Essex Libraries are proud to celebrate Women’s History Month this March by offering book recommendations and resources that honor the contributions and achievements of women throughout history. This year’s theme, “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations,” reflects our commitment to educating and inspiring the community by showcasing the pivotal roles women have played in shaping our world.

 

Essex Libraries have curated a special collection of books, articles, and multimedia resources that focus on women’s history just below. This collection is available both in physical libraries and online, making it accessible to everyone. 

For educators and students, the BBC offers a wealth of educational resources on women’s history, which can be found here. These resources provide valuable insights and learning materials to support the study of women’s contributions across various fields. 

 

Additionally,  there is a wonderful YouTube playlist featuring documentaries and interviews with influential women. This playlist is a great way to learn more about the remarkable stories of women who have made a significant impact on society. You can watch the playlist here. 

 

Join Essex Libraries in celebrating Women’s History Month and take advantage of the diverse range of events and resources available. Together, we can honor the past, celebrate the present, and inspire future generations.

 

Featured Books

 

Picture book

 

Stop! That’s Not My Story by Smriti Prasadam-Halls & Erika Meza

A girl opens up a book looking for the story that's perfect for HER and tumbles inside. But Goldilocks is not her story, and Jack and the Beanstalk is not her story and Little Red Riding Hood is not her story. There's only one thing for it: she's going to have to write her own story - and the hero will be HER.

 

Children's Fiction

 

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice - abridged by Tanya Landman

When two wealthy young men move to the neighbourhood, Mrs Bennet - mother to five unmarried daughters - is thrilled. Surely it is only a matter of time before one of her girls is snapped up! But the course of love does not always run smooth. While Jane and Mr Bingley seem destined for one another, there are those who would wish it otherwise; while Elizabeth and Mr Darcy do not seem destined for one another, somehow their paths must always cross. Then there are Lydia and Kitty, the silliest and vainest of the Bennet sisters, keen to attract the wickedly attractive Mr Wickham and his military comrades. Love is in the air - but where will it all end?

 

Eurek-her! Stories of inspirational women in STEM by Frances Durkin, Nur Ventura, Jenny Jacoby

Discover 20 inspirational stories about women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). From ancient Mesopotamia to present-day Kenya, you'll see how women throughout history have turned their ideas into important inventions. After reading their stories, you can practise your own STEM skills with 12 simple step-by-step experiments.

 

Young Adult and Adult Non-Fiction

 

Normal women : making history for 900 years by Philippa Gregory

YA version: Today, when we think of women of the past, we often think of the 1800s and 1900s - crinolines and stage coaches, bonnets and balls - a time when women were told they were naturally inferior to men, and must stay at home while men went out to work and have fun. HUGE MISTAKE! There is so much more to women's history than bonnets and big dresses! Ordinary women have been doing extraordinary things FOR EVER - it just didn't make the history books (written by men!). Join multi-award-winning author Philippa Gregory as she tells the story of ordinary English women, making history for 900 years.

Adult version: We have fallen into the belief that women were absent from great events, and ineffectual in normal times. Through a radical reframing of the conventional eras of our history, 'Normal Women' will tell the story of our nation - not with the rise and fall of Kings and the occasional Queen - but through social and cultural transition, showing the agency, persistence and effectiveness of women in society. Through the stories of the soldiers, guild widows, highwaywomen, pirates, miners and ship owners, international traders, theatre runners and 'female husbands', 'Normal Women' redefines 'normal' female behaviour to include heroism, rebellion, crime, treason, money-making, jousting and sainthood. And much rioting.

 

Adult Non-Fiction

 

Femina : a new history of the Middle Ages, through the women written out of it by
Janina Ramirez

BBC historian Janina Ramirez has uncovered countless influential women's names struck out of historical records, with the word 'FEMINA' annotated beside them. Male gatekeepers of the past ordered books to be burnt, artworks to be destroyed, and new versions of myths, legends and historical documents to be produced, which has manipulated our view of history. By weaving a vivid and evocative picture of the lives of the women who influenced their society, we discover not just why these remarkable individuals were removed from our collective memories, but also how many other misconceptions underpin our historical narratives, altering the course of history, upholding the oppressive masculine structures of their present, and affecting our contemporary view of the past.

 

Life Lessons from Historical women by Eleanor Morton

Eleanor Morton celebrates the ordinary women whose decisions and accomplishments in their everyday lives resonate with us today. Taking inspiration from the thriving self-help genre, Morton reasons that the greatest lessons can be taken from the female forebears who have come before - women whose actions inspire purpose, creativity and rebellion.