In a recent feature, editors and creators of STEM/STEAM-centric biographies revealed what goes into developing one of these books. Our list, which includes more than 75 titles, indicates the current breadth of the genre.


Picture Books

Annette Feels Free by Katherine Mazeika (S&S/Beach Lane, Aug. 2022 ISBN 978-1-66590-343-1) raises the curtain on Annette Kellerman, known as the “Original Mermaid.” She was a swimming champion and excelled in synchronized swimming before taking her talents to new areas as a vaudeville entertainer, silent film star, health and fitness guru, and designer of the first one-piece swimsuits without skirts for women.

Beautiful Shades of Brown: The Art of Laura Wheeler Waring by Nancy Churnin, illus. by Felicia Marshall (Creston, 2020 $18.99, ISBN 978-1-939547-65-1)

Waring captured notable African Americans of the day; her paintings hang in major museums including Washington, D.C.’s National Portrait Gallery.

Blast Off! How Mary Sherman Morgan Fueled America into Space by Suzanne Slade, illus. by Sally W. Comport (Boyds Mills and Kane/Calkins Creek, Feb. 2022 $18.99, ISBN 978-1-68437-241-6) reveals the never-before-told story of the world’s first female rocket scientist, who overcame gender barriers and many failures to succeed.

Blips on a Screen: How Ralph Baer Invented TV Video Gaming and Launched a Worldwide Obsession by Kate Hannigan, illus. by Zachariah OHora (Knopf, Apr. 2022 $17.99, ISBN 978-0-593-30671-0) features a Jewish refugee who pioneered home video games and launched a worldwide obsession.

Boardwalk Babies by Marissa Moss, illus. by April Chu (Creston, Mar. 2 $18.99; ISBN 978-1-939547-66-8)

Science meets sideshow in the biography of Dr. Couney, who used World’s Fairs and created a permanent exhibition at Coney Island to demonstrate to the medical world and the public in the late 19th century that incubators could save the lives of premature infants.

Born Hungry: Julia Child Becomes the “French Chef” by Alex Prud’homme, illus. by Sarah Green (Boyds Mills and Kane/Calkins Creek, Feb. 2022 $18.99, ISBN 978-1-63592-323-0)

Child’s great-nephew shares his account of how Child became one of America’s most celebrated and beloved chefs.

Breaking Waves: Winslow Homer Paints the Sea by Robert Burleigh, illus. by Wendell Minor (Holiday House/Neal Porter Books, June $18.99 ISBN 978-0-8234-4702-2) describes this artist’s process as he painted the sea from season to season.

Building Zaha: The Story of Architect Zaha Hadid by Victoria Tentler-Krylov (Scholastic/Orchard, 2020 $18.99, ISBN 978-1-338-28283-2) chronicles the life and career of this young woman from Baghdad who met with resistance at every turn as she pursued her dream of becoming an architect and is the youngest recipience, as well as the first woman and first Muslim, to receive the Pritzker Prize, her profession’s most prestigious award.

Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer by Traci Sorell, illus. by Natasha Donovan (Lerner/Millbrook, Mar. $19.99, ISBN: 978-1-5415-7914-9)

Ross’s passion for math and the Cherokee values she was raised with shaped her life and her work designing classified airplanes and spacecraft as Lockheed Aircraft Corporation’s first female engineer.

Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars by Laurie Wallmark, illus. by Brooke Smart (Abrams, 2020 $18.99, ISBN 978-1-4197-3963-7) introduces Friedman (1892–1980), the American code breaker who broke up Nazi spy rings, thwarted gangsters, and created the CIA’s first cryptology unit.

Cubs in the Tub: The True Story of the Bronx Zoo’s First Woman Zookeeper by Candace Fleming, illus. by Julie Downing (Holiday House/Neal Porter Books, 2020 $18.99, ISBN 978-0-8234-4318-5) relates the life story of Helen Martini, who cared for unbonded lion and tiger cubs with her zookeeper husband in their home and eventually became the first female zookeeper at the Bronx Zoo as well as the keeper of the zoo’s nursery.

Curve and Flow by Andrea J. Loney, illus. by Keith Mallett (Knopf, Nov. 2022 $17.99, ISBN 978-0-593-42907-5) introduces the renowned Black architect Paul Revere Williams who designed homes for stars like Lucille Ball, the terminals at LAX, and the Beverly Hills Hotel.

