. But who would save the artwork?
So, Rose remained and saw how she was underestimated by the soldiers for being a quiet, unassuming woman. She knew it was the time to act. And Rose had a secret weapon: she could speak German. She listened, kept track of all the stolen art, and saved what she could. Rose became a spy. And in the end, she saved thousands of works of art. —Synopsis provided by Beach Lane Books
WOODS & WORDS: THE STORY OF POET MARY OLIVER, by Sara Holly Ackerman and Naoko Stoop, Beach Lane Books, April 1, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99 (ages 4-8)
Young Mary Oliver spent all the time she could outdoors noticing natural wonders like alluring birdsong, velvety leaves, and glittering beams of sunlight. There were treasures all around if you paid attention. Eventually, she began writing about those treasures, filling up stacks of notebooks and capturing the world around her. There were always poems if you paid attention.
As Mary grew up and gained acclaim for her poetry, some critics said her poems were too simple, too ordinary. But Mary believed poems were for everyone. So she wrapped herself in woods and in woods, and kept on searching for what else and where else a poem might be… —Synopsis provided by Beach Lane Books
Copyright © 2026 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.
