News & Media
March is Women’s History Month! Meet the Incredible Women in These New Books
March is Women’s History Month! Astra Books for Young Readers is celebrating with exciting new titles — some available now, others releasing later this Spring — that bring to life the stories of extraordinary women who shaped history in unexpected ways. Want to discover who they are? Keep reading!
Kate Warne: The mission of America’s first female detective? Protect president-elect Abraham Lincoln from Southern rebels bent on assassinating him before his inauguration. HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT tells Kate’s story and is a thrilling American history picture book filled with action and suspense.
Joan Mitchell: Celebrate the creative process of this pioneering American abstract painter in JOAN MITCHELL PAINTS A SYMPHONY, a beautifully illustrated STEAM picture book, perfect for all kinds of young creators. In a ★ starred review, Kirkus calls this picture book “simply marvelous.”
Lucy Stone: A suffragist and abolitionist, this pioneer in the 19th century’s two greatest movements for equality makes herself heard in ONE GIRL’S VOICE, a picture book ideal for budding activists.
Rachel Carson: RACHEL CARSON’S WONDER-FILLED WORLD is a STEAM picture book biography about scientist and writer Rachel Carson, who became the author of the groundbreaking book Silent Spring and the mother of the modern environmental movement.
Rachel Carson’s Wonder-Filled World
How the Scientist, Writer, and Nature Lover Changed the Environmental Movement
Maria Reiche: Called “compelling” by School Library Journal, LADY OF THE LINES reveals the story of Maria Reiche and her commitment to Peru’s Nazca Lines, one of the greatest indigenous artworks in the Americas, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Available on April 8, 2025.
Maggie, Kate, and Leah Fox: Discover the astonishingly true story of these Civil War-era sisters and teen mediums who created the American séance. AMERICAN SPIRITS is a real-life ghost story for young adult readers interested in the supernatural, American history, and women’s rights. Coming April 15, 2025.
Nan Songer: Perfect for kids who are fascinated by insects and American history, THE SPIDER LADY is the story of a little-known hero of World War II who collected and bred spiders in her home and found new ways to use their silk to help the United States win the war. Coming May 6, 2025.
Virginia Hall: How did a young lady from a wealthy family in Maryland end up as the Gestapo’s most wanted spy? THE MYSTERIOUS VIRGINIA HALL is a YA biography in verse of World War II’s most successful female spy. It will inspire reluctant readers and budding history buffs alike. Available June 24, 2025.