A Dinosaur Named Ruth: How Ruth Mason Discovered Fossils in Her Own Backyard by Julia Lyon, illus. by Alexandra Bye (S&S/McElderry, Oct. $17.99, ISBN 978-1-5344-7464-2) follows young Ruth, who discovered dinosaur bones on her family’s farm in 1905 South Dakota, leading her to eventually uncover thousands more fossils in a quarry on her land and have a dinosaur named after her.

Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America’s Doctor by Kate Messner, illus. by Alexandra Bye (S&S, June $17.99, ISBN 978-1-66590-243-4) is a picture book biography of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of the most crucial figures in the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dragon Bones: The Fantastic Fossil Discoveries of Mary Anning by Sarah Glenn Marsh, illus. by Maris Wicks (Roaring Brook, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-250-14021-0) showcases the life of fossil-hunter Anning, who discovered a dinosaur skeleton that changed the landscape of paleontology.

Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip Freelon by Kelly Starling Lyons, illus. by Laura Freeman (Lee & Low, 2020 $19.95, ISBN 978-1-62014-955-3) celebrates a contemporary Black STEAM role model, Freelon, whose team of architects was commissioned to design the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

Emmy Noether: The Most Important Mathematician You’ve Never Heard Of by Helaine Becker (Kids Can, 2020 $18.99, ISBN 978-1-5253-0059-2) explores the life of Noether, a contemporary of Einstein whose discoveries in math and physics—overlooked in a male-dominated field—still influence how we understand the world today.

Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks by Suzanne Slade, illus. by Cozbi A. Cabrera (Abrams, 2020 $17.99, ISBN 978-1-4197-3411-3)

This picture book biography of poet Brooks, the first Black person to win the Pulitzer Prize, was named a 2021 Coretta Scott King Book Award Illustrator Honor Book, among other accolades.

The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee by Julie Leung, illus. by Julie Kwon (Little, Brown/Ottaviano, Feb. 2022 $18.99, ISBN 978-0-7595-5495-5)

This picture book biography focuses on the first Chinese American woman to fly for the U.S. military.

Fearless World Traveler: Adventures of Marianne North, Botanical Artist by Laurie Lawlor, illus. by Becca Stadtlander (Holiday House, May $18.99, ISBN 978-0-8234-3959-1) chronicles the life of the daring self-taught artist and scientist who challenged gender roles in Victorian England and advanced the field of botanical illustration.

The Girl Who Could Fix Anything: Beatrice Shilling, World War II Engineer

by Mara Rockliff, illus. by Daniel Duncan (Candlewick, Sept. $17.99 ISBN 978-1-5362-1252-5)

spotlights this persistent and ingenious young woman whose engineering expertise earned her a job at the Royal Aircraft Establishment and helped Britain win World War II.

The Girl Who Loved Giraffes: And Became the World’s First Giraffologist by Kathy Stinson, illus. by François Thisdale (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Sept. $19.95, ISBN 978-1-55455-540-6) tells the story of a Canadian girl named Anne Innis, who became so enthralled with a giraffe she saw at the zoo that she vowed to study the animals in their natural habitat in Africa. Her dream came true in 1956 when she became the world’s leading scientific expert on giraffes.

The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London's Poop Pollution Problem by Colleen Paeff, illus. by Nancy Carpenter (S&S/McElderry, Aug. $17.99, ISBN 978-1-5344-4929-9) tells the story of the engineer behind the efforts in 1850s London to create a sewer system to clean the polluted water of the Thames.

How to Hear the Universe: Gaby Gonzalez and the Search for Einstein’s Ripples in Space-Time by Patricia Valdez, illus. by Sara Palacios (Knopf, Mar. 2022 $17.99, ISBN 978-1-984894-59-5). Astrophysicist Gonzalez—currently a professor of physics and astronomy at Louisiana State University—immigrated to the U.S. from Argentina and helped develop detectors that verify the existence of gravitational waves, something predicted by Einstein nearly a century ago.

Jacob Riis’s Camera: Bringing Light to Tenement Children by Alexis O'Neill, illus. by Gary Kelley (Boyds Mills and Kane/Calkins Creek, 2020 $18.99, ISBN 978-1-62979-866-0) focuses on pioneering photojournalist and social reformer Riis as he brought attention to the tenement housing crisis in New York City in the late 1800s using newly invented flash photography.

