QUEENDOM — When I recall my grade school days, I reflect with fondness on the times my teachers would assign me to write history on subjects of my choice.

From women like Sacagawea to Mary Todd Lincoln, Harriet Tubman and Martha Washington, I found heroes in the women who came before me — women whose stories were made available to me through my own library and school.

With March being Women's History Month, I'm here to offer you and your daughters (and sons) a chance to learn about some of the greats from these eight stellar picture books. Happy reading!

'Florence Nightingale' by Demi

From the time she was young, Florence Nightingale loved pretending like she worked at a hospital, tending to her dolls as her patients. As she grew, so did her compassion, and she felt God wanted her to help those who were suffering. She dreamed of being a nurse, but her parents, who didn't think it was ladylike, hated the idea.

Further exposure to the downtrodden encouraged her dream, and her parents ultimately let her choose for herself. In this book, we learn of the many strides Nightingale made in the medical world, including her revolutionary work in army hospitals.

'Queen of the Diamond: The Lizzie Murphy Story' by Emily Arnold McCully

Lizzie Murphy fell in love with baseball when she was just a little girl in the late 1800s. Her father and brother played, but baseball wasn't popular among women at all at that time. However, her brother needed someone to practice with, so Lizzie was his girl.

It soon became apparent that Lizzie was a natural, and her father and brother encouraged her to play. After a lot of persistence, she found herself playing on a team with boys, and found that she was a stronger athlete than most of them. But alas, when she turned 18, her mother told her she needed to stop playing because it was no way to earn a living for a female. While she tried to stop for a short time, her love for the sport outweighed her desire to appease her mother, and she became the first woman on a major league baseball team.

'Mary Walker Wears the Pants' by Cheryl Harness

It's never easy going against the grain, but Civil War hero Mary Walker didn't let popularity stand in the way of her courage and convictions. From scandalously wearing "trousers" in the 1800s, as opposed to the proper hoop-skirted fashion of the day, to becoming one of the first female physicians, Walker lived a life that not many approved of in her day.

However, Mary's parents taught her to think for herself no matter what others had to say. Despite all odds, she went on to become the first woman to be an assistant surgeon in the U.S. army. This is her story.

'Flying Free: How Bessie Coleman's Dreams Took Flight' by Karyn Parsons

"Above the land. Above the sea. Where they all said she shouldn't be. Bessie said, 'Watch!' She said, 'You'll see!' And followed her dream, flying free."

Bessie Coleman was a smart girl who loved her studies. But when harvest time would come around, her school would shut down so she could pick cotton along with the other Black kids. But Bessie was adventurous, hard-working and determined, and she dreamed of a future others didn't believe was possible. She wanted to be a pilot. With a lot of hard work, confidence and travel, Bessie became the first female Black pilot, passing her exams on the first try.

'Kamala and Maya's Big Idea' by Meena Harris

Reading about women's history doesn't always mean reading about history from long ago. It includes modern times, too. This story is about our very own Vice President Kamala Harris and her sister, Maya.

When they were kids, Kamala and Maya lived in an apartment building with an empty courtyard that nobody used. The young sisters dreamed of having a playground for themselves and the other neighbor kids to play on. But they didn't just dream about it, they did something about it. When their in-person approach and letter to their landlord didn't get them the results they were looking for, they decided to take matters into their own hands to create a playground. With vision, heart and mad networking skills, these girls succeed in bringing joy and play to their neighborhood.

'Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express' by Margaret K. Wetterer

This was one of those children's books that had me wishing someone had written a lengthier chapter book for adults. If ever there was a suspenseful story written for children, this is it.

In the 1880s, 15-year-old Kate Shelley lived in Iowa with her family when a great storm rolled in one day. Conditions weren't safe for Kate to be outside, but she ventured out into the night and the floodwaters, to rescue train passengers who had fallen into Honey Creek when a bridge near Kate's home collapsed under the weight of the train. This teenage girl's courage rivals that of any man who ever went to war. You'll want to pop some popcorn for this one.

'Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx' by Jonah Winter

Every mother should read this book with her daughter. This uplifting story details the upbringing and career of Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latin American U.S. Supreme Court justice.

While reading about a judge with your kids may sound a little dry, this story is anything but, as it illustrates what life was like for a girl in the Bronx who watched her mother work night and day for her children's education, how they were influenced by their vibrant Puerto Rican culture, and what it was like going to a predominantly white Ivy League university as a Latina. This book lends a good conversation about diversity and compassion.

'Counting on Katherine' by Helaine Becker

Fans of the movie "Hidden Figures" will love this book, the story of Katherine Johnson, a Black woman and mathematician who rescued astronauts on Apollo 13. Johnson adored math (a talent in and of itself) from a young age and was ready to study at a high school level by the time she was 10 years old. Unfortunately, segregation was very much a part of her life, and her family had to move towns to send her to a Black high school. Her hard work paid off when she eventually worked for NASA, largely contributing to sending the first American astronauts into space and the first flights to the moon.

More recommendations from Meg:

8 monumental children's books to help your family celebrate Black History Month

Eight picture books to help your children understand the importance of Black History Month.

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