Tag Archives: Women’s History Month

New Books about Strong Women: New Arrival to Read for Women’s History Month

3 Mar

I took a look at the new arrivals here at the Hoboken Public Library and found some great reads for March when we are celebrating Women’s History Month. If you want to see what else is new at the Hoboken Public Library go to the link here.

Fighting for Space: Two pilots and their Historic Battle for Female Spaceflight
by Amy Shira Teitel
Fighting for Space
In Fighting for Space, learn more about Jackie Cochran and Jerrie Cobb, two female pilots who both longed to become the first woman in space, but were grounded by patriarchal society.  Last year our Science Fiction book discussion group read in April, The Calculating Stars which imagined what it would be like if women had been allowed to become astronauts at an earlier time.  Also check out the terrific Hidden Figures about the female African American mathematicians who were instrumental in the early space program.

The Genius of Women: From Overlooked to Changing the World
by Janice Kaplan
Genius of Women
Kaplan, the bestselling author of The Gratitude Diaries, looks at in The Genius of Women why the impressive work by many women in history has been overlooked.  The work seeks to inspire women of today with how smart women overcame the barriers to their success.

Stop Telling Women to Smile: Stories of Street Harassment and How We’re Taking Back Our Power
by Tatyana Fazlalizadeh
Stop Telling to Women to Smile
Tatyana Fazlaizadeh is known for her fabulous looking and provocative street art.  In Stop Telling Women to Smile she features not only her work, but also the stories of the women who experience hostile streets where they live.  I know I have experienced this myself throughout my life and it is nice to see a famous artist drawing attention to this pervasive problem.

This month we are Celebrating Women Artists in our Weekly Wednesday Art Classes at 10 AM and1 PM.  Art teacher Liz Cohen Ndoye will hold a series of four art classes highlighting the work of different women artists. Liz will introduce you to the extraordinary work of Kiki Smith, Judith Scott, Liz Larner, and Latoya Ruby Frazier.

Rosa Parks: In Her Own Words
by Susan Reyburn
Rosa Parks
The Library of Congress for the first time has made available in print the documents from the Parks Collection which includes her notes and manuscripts.  Rosa Parks is often celebrated as a powerful symbol of the civil rights elements, but this book allows the person behind the movement to be recognized in her own right.  It also includes a variety of historic photographs.

We have a special production honoring Rosa Parks for kids in grades 3-8 today (Tuesday, March 3) at 4:30 pm. In A Seat for Rosa, when a child tells his aunt about a bully on his bus, she gives him advice by recounting the tale of Rosa Parks and the events that led to a revolution in racial justice. This poignant production includes many songs of the Civil Rights era and brings this time to life. Through this exploration of that era, students learn how individuals can work together to fight injustice and oppression. First come, first served.  If your children are interested in learning more about Parks we have a variety of children’s books about her including: Who was Rosa Parks? by Yona Zeldis McDonough, I am Rosa Parks by Brad Meltzer, and A Picture book of Rosa Parks by David A. Adler.

Written by Aimee Harris
Head of Reference

 

 

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Biographies to Checkout for Women’s History Month: Rosemary and Goddess of Anarchy

6 Mar

For Women’s History Month I decided to review two biographies of women whose importance is frequently neglected. Rosemary Kennedy and Lucy Parsons have only recently been given comprehensive biographies. Although they remain somewhat obscure figures in American history, they have impacted modern life much more than many people realize. These are just two of the many excellent biographies that the Hoboken Library has in its collection.

Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter
by Kate Clifford Larson
Rosemary
The Kennedy’s are one of the most documented families in American history, but for decades, the public knew little about the eldest Kennedy sister, Rosemary. Unlike her highly ambitious siblings who were being groomed by their parents for elite society, Rosemary struggled with basic skills and had trouble socializing. Had she been born today, Rosemary’s could have lived a comfortable life, but because she was born into a family with impossibly high standards during a time when people with intellectual disabilities were poorly understand, Rosemary was subjected to a series of cruel treatments, the most horrific being a prefrontal lobotomy she was given at 23-years-old that left her severely disabled and isolated from the public for the rest of her life.

Despite the barbaric way in which she was treated, Rosemary’s life had a great impact on the outside world. Eunice Kennedy Shriver was so horrified by what had happened to her sister that she dedicated her life to advocating for people with disabilities and helped begin the Special Olympics. While in the Senate, Ted Kennedy cosponsored the Americans with Disabilities Act, which he dedicated to his sister who he had barely gotten to know but whose life deeply affected him. What makes Kate Larson’s Rosemary such an excellent read is that it is not just a biography of Rosemary Kennedy; it is also the story of the fight for a more humane society for people with disabilities.

You can borrow Rosemary as an ebook or digital audiobook from eLibraryNJ, eBCCLS and Hoopla.

Goddess of Anarchy: The Life and Times of Lucy Parsons, American Radical
by Jacqueline Jones
Goddess of Anarchy
During her life, Lucy Parsons was one of the most well-known speakers on America’s public lecture circuit and at times, the most prominent African American woman in such a position. However, Lucy Parsons has remained an obscure historical figure who has not had a strong biography until Pulitzer Prize nominee Jacqueline Jones uncovered newly discovered documents about her early life. With this new insight in Goddess of Anarchy, Jones illustrates the life of a fearless speaker and activist with a very complex legacy.

Parsons identified as an anarchist, communist, and revolutionary. She was a fierce advocate for the downtrodden and oppressed and was involved in many volatile labor struggles. Her controversial statements and writings led her to spend many nights in jail, but she amazingly lived to be 89-years-old and spent her entire life trying to advance her revolutionary beliefs. At a time when black women were mostly shut out of intellectual life, Parsons’ ability to inspire a crowd was incredibly admirable.

Parson leaves behind a difficult political and racial legacy. Although she was born into slavery, she lied about her background and claimed to be Mexican and Native American. Spending much of her life in Chicago, she identified with city’s white working class immigrants and was accused of downplaying issues of discrimination against African Americans during the time of Jim Crow. There are also questions about whether her violent rhetoric hurt the progress of the causes she believed in. Regardless of what the reader conclude about Parsons, she is a fascinating figure whose role in women’s history in worth exploring.

You can borrow Goddess of Anarchy from eBCCLS as an ebook.

Looking for books for the younger members of your family?  You can get some great suggestions for biographies for children in our previous blog post: Well Behaved Women Don’t Make History.  For more books for adults and some also appropriate for teens we have Heroines You Should Know.  What are some of your favorite biographies about women who have changed history for adults or kids? Share them in our comments!

Written by:
Karl Schwartz
Young Adult Librarian

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