Lady Bird Johnson, That’s Who! by Tracy Nelson Maurer; illus. by Ginnie Hsu (Henry Holt, Feb. $18.99, ISBN 978-1-250-24036-1). This picture book profile of Lady Bird Johnson focuses on her environmentalist passion and legacy as First Lady.

Listening to the Stars: Jocelyn Bell Burnell Discovers Pulsars by Jodie Parachini, illus. by Alexandra Badiu (Albert Whitman, Apr. $16.99, ISBN 978-0-8075-4563-8) introduces Burnell, who helped build a radio telescope that contributed to the discovery of pulsars. Despite her achievement, Bell was overlooked in favor of two male colleagues when the Nobel Prize for physics was awarded.

Marie’s Ocean: Marie Tharp Maps the Mountains Under the Sea by Josie James Henry Holt, 2020 $19.99, ISBN 978-1-250-21473-7) is a mixed-format (graphic novel and standard text) picture book biography of the remarkable woman who mapped the ocean floor.

Maryam’s Magic: The Story of Mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani by Megan Reid, illus. by Aaliya Jaleel (HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray, Jan. $18.99, ISBN 978-0-06-291596-2) profiles the first woman—and first Iranian—to win the Fields Medal, the world’s most prestigious honor in mathematics.

Nacho’s Nachos by Sandra Nickel, illus. by Oliver Domingues (Lee & Low, 2020 $18.95, ISBN 978-1-62014-369-8) offers a biography of an inventive chef and the favorite snack he created.

Numbers in Motion: Sophie Kowalevski, Queen of Mathematics by Laurie Wallmark, illus. by Yevgenia Nayberg (Creston, 2020 $18.99, ISBN 978-1-939547-63-7) presents a portrait of Kowalevski (1850–1891), who overcame misogynistic assumptions of the day and other obstacles to triumph as a mathematician and become the first woman to receive a doctorate in mathematics and hold a university chair in the subject.

Ocean Speaks: How Marie Tharp Revealed the Ocean’s Biggest Secret by Jess Keating, illus. by Katie Hickey (Tundra, 2020 $17.99, ISBN 978-0-7352-6508-0)

Zoologist-turned-author Keating (Shark Lady) spotlights Tharp, the oceanographic cartographer who first mapped the Atlantic Ocean’s floor and revealed a rift valley at the bottom of the sea—a discovery that led to the acceptance of plate tectonics.

On Wings of Words: The Extraordinary Life of Emily Dickinson by Jennifer Berne, illus. by Becca Stadtlander (Chronicle, 2020 $18.99, ISBN 978-1-4521-4297-5)

This picture book exploration of Dickinson weaves lines of her poetry throughout the text.

Out of the Shadows: How Lotte Reiniger Made the First Animated Fairytale Movie by Fiona Robinson (Abrams, Feb. 2022 $18.99, ISBN 978-1-4197-4085-5) relates the story of Reiniger (1899–1981), a German film director and animator who made more than 40 films in her long career and is now seen as the foremost pioneer of silhouette animation and the inventor of an early form of the multiplane camera.

Perkin’s Perfect Purple: How a Boy Created Color with Chemistry by Tami Lewis Brown and Debbie Loren Dunn, illus. by Francesca Sanna (Little, Brown, 2020 $18.99, ISBN 978-1-368-03284-1). Chemistry and the scientific method star in the tale of how chemist William Perkin invented a new way for creating the color purple.

Queen of Leaves by Stephen Briseño, illus. by Diana Toledano (Innovation, Oct. 2022) is a picture book biography of Mexican American botanist Ynes Mexia.

Railroad Engineer Olive Dennis by Kaye Baille, illus. by Tanja Stephani (Innovation, Oct. 2022). The subject of this picture book biography is the first female civil engineer employed by the B&O Railroad, who designed the Cincinnatian luxury passenger train and changed rail travel forever.

A Rose Named Peace: How Francis Meilland Created a Flower of Hope for a World at War by Barbara Carroll Roberts, illus. by Bagram Ibatoulline (Candlewick, Apr. 2022 $18.99 ISBN 978-1-5362-0843-6)

A young man’s experiments in cross-pollination on his family’s farm as World War II approached led to the creation of a rose that became an international symbol of hope.

Secrets of the Sea: The Story of Jeanne Power, Revolutionary Marine Scientist by Evan Griffith, illus. by Joanie Stone (Clarion, Mar. $17.99, ISBN 978-0-358-24432-5) showcases the curiosity, drive, and perseverance of the 19th-century scientist, who pioneered the use of aquariums to study ocean life.

