Women's Herstory!
By Drag Queen Story Hour
By Drag Queen Story Hour
Drag Queen Story Hour has teamed up with The Tiny Activist
to co-create an inclusive list that celebrates all that identify as women and hold space for our trans, non-binary and intersex friends. Corrie from The Tiny Activist wrote all the annotations for this list.
Cholula Lemon is pictured in our cover photo from the DQSH NYC Chapter.
Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist
Jess Keating and Marta Álvarez Miguéns
$17.99 $16.55In order to prove sharks weren’t mindless killing machines, she trained some to push a button to earn a reward! Eugenie Clark did not give up, and she achieved her dream of ensuring sharks were respected, loved, and studied.
Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré
Anika Aldamuy Denise and Paola Escobar
$17.99 $16.55This important story tells the life of Pura Belpré, first mainstream Latinx author in America. She used her storytelling abilities to build bridges between communities and advocate for her own culture and community.
Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston
Alicia D. Williams and Jacqueline Alcántara
$17.98 $16.54This gorgeous book goes into detail about the life of writer Zora Neale Hurston, who bounded from adventure to adventure and found notoriety in writing along the way. I love the way the illustrations convey movement and joy, always showing Zora in movement and creativity.
Pies from Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Dee Romito and Laura Freeman
$17.99 $16.55Georgia Gilmore is a lovely example of how a person can partake in solid on the ground organization efforts and create incredible ripples of change throughout a community. So many organizers and activists have been erased from retellings in favor of uplifting a few key individuals in a simplified narrative. Having these stories told showcase how intricate community efforts are, and how everyone can become involved in making change.
The Only Woman in the Photo: Frances Perkins & Her New Deal for America
Kathleen Krull and Alexandra Bye
$18.99 $17.47Frances affected labor laws for the better, changing a myriad of industries and populations. She was noticed by FDR and hired as one of the top officials in the country, eventually helping him draft the New Deal which revolutionized the benefits available to citizens of the country.
Muslim Girls Rise: Inspirational Champions of Our Time
Saira Mir and Aaliya Jaleel
$18.99 $17.47This book is a lovely book, almost anthology-like, of 18 Muslim girls (and women) that are changing the world and blazing trails. The beauty of this book is that the short single page profiles of these strong and intelligent women is that they span the globe and professional career market.
Queen of Physics, 6: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom
Teresa Robeson and Rebecca Huang
$16.95 $15.59Chien Shiung was an activist, a scientist, and trailblazer for the world of beta decay in physics. Something that the book addresses which I find really important is that yes, Chien Shiung was disappointed that she was often passed over for jobs and awards due to being both Asian and a woman. But she cared deeply for her field of work, and chose to persevere and ignore the obstacles (like her parents had taught her).
Lift as You Climb: The Story of Ella Baker
Patricia Hruby Powell and R. Gregory Christie
$17.98 $16.54The book itself is lyrical and reads like poetry, going over the early life and decades of public service that Ella put into her community. Ella was radical in the way she believed everyone should be involved in community organizing, not just the elite or highly educated. She was constantly asking everyone “what do you hope to accomplish?” and truly embodying her mothers advice to “lift as your climb”, helping everyone around her.
She Was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm
Katheryn Russell-Brown and Eric Velasquez
$19.95 $18.35Shirley is a role model for me in her unwavering ability to speak out against injustice and in favor for the citizens of her congressional district and the nation. Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress, and the first Black person to run for president. She believed in community support networks, distributing resources to marginalized populations, and was against war.
A Thousand Glass Flowers: Marietta Barovier and the Invention of the Rosetta Bead
Evan Turk
$17.99 $16.55This beautiful picture book tells the story of Marietta Barovier, a prolific glassblower and one of the first women to take up the career (she got her own shop in 1460!). A Thousand Glass Flowers is an empowering narrative for readers to be able to follow their interests, even if naysayers are family members, and smash the stereotypes associated with the career making it easier for others to break into it as well.
The Power of Her Pen: The Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel L. Payne
Lesa Cline-Ransome and John Parra
$18.99 $17.47Ethel was a hard-hitting writer and worked tirelessly against the continued oppression of Black citizens. Even after her retirement from journalism, Ethel continued to teach classes at Fisk University and be a voice for her community.
A Girl Named Rosita: The Story of Rita Moreno: Actor, Singer, Dancer, Trailblazer!
Anika Aldamuy Denise and Leo Espinosa
$17.99 $16.55This book is a lovely tribute to the adventure-filled life of Rita Moreno, and I love that it discusses the racism found in the film industry.
Queen of Tejano Music: Selena
Silvia López and Paola Escobar
$18.99 $17.47Rather than a linear biographical story, double-page spreads talk about a specific aspect of Selena’s life. We especially love the timeline and the additional information about Tejanos, and the story reifies that Selena didn’t learn to speak Spanish before she sang. Instead, she worked to not only design her costumes, but also memorized multiple languages, pronunciation, and her choreography.
Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer
Traci Sorell and Natasha Donovan
$19.99 $18.39Classified is a fantastic book, weaving together information about the Cherokee Nation and values as well as Mary Golda Ross’ biography. Much of Mary’s work is still classified, but we know she worked on many government projects. She was also the first female engineer at Lockheed!
Sylvia and Marsha Start a Revolution!: The Story of the Trans Women of Color Who Made LGBTQ+ History
Joy Ellison and Teshika Silver
$17.95 $16.51This story is unique because it’s both a read aloud and cohesive lesson. there are activities, resources, and separate back matter for kids and grownups. We are thrilled that books are being released by sizable publishers that focus on the social justice and activist contributions of twoc, and can’t wait to see more from this creative duo!