2013 Amelia Bloomer List highlights feminist books for young readers

SEATTLE — The Amelia Bloomer Project, a product of the ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table’s (SRRT) Feminist Taskforce, announced the 2013 Amelia Bloomer List at ALA’s Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, held Jan. 25-29, 2013.

The bibliography consists of well written and illustrated books with significant feminist content, intended for young readers from birth to 18 years old. This year’s list includes more than 50 titles published between July 1, 2011 and Dec. 31, 2012.

Named for Amelia Bloomer, a pioneering 19th century newspaper editor, feminist thinker, public speaker and suffragist, the list features books about girls and women that spur the imagination while confronting traditional female stereotypes.

The bibliography is intended to aid children and teens in selecting high-quality books released over the past 18 months and may be used for a recommended reading list for youth and those who interact with youth and as a collection development or readers’ advisory tool for interested librarians. The Top 10 titles of the 2013 Amelia Bloomer List include:

Bartels, Peggielene and Eleanor Herman. "King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village." 2012. 333p. Doubleday, $25.95 (978-0-3855-3432-1).



Gevinson, Tavi (Editor) "Rookie Yearbook One." 2012. 349p. Drawn and Quarterly, $29.95 (978-1-7704-6112-3).



Kulling, Monica. "In the Bag! Margaret Knight Wraps It Up." Illus. by David Parkins. 2011. Unpaged. Tundra Books, $19.95 (978-1-7704-9239-4).



Ledbetter, Lilly with Lanier Scott Isom. "Grace and Grit: My Fight for Equal Pay and Fairness at Goodyear and Beyond." 2012. 279p. Crown Archetype, $25.00 (978-0-3078-8792-4).



Malaspina, Ann. "Heart on Fire: Susan B. Anthony Votes for President." Illus. by Steve James. 2012. Unpaged. Albert Whitman & Co., $16.99 (978-0-8075-3188-4).



McCall, Guadalupe Garcia. "Summer of the Mariposas." 2012. 355p. Tu Books, $19.95 (978-1-6006-0900-8).



Various. "Womanthology: Heroic." Illus. by Various. March 2012. 321p. IDW Publishing, $50.00 (978-1-6137-7147-1).



Warren, Sarah E. "Dolores Huerta: A Hero to Migrant Workers." Illus. by Robert Casilla. 2012. Unpaged. Marshall Cavendish Children, $17.99 (978-0-7614-6107-4).



Wein, Elizabeth. "Code Name Verity." 2012. 343p. Hyperion, $16.99 (978-0-5476-2834-9).



Zeilinger, Julie. "A Little F’d Up: Why Feminism Is Not a Dirty Word." 2012. 249p. Seal Press, $16.00 (978-1-5800-5371-6).

To view the complete annotated list, please visit the Amelia Bloomer Project blog, http://ameliabloomer.wordpress.com/

The Amelia Bloomer Project committee members are Jennie Law (co-chair), Angela Semifero (co-chair), Ann Bever, Betsy Miguez, Katie Mitchell, Lalitha Nataraj, Linda Parsons, Kelly Rottmund, April Witteveen, Joy Worland.

The ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) is a unit within the American Library Association. It works to make ALA more democratic and to establish progressive priorities not only for the Association, but also for the entire profession. Concern for human and economic rights was an important element in the founding of SRRT and remains an urgent concern today. SRRT believes that libraries and librarians must recognize and help solve social problems and inequities in order to carry out their mandate to work for the common good and bolster democracy. SRRT’s main Web site is hosted at http://libr.org/SRRT.