Shaped by Her Hands: Potter Maria Martinez by Anna Harber Freeman and Barbara Gonzalez, illus. by Aphelandra (Albert Whitman, Apr. $16.99, ISBN 978-0-8075-7599-4)

Co-written by Martinez’s great-granddaughter, this book shines a light on the renowned Native American Indian potter, who discovered a new clay firing technique.

sharuko: El arqueólogo peruano Julio C. Tello/Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello by Monica Brown, illus. by Elisa Chavarria (Lee & Low, 2020 $19.95, ISBN 978-0-89239-423-4) is a bilingual picture book biography of the Peruvian archaeologist who unearthed his nation’s ancient cultures and fostered pride in Peru’s Indigenous history.

She Caught the Light: Williamina Stevens Fleming: Astronomer by Kathryn Lasky, illus. by Julianna Swaney (HarperCollins, Jan. $18.99, ISBN 978-0-06-284930-4)

In Lasky’s picture book account, curious Williamina Fleming’s childhood fascination with light led her to create a map of the universe and lay the groundwork for modern astronomy, as she broke barriers as an immigrant woman in the 19th century.

Sister Corita’s Words and Shapes by Jeanette Winter (S&S/Beach Lane, Sept. $17.99, ISBN 978-1-5344-9601-9) reveals the little-known story of Sister Corita, a nun, educator, and activist who became a celebrated pop artist while creating works meant to inspire good in others.

Stay Curious!: A Brief History of Stephen Hawking by Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer, illus. by Boris Kulikov (Crown $17.99, ISBN 978-0-399-55028-7) presents the life of British theoretical physicist and cosmologist Hawking, whose endless curiosity fueled his work and discoveries.

Thank You, Dr. Salk!: The Scientist Who Beat Polio and Healed the World by Dean Robbins, illus. by Mike Dutton (=FSG, June $18.99, ISBN 978-0-374-31391-3)

As a child, young Jonas Salk witnessed the toll the polio virus took on his city. As a result he grew up determined to study medicine and developed a vaccine for polio.

Tu Youyou’s Discovery: Finding a Cure for Malaria by Songju Ma Daemicke, illus. by Lin (Albert Whitman, Oct. $16.99, ISBN 978-0-8075-8111-7) chronicles how this Chinese scientist experimented with traditional medical techniques as well as natural remedies to develop a cure for malaria and become the first Chinese woman to win a Nobel Prize.

Unbound: The Life and Art of Judith Scott by Joyce Scott with Brie Spangler, illus. by Melissa Sweet (Knopf, June $17.99. ISBN 978-0-525-64811-6)

Joyce Scott introduces her twin sister Judith, a renowned artist who was born with Down syndrome and never learned to speak.

A Voice for the Everglades by Vicki Conrad, illus. by Ibon Adarne (Albert Whitman, Oct. $17.99, ISBN 978-0-8075-8496-5) relates how journalist and environmental activist Marjory Stoneman Douglas became a champion for the Everglades, helping to drive the creation of a national park and continued dedicated conservation efforts for the area.

Were I Not a Girl: The Inspiring True Story of Dr. James Barry by Lisa Robinson, illus. by Lauren Simkin Berke (Random House/Schwartz & Wade, 2020 $17.99, ISBN 978-1-984849-05-2) tells the story of Barry, born female, who, from age 18 until his death lived as a man and became a trailblazing surgeon.

What’s in Your Pocket? Collecting Nature’s Treasures by Heather L. Montgomery, illus. by Maribel Lechuga (Charlesbridge, Sept. $17.99, ISBN 978-1-62354-122-4) introduces nine scientists—Charles Darwin, George Washington Carver, and Jane Goodall among them—who as kids explored the great outdoors and collected and classified “treasures” that sometimes led to groundbreaking discoveries.

Wood, Wire, Wings Emma Todd Invents an Airplane by Kirsten Larson, illus. by Tracy Subisak (Boyds Mills and Kane/Calkins Creek, 2020 $18.99, ISBN 978-1-62979-938-4) explores the failures and successes of self-taught engineer Todd as she embarked on designing an airplane in the early 1900s.


