March Indies Booklist: Children's Books All About Women and Girls

A belated Happy International Women’s Day! We don’t know about you, but we think showcasing children's books that are all about women and girls is exactly what March needs. For this second booklist of our indies project for the National Year of Reading, we are delighted to collaborate again with our fellow indie publishers to share empowering stories about women and girls. How do girls learn, connect, create, grieve, and fight? What does it mean to be a woman in this world building relationships, homes, and dreams? We hope the stories here provide some answers to these questions. 

Our February booklist showcased books celebrating different kinds of love. This month we are joined by Wacky Bee, Scallywag Press, Red Robin Books, Book Island, Old Barn Books and Dinosaur Books. All the recommended titles are available for purchase here! Next month, our booklist will be all about humour, spotlighting funny stories designed to bring children joy and laughter. Stay tuned!

1. My Momo-La is a Museum

Written by: Mamta Nainy

Illustrated by: Violet Kim

Published by: Lantana Publishing

Buy this book: My Momo-La is a Museum

Reading age: 2-5

Momo-la’s grandchild wonders where her collection of stories come from. To answer their question, Momo-la takes them on a visit of all the museums in the city, telling them about all the stories hidden behind the sculptures, the paintings or any work of art they encounter on the way. Little by little, noticing that each piece of art makes them think of their grandmother, Momo-la’s grandchild realises that the further away they go, the closer they feel from home. Maybe the best museum they could go see wasn’t that far away after all?

2. Veronica Twitch the Fabulous Witch

Written by: Erica-Jane Waters

Illustrated by: Erica-Jane Waters

Published by: Wacky Bee

Buy this book: Veronica Twitch the Fabulous Witch

Reading age: 7+

Veronica couldn’t be more proud that her first assigned article to write for Twitch Magazine is on the famous girl band Double-Bubble. But when the band are suddenly kidnapped, Veronica suddenly finds herself needing to do a bit more than writing. Somehow she feels Belinda Bullfrog, who is part of her rival magazine Nosy Toad, must have something to do with this. Will Veronica be able to solve the mystery and write her article on time?

3. Phyllis & Grace

Written by: Nigel Gray

Illustrated by: Bethan Welby

Published by: Scallywag Press

Buy this book: Phyllis & Grace

Reading age: 4+

A strong friendship sparks between Grace and Phyllis, Grace’s next door neighbour. But Grace is a young girl and Phyllis is an elderly woman who is starting to suffer from dementia. How much can they have in common despite the big age gap that separates them?

4. The Bird Within Me

Written by: Sara Lundberg

Illustrated by: Sara Lundberg

Translated by: B.J. Woodstein

Published by: Book Island

Buy this book: The Bird Within Me

Reading age: 5+/Adult

Berta secretly dreams to be an artist and draws and paints whenever she can. But life on a farm requires work and with her mother being sick she has to help out a lot. But how can Berta be herself without her art? And how can her dream come true when there are so many other things to take care of?

5. Fatou, fetch the water

Written by: Neil Griffiths

Illustrated by: Peggy Collins

Published by: Red Robin Books

Buy this book: Fatou, fetch the water

A big family feast is about to take place but the water bucket is empty. Fatou goes through her village to fetch the water her family needs. But so much can happen on a little journey. Will she just come back home with a bucket full of water or with much more? This story is based on the author Neil Griffiths’ experience of running 5 pre-schools in The Gambia for over 20 years.

6. The Lorikeet Tree

Written by: Paul Jennings

Published by: Old Barn Books

Buy this book: The Lorikeet Tree

Twins Alex and Emily found out that their father has a terminal illness and both deal with it in very different ways. Alex builds a treehouse in the tree loved by the family in their clifftop garden. Emily writes about her grief in a school assignment. And then, suddenly, Alex decides to adopt a kitten which threatens the little peace that was still there. Will the twins be able to come together in these difficult times or will their pain endanger their relationship forever?

7. Last Girl In

Written by: Cheryl Diane Parkinson

Published by: Dinosaur Books

Buy this book: Last Girl In

Reading age: 8-12

Kerry-Ann shares her love of cricket with her Jamaican grandfather who taught her how to play when she was young. But her freedom to play is threatened when the cricket club’s elite wants to keep the field for themselves. Following in the footsteps of her grandparents who had to fight the obstacles on their paths when they arrived in England, Kerry-Ann plans a way to stop her bullies. Maybe she will find help and inspiration in the most unexpected of places?

The books on this list show strong female protagonists navigating the various relationships and challenges in their own lives, from family histories and intergenerational friendships to solving mysteries and chasing dreams. We are sure that you can find a character here that speaks to you.