August 18 marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which prohibited states and the federal government from denying women the right to vote based on their sex. Introduced into Congress back in 1878, this amendment represents decades of meeting, protests, letter writing campaigns, hunger strikes, marches, and more. Even after 1920, Black, Native American, Latina, and Asian American women were still unable to vote until decades later due to state laws and other barriers.
In honor of this momentous anniversary, we've collected our favorite books on voting and women's suffrage. We hope that you'll check them out through our curbside pickup program!
Go Vote, Baby!
by Nancy Lambert
New York: HarperFestival, 2020
A fantastic first voting book, this board book has sliders allowing the readers to vote on important issues like cats vs. dogs and ice cream vs. cake.
Equality's Call: The Story of Voting Rights in America
by Deborah Diesen
San Diego: Beach Lane Books, 2020
A right isn't right
Till it's granted to all
Through rhyming verse, this book provides a look at the history of
voting rights in America. While representation was supposed to be a
strength of our new nation, in truth only white men who owned property
were initially able to vote. But over the years, through the struggles
and efforts of many people, more and more Americans were able to vote
and make their voice heard.
Vote for Our Future!
by Margaret McNamara
New York: Schwartz and Wade, 2020
'Every
two years, on the first Tuesday of November, Stanton Elementary School
closes for the day. For vacation? Nope! For repairs? No way! Stanton
Elementary School closes so that it can transform itself into a polling
station. People can come from
all over to vote for the people who
will make laws for the country. Sure, the Stanton Elementary School
students might be too young to vote themselves, but that doesn't mean
they can't encourage their parents, friends, and family to vote! After
all, voting is how this country sees change--and by voting today, we can
inspire tomorrow's voters to change the future.'
Susan B. Anthony: Her Fight for Equal Rights
by Monica Kulling
New York: Random House Books for Young Readers, 2020
This biography is aimed at beginning readers and tells the story of one of the leaders of the woman's suffrage movement.
History Smashers: Women's Right to Vote
by Kate Messner
New York: Random House Books for Young Readers, 2020
'Myths! Lies! Secrets! Smash the stories behind famous moments in
history and expose the hidden truth. Perfect for fans of I Survived and
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.
In 1920, Susan B. Anthony passed a law that gave voting rights to women in the United States. RIGHT?
WRONG! Susan B. Anthony wasn't even alive when the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified. Plus, it takes a
lot more than one person to amend the constitution.
The
truth is, it took millions of women to get that amendment into law.
They marched! They picketed! They even went to jail. But in the end, it
all came down to a letter from a state representative's mom. No joke.'
The Woman's Hour (Adapted for Young Readers): Our Fight for the Right to Vote
by Elaine Weiss
New York: Random House Books for Young Readers, 2020
'This adaptation of the book Hillary Clinton calls "a page-turning
drama and an inspiration" will spark the attention of young readers and
teach them about activism, civil rights, and the fight for women's
suffrage--just in time for the 100th anniversary of the ratification of
the Nineteenth Amendment. Includes an eight-page photo insert!'
