books about powerful, inspirational lives
Ages 2 to 6
The Day We Went To Away is a wonderful book for introducing young readers to the idea of environmental impact and invites everyone to consider their responsibility and ability to enact change.
Madame Walker was born Sarah Breedlove, the youngest child in her family and the first person in her family to be born free. Her family were slaves in Louisiana until emancipation in 1865.
Sarah was born in 1867 and lived an extraordinary life.
During her at once difficult and blessed life, Sarah married twice, had a daughter, and built a cosmetics empire.
Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.
Well that turned into a marathon break - the best laid plans and all that! (If you're reading this post in isolation, we took what turned into a way-too-long break from WTBA to get a few other things in order.)
Speaking of marathons :), I’ve been reading Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s witty and conversational in tone, fascinating and eye opening. Quite inspiring.
ages 2 years to adult
In The Power and The Glory, Graham Greene wrote: “Hate is a lack of imagination.” Perhaps it follows that love is an abundance of imagination. There’s plenty of both to go around in the world just now, so I suppose the thing to do is notice imagination, encourage it, and let it build.
Sometimes we think of imagination as the stuff of fantasy worlds—The Lord of The Rings scaled down to everyday life, if you like. And that’s a wonderful way to imagine. But John Lennon’s Imagine reminds us that there’s more to imagination.
ages 5 to 10 years
......... Ada is known as the first computer programmer as a result of a paper she published with Charles Babbage—he was the official author, but the footnotes were credited to her. Well, her initials were on them anyway: 'She was afraid her work wouldn’t be taken seriously if people knew it was written by a woman.'
Her life is captivatingly told, from her early years as a child fascinated with flying, to her marriage, her friendships
I read Clinton’s latest book because I really wanted to know. What happened?
I have a better understanding of the 2016 debacle of a US Presidential race now, but mostly I have an increased admiration for Clinton.
She’s eloquent and warm—the book feels like sitting down and listening to a friend talk about a pivotal time in her life, which also happened to be pivotal to world history. This is Clinton’s story from her perspective.
ages 4 to 10 years
Chris Hadfield (astronaut, musician, author, celebrity crush for stem-loving women around the world) has said: "Every single thing that you learn really just gives you more comfort.”
He was talking about taking the opportunity to learn any skill, any idea, at any time—embracing the notion that knowledge is power and that with knowledge comes freedom. And one of the freedoms most everyone seeks for their children is freedom from fear, real or imagined. The Darkest Dark is about just that: overcoming fear. It's also a love story, a promise, an inspiration.
It's the story of a boy, his love for space, and how that love overcomes his deepest fear: fear of the dark.
ages 6 to grownup
It seems almost dystopian that there was a time when Aboriginal people were not counted in the population statistics. And when the laws and powers that were held by each State government resulted in segregation and broad discrimination...
ANZAC Day is named after the day the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landed at Gallipoli in World War 1—the 25th of April 1915. In Australia and New Zealand the day is commemorated each year and has become one of our most important national days. It’s a day replete with stories of valour, courage, kindness, and good natured shenanigans.
These five are by no means the only lovely books to read around Anzac Day but they are exceptional.
ages 4 to 12 years
An asylum seeker is someone who is seeking protection as a refugee but hasn’t yet been granted recognised refugee status. So in this story, Ziba and her mother—who have left their own country after war and oppression came to their village—are both asylum seekers and refugees. They're traveling by boat to a new country where they hope to find ‘azadi’—freedom
ages 6 to 12 years
The civil war in Lebanon ran for about 15 years and even though it officially ended almost thirty years ago (in 1990), the IDMC says that there were still about 12,000 displaced people in Lebanon in 2015. This book tells the story of Sami, who is ten years old and has lived with the troubles of the Lebanon Civil War all his life...
ages 8 years and up
The reality of life in a refugee camp is no longer hidden—it permeates news cycles and images— and writings are readily available and plentiful. It's generally understood that a refugee's life is one of fear, heightened emotions, constant change. Still, the individual humanity of the refugees themselves remains hidden....
ages 2 to 8 years
One of my uncles was a pilot for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) a few years ago—it was a terribly romantic profession. The goodness and ingenuity of the RFDS is widely agreed upon all around Australia. But, as Australia continues to be quickly urbanised, fewer of us have personal connections and stories about the Flying Doctors and the pilots and the nurses. That’s where Meet the Flying Doctors comes in
ages 6 years to adult
Have you seen this website? It’s a collection of personal testimonies from people of the Stolen Generation. They're so very personal and real that I feel like a welcome, if naïve, guest. Each testimony includes a short personal statement
Writers are still imprisoned for the very act of telling stories; sometimes factual stories, sometimes fiction. This is the telling of their collective story – and of the people they write for. Beautiful, thought provoking and inspiring.
ages 6 years to adult
This is a terrific collection of women who had an impact in the public sphere. Some will certainly be familiar, and some may be new to you and yours. It's an exuberant look at thirteen women who changed your life—and you might not even know it!
ages 4 to 12 years (and up!)
One book each (adult and child) to help us know and feel what it is to be a refugee: certain that there was no choice but to leave, yet living a life devoid of sureness. Both are beautiful to look at, both tell personal stories respectfully and without compromise.
The remarkable true story of a horse and his trainer show what it is to lead and care for others.
ages 2 to 10 years
8 brilliant stories about real-life men who have impacted the world for good - in art, science, maths, literature and more.
for all ages
A collection of three picture books about Hillary Clinton - her early life and career before she was nominated as Democratic candidate for President of the United States in 2016. (And one satirical picture book about Donald Trump.)
ages 4 to 12 years
Set in USA. Even though she couldn't vote, Victoria Woodhull ran for President of the United States in 1872. She was a remarkable woman with a difficult life who had a passion for equality and she gave her all to the cause.
ages 8 years and up
Lovely for talking about progress and learning – Galileo learned, the scientific community learned, and ultimately we all learned - and thinking deeply, the stars, tolerance and courage.
ages 4 to adult / powerful lives, s.t.e.m.
A wonderful coffee table book; captivating art and words with meaning for adults at least as much as for children. 20 illustrators bring their very best work and perfectly compliment 20 inspiring quotes.
ages early childhood and upwards
Set in Paris, France. A wonderful, inspirational book that speaks of the little-known history of Muslim heroes in Paris during World War II and their rescues of Jews, Resistance fighters, Allied pilots, and prisoners of war.
ages 10 to grown-up
ages 4 years to grownup
Set in Mozambique, this beautifully told and illustrated story is inspiring and full of wonder in itself, but becomes even more so when the true story is told alongside it. It shows the courage and strength of a young mother in crazy circumstances.
ages 4 to 12 years
I confess that I'm not a big fan of the whole hero culture that we seem to have going. Too often the ‘heroes’ aren’t heroic and are anything but role model material. But Peaceful Heroes is a collection of super-short biographies of people who have impacted the world positively and peacefully.
One of the great things about picture books is their ability to help us feel the history as well as know the history, but they can do it in a way that leaves us with a sense of beauty and hope. Half Spoon of Rice does this brilliantly.
ages 10 years and up
Every once in a while, we each need something to jolt us out of the everyday and remind us that we each have it in us to do and be great. Amazing Babes does that - it's a book that's lovely to touch and to feel, beautiful to look at and simply inspiring to read.
ages 0 to >100 years
Ages 4 - Adult
I'm so grateful when stories like this are shared. It's inspiring, yes, but more than that it's a thing of beauty. Here, Uri Shulevitz tells a story of his own childhood; the story of his life as a refugee and the impact of a brave decision that his father made.