Published by Margaret Ferguson Books

Summary:  When Kate Kaird left Germany for America with her young son Jacob, she couldn’t have imagined what lay in store for her.  She soon married John Walker, the keeper of the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, and within a year they moved into the lighthouse to live.  She spent the next 33 years there, taking over all the duties after John died when their daughter was only three years old.  It took four years for her to get the title and salary of permanent lighthouse keeper, securing the job after two men passed it up as being too lonely.  Kate kept the light clean and polished, rowed back and forth to Staten Island for visits and supplies, and rescued more than fifty people during her long career.  Includes additional information with a photo and a list of sources; endpapers include a map of the lighthouse and the surrounding area.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  Another great choice for Women’s History Month, this would also pair well with Sophie Blackall’s Hello, Lighthouse!  The lengthy story gives plenty of details which are supplemented further with the author’s note.  As always, Emily Arnold McCully’s illustrations are excellent and really capture the different seasons and types of weather experienced by the lighthouse dwellers.

Cons:  The story is long enough that younger readers might get antsy during a read-aloud.

Published by Eerdman’s Books for Young Readers

Summary:  This biography of Nelson Mandela covers his early life in the first few pages, focusing primarily on his imprisonment from 1963 until 1990.  Mandela studied and taught others while in prison, reaching out to both white guards and black prisoners.  His isolation gradually decreased as reforms slowly came to South Africa, and on February 2, 1991, he was released from prison.  Three years later, he voted for the first time in his life–and was elected president of South Africa.  Includes extensive back matter:  lengthy author’s and illustrator’s notes; additional information on apartheid, the ANC, and Mandela’s imprisonment; a timeline of Mandela’s life and South Africa’s journey to democracy; and lists of books, videos, and websites with additional information (but, surprisingly, no photos).  48 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  An inspiring look at Nelson Mandela’s life, with beautiful, brilliant acrylic paintings to illustrate it, and lots of material to support further research.

Cons:  I wish this book had been edited more; the text is lengthy, and some of Mandela’s story could have been more effectively shown rather than told. 

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Growing up in Portland, Oregon, Hazel Ying Lee was a fearless girl who loved running races with her brothers.  She fell in love with flying as a teenager, taking a job as an elevator operator (one of the few jobs open to Chinese Americans) to fund her flying lessons.  When World War II began, she signed up for the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), and became one of the few women to fly high-powered fighter jets.  In 1944, a radio tower miscommunication resulted in a collision between Hazel’s plane and another, and she died two days later from her injuries.  Her family had to appeal all the way to the White House for permission to bury her in the whites-only cemetery of their choice.  An author’s note gives additional information, including the facts that WASPs finally received veteran status from Jimmy Carter in 1977 and Barack Obama awarded them the Congressional Gold Medal in 2009; also includes a list of additional resources.  48 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  Just in time for Women’s History Month (or at least the last ten days of it), this excellent picture book biography tells the story of a courageous young woman who overcame many obstacles to pursue her dream.  The additional resources make it a great starting point for more research.

Cons:  No photos in the book, so here you go.