Middle Grade

Amazing Landmarks by Rekha Rajan, illus. by Alex Asfour (Scholastic, Mar. 2022, $19.99 ISBN 978-1-338-65249-9)

This title encourages readers to see themselves as the engineers, builders, and architects behind the creation of 10 global landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Born Curious by Martha Freeman, illus. by Katy Wu (S&S/Wiseman, 2020 $19.99, ISBN 978-1-5344-2153-0) focuses on the childhood curiosity and determination of 20 female scientists and mathematicians.

Brave. Black. First.: 50+ African American Women Who Changed the World by Cheryl Willis Hudson, illus. by Erin K. Robinson (Crown, 2020 $18.99, ISBN 978-0-525-64581-8) Published in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, this collection showcases the biographies of more than 50 Black women whose unique skills and contributions led to advancements in their fields and paved the way for the next generation of young people.

Changing the Equation: 50+ U.S. Black Women in STEM by Tonya Bolden (Abrams, 2020 $19.99, ISBN 978-1-4197-0734-6) presents profiles that celebrate more than 50 Black women who have broken the glass ceiling, defied racial discrimination, and changed the world of STEM as groundbreakers in their fields.

The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna and the Race to Understand Our Genetic Code by Walter Isaacson, adapted by Sarah Durand (S&S, April 2022 $17.99, ISBN 978-1-66591-066-8) offers a portrait of Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Doudna, who co-developed the revolutionary CRISPR gene-editing technique which has played a pivotal role in creating a scalable and reliable test for the Covid-19 virus, with the eventual goal of someday destroying the coronavirus and others like it.

Fossil Hunter: How Mary Anning Changed the Science of Prehistoric Life by Cheryl Blackford (Clarion, Jan. 2022 $17.99, ISBN 978-0-358-39605-5) introduces the Victorian fossil hunter who at the age of 12 discovered England’s first ichthyosaur and eventually changed scientific thinking about prehistoric life, becoming one of the most celebrated paleontologists of all time.

Fred & Marjorie: A Doctor, A Dog, and the Discovery of Insulin by Deborah Kerbel, illus. by Angela Poon (Owlkids, Aug. $18.95, ISBN 978-1-77147-411-5) is a graphic novel about Frederick Banting and his research with test dogs, which led to the discovery of insulin as a treatment for diabetes.

Grace Banker and Her Hello Girls Answer the Call: The Heroic Story of WWI Telephone Operators by Claudia Friddell, illus. by Elizabeth Baddeley (Boyds Mills and Kane/Calkins Creek, Feb. $18.99, ISBN 978-1-68437-350-5) introduces 25-year-old Banker, who led 32 telephone operators—affectionately known as the “Hello Girls” in the U.S.—who became the Signal Corps in World War I on the battlefields of France.

Hidden Powers: Lise Meitner’s Call to Science by Jeannine Atkins (S&S/Atheneum, Jan. 2022 $17.99, ISBN 978-1-66590-250-2) is a biography in verse about the pioneering Jewish woman physicist whose scientific prowess and discovery of nuclear fission changed the course of World War II. Only the male scientist Meitner partnered with won the Nobel Prize for their findings. Meitner was nominated 19 times for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and 29 times for the Nobel Prize in Physics.

A Hopeful Heart: Louisa May Alcott Before Little Women by Deborah Noyes (Random House/Schwartz & Wade, 2020 $18.99, ISBN 978-0-525-64623-5) explores the unique family and unusual circumstances of this literary icon.

Jeanne and the Argonauts by Danna Staff (Lerner, Oct. 2022 ISBN 978-1-7284-1577-2)

Marine biologist and science journalist Staff presents the story of pioneering 19th-century scientist Jeanne Villepreux-Power, who designed the first modern aquariums and used them to solve the mystery of how argonaut octopuses grow their own shells.

No Boundaries: 25 Women Explorers and Scientists Share Adventures, Inspiration, and Advice by Gabby Salazar and Clare Fieseler (National Geographic Kids, Feb. 2022 $16.99, ISBN 978-1-4263-7176-9)

This anthology profiles some lesser-known changemakers—including a paleontologist and a volcanologist—who are working in the field and trying to solve some of the world’s biggest problems.

Noisemakers: 25 Women Who Raised Their Voices & Changed the World—A Graphic Collection from Kazoo, ed. by Erin Bried (Knopf, 2020 $17.99, ISBN 978-0-525-58018-8) The creators of Kazoo magazine look at the lives of 25 extraordinary women through the eyes of 25 comic artists. Eugenie Clark, who swam with sharks and Kate Warne, the first female detective, who saved the life of president-elect Abraham Lincoln, are among the featured subjects.

