What it is:

If you are looking for children’s books that feature strong female characters, you’ll be interested in the Amelia Bloomer Project. The Project recognizes notable children's books and young adult books (YA books) with its annual list of recommended feminist books for youth. The list includes children’s picture books, intermediate books, and young adult books, both fiction and nonfiction.

Who created it:

The Amelia Bloomer Project was developed by the Feminist Task Force of the American Library Association's Social Responsibilities Round Table (SSRT). The Feminist Task Force was founded in 1970, and it established the Amelia Bloomer Project in 2002.

About the lists:

According to the Task Force, "This bibliography of inspiring feminist books published within the past 18 months for young readers from birth to age 18 memorializes the legacy of nineteenth-century feminist activist Amelia Bloomer." As the Task Force reported, "Within these pages, girls and women overcome the obstacles of the intersecting forces of race, gender and class."

Available Amelia Bloomer booklists:

All of the Amelia Bloomer Project booklists are available online. Most are available in both html and as pdf files.

What you'll find:

Each Amelia Bloomer Project booklist is divided into three categories: picture books, intermediate books, and young adult books. Each of those categories is subdivided into fiction and nonfiction.

Every entry in the bibliography includes the:

• author
• title
• publisher
• year of publication
• list price of the book
• ISBN
• recommended grade levels and
• a one sentence description of the book.

Each annual list contains an interesting assortment of books. The annotations, while brief, are specific enough to give you an idea of the contents of each book. After you take a look at the lists, let me know what you think and if there are books on the list that you would (or would not) recommend. Please post your comments on the About Children's Books Forum.