A Sporting Chance: How Ludwig Guttmann Created the Paralympic Games by Lori Alexander, illus. by Allan Drummond (Clarion, 2020 $17.99, ISBN 978-1-328-58079-5) contains archival photos and a text honoring the life of the young doctor who proved that physical movement is key to healing and created the first Paralympic Games.

Stitch by Stitch: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly Sews Her Way to Freedom by Connie Schofield-Morrison, illus. by Elizabeth Zunon (Holiday House, Nov. $18.99, ISBN 978-0-8234-3963-8) introduces an unsung African American woman whose talent as a seamstress won her freedom and esteem in 1800s Virginia.

To Fly Among the Stars: The Hidden Story of the Fight for Women Astronauts by Rebecca Siegel (Scholastic, 2020 $18.99 ISBN 978-1-338-29015-8)

Siegel follows the 13 women who secretly endured NASA’s grueling Mercury program training in the 1960s as the seven men from the program famously became the country’s first astronauts.

Unforgotten: The Wild Life of Dian Fossey and Her Relentless Quest to Save Mountain Gorillas by Anita Silvey (National Geographic Kids, June $18.99, ISBN 978-1-4263-7185-1) recounts American primatologist and conservationist Fossey’s life and work studying mountain gorillas in Rwanda.


Young Adult

Augusta Savage: The Shape of a Sculptor’s Life by Marilyn Nelson (Little, Brown/Ottaviano, Jan., 2022 $18.99, ISBN 978-0-316-29802-5)

This biography in poems introduces a trailblazing Black woman sculptor from the 1930s who was a pillar of the Harlem Renaissance.

Close Up on War: The Story of Pioneering Photojournalist Catherine Leroy in Vietnam by Mary Cronk Farrell (Abrams/Amulet, Feb. 2022 $22.99, ISBN 978-1-4197-4661-1) recounts the life and experiences of Leroy, one of the few woman photographers during the Vietnam War who documented some of the fiercest fighting in the 20-year conflict, survived injury and capture, and was awarded the George Polk Award, one of the most prestigious awards in journalism.

Code Name Badass: The True Story of Virginia Hall by Heather Demetrios (S&S/Atheneum, Sept. $19.99, ISBN 978-1-5344-3187-4) This portrait of Allied spy Hall details her years of service, first with the British government in its Special Operations Executive clandestine and sabotage unit during WWII and then with the OSS, the Office of Strategic Services—the American precursor to the CIA. Her work was critical in mobilizing the French Resistance, rescuing countless downed Allied pilots and agents, engineering various forms of sabotage against the Germans, and overseeing the capture of more than 600 enemy combatants.

Evelyn Hooker and the Fairy Project by Gayle E. Pitman, illus. by Sarah Green (APA/Magination, Oct. 25 $16.99; ISBN 978-1-4338-3047-1)

Stonewall Award-winning author Pitman’s biography tells the story of Hooker, the woman whose research, advocacy, and allyship led to the removal of the “Homosexuality” diagnosis from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Full Speed Ahead: America’s First Admiral: David Glasgow Farragut by Louise Borden (Boyds Mills and Kane/Calkins Creek, Nov. $18.99, ISBN 978-1-68437-905-7) presents a portrait of the first Admiral of the United States Navy, who coined the call to action “Full speed ahead!”

Sing and Shout: The Mighty Voice of Paul Robeson by Susan Goldman Rubin (Boyds Mills and Kane/Calkins Creek, 2020 $19.99, ISBN 978-1-62979-857-8)

In this biography for YA readers, Rubin explores the tumultuous and passionate life of activist, singer, and actor Robeson.

The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life by Amy Butler Greenfield (Random House Studio, Oct. $18.99, ISBN 978-0-593-12719-3) is the biography of a woman who pioneered codebreaking in WWI and WWII but was only recently recognized for her extraordinary contributions.

Wonder Women of Science: How 12 Geniuses Are Rocking Science, Technology, and the World by Tiera Fletcher and Ginger Rue, illus. by Sally Wern Comport (Candlewick, Mar. $19.99, ISBN 978-1-5362-0734-7)

This collective biography delivers profiles of 12 female trailblazing scientists and engineers.