My favorite books about women who wouldn’t give up

Why am I passionate about this?

As a writer, I’ve been tempted many times to stop writing. After all, it’s hard. Will anyone ever read this? Maybe I don’t know what I’m doing after all. Then I read stories like the ones I’ve mentioned here. Four of them are about real women who would not give up, even in the face of much adversity. I admire people who have that conviction and strength. It gives me the courage to keep trying-just like they did.


I wrote...

Never Give Up: Dr. Kati Kariko and the Race for the Future of Vaccines

By Debbie Dadey, Juliana Oakley (illustrator),

Book cover of Never Give Up: Dr. Kati Kariko and the Race for the Future of Vaccines

What is my book about?

Dr. Katalin Kariko channeled her curiosity into her work as a scientist. She faced frequent criticism and was told by other scientists she would never succeed in making an mRNA vaccine. Finally, after many years of hard work and dedication, she did it! When the deadly virus, COVID-19 infected millions of people, Kati’s idea turned out to be exactly what the world needed. Indeed, Kati believes mRNA technology can be used to cure other diseases as well. Never Give Up is the inspiring, true story of a determined scientist who proved that a little bit of curiosity and a lot of hard work can save lives.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Hedy Lamarr's Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor

Debbie Dadey Why did I love this book?

I love reading about women who break the mold-who do something everyone says they can’t.

Hedy Lamar was a famous actress, but she said herself, “People seem to think because I have a pretty face...I’m stupid.” She wasn’t! Among her many inventions was a glow-in-the-dark dog collar. Her most famous scientific work came from designing a frequency hopping system, that is still used in many electronics today.

By Laurie Wallmark, Katy Wu (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Hedy Lamarr's Double Life as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Age range 5+

To her adoring public, Hedy Lamarr was a glamorous movie star. But in private, she was something more: a brilliant inventor. Now Laurie Wallmark and Katy Wu, who collaborated on Sterling's critically acclaimed picture-book biography Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code, tell the inspiring story of how, during World War Two, Lamarr developed a groundbreaking communications system that still remains essential to the security of today's technology.

'Even readers who don't know Hedy Lamarr, 'the world's most beautiful woman,' will become fans after learning how she balanced her fame as a 1930s movie star with a passion…


Book cover of Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist

Debbie Dadey Why did I love this book?

This story tells how Mary Anning found amazing fossils and became an expert on the subject, even when many people thought women shouldn’t be scientists.

Mary was never given the credit she deserved, but it didn’t stop her from doing what she loved. While it upsets me that she was often overlooked because she was a woman, I admire her because she didn’t let others’ opinions keep her from the work she enjoyed and did so well.

By Linda Skeers, Marta Alvarez Miguens (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dinosaur Lady as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

A beautifully illustrated picture book biography of Mary Anning that will enlighten children about the discovery of the dinosaurs and the importance of female scientists, perfect for fans of The Girl Who Thought in Pictures

Mary Anning loved scouring the beach near her home in England for shells and fossils. She fearlessly climbed over crumbling cliffs and rocky peaks, searching for new specimens. One day, something caught Mary's eye.

Bones. Dinosaur Bones.

Mary's discoveries rocked the world of science and helped create a brand-new field of study: paleontology. But many people believed women couldn't be scientists, so Mary wasn't given…


Book cover of Miss Rumphius

Debbie Dadey Why did I love this book?

When I was a school librarian, I shared this fiction picture book every year and then we planted lupines. It’s the story of a woman who knew what she wanted to do and she did it. One of her goals was the make the world more beautiful and she did it by scattering seeds everywhere she went.

If you can read this book and not want to make the world more beautiful, I will be very surprised!

By Barbara Cooney,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Miss Rumphius as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 5, 6, 7, and 8.

What is this book about?

Alice made a promise to make the world a more beautiful place, then a seed of an idea is planted and blossoms into a beautiful plan.  This beloved classic and celebration of nature—written by a beloved Caldecott winner—is lovelier than ever!

Barbara Cooney's story of Alice Rumphius, who longed to travel the world, live in a house by the sea, and do something to make the world more beautiful, has a timeless quality that resonates with each new generation. The countless lupines that bloom along the coast of Maine are the legacy of the real Miss Rumphius, the Lupine Lady,…


Book cover of Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist

Debbie Dadey Why did I love this book?

Who doesn’t love a story about a woman brave enough to swim with sharks?

In a time when women weren’t supposed to be scientists, Eugenie Clark fell in love with sharks. She devoted her life to learning about them and taught the world that sharks aren’t bad and have a special place in our world.

As the author of the Mermaid Tales series, I have studied about many different ocean creatures and love quizzing kids about them. One of my questions: Are sharks bad is almost always answered with a yes. I tell students the truth, just like Eugenie Clark did.

By Jess Keating, Marta Álvarez Miguéns (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Shark Lady as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

One of New York Times' Twelve Books for Feminist Boys and Girls!
This is the story of a woman who dared to dive, defy, discover, and inspire. This is the story of Shark Lady. One of the best science picture books for children, Shark Lady is a must for both teachers and parents alike!
An Amazon Best Book of the Month
Named a Best Children's Book of 2017 by Parents magazine
Eugenie Clark fell in love with sharks from the first moment she saw them at the aquarium. She couldn't imagine anything more exciting than studying these graceful creatures. But…


Book cover of The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read

Debbie Dadey Why did I love this book?

Mary Walker didn’t learn to read when she was a child. She was a slave until she was fifteen years old and continued to work all her life.

At age 116, she did something she had always wanted to do. Something she didn’t give up on. Mary Walker learned to read. As a former first-grade teacher who taught many children to read, as well as loving to read myself, this story brings tears to my eyes. What a determined woman!

By Rita Lorraine Hubbard, Oge Mora,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Oldest Student as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Imagine learning to read at the age of 116! Discover the true story of Mary Walker, the nation's oldest student who did just that, in this picture book from a Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator and a rising star author.

In 1848, Mary Walker was born into slavery. At age 15, she was freed, and by age 20, she was married and had her first child. By age 68, she had worked numerous jobs, including cooking, cleaning, babysitting, and selling sandwiches to raise money for her church. At 114, she was the last remaining member of her family. And at 116, she…


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Me and The Times: My wild ride from elevator operator to New York Times editor, columnist, and change agent (1967-97)

By Robert W. Stock,

Book cover of Me and The Times: My wild ride from elevator operator to New York Times editor, columnist, and change agent (1967-97)

Robert W. Stock Author Of Me and The Times: My wild ride from elevator operator to New York Times editor, columnist, and change agent (1967-97)

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Journalist Punster Family-phile Ex-jock Friend

Robert's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

Me and The Times offers a fresh perspective on those pre-internet days when the Sunday sections of The New York Times shaped the country’s political and cultural conversation. Starting in 1967, Robert Stock edited seven of those sections over 30 years, innovating and troublemaking all the way.

His memoir is rich in anecdotes and admissions. At The Times, Jan Morris threw a manuscript at him, he shared an embarrassing moment with Jacqueline Kennedy, and he got the paper sued for $1 million. Along the way, Rod Laver challenged Stock to a tennis match, he played a clarinet duet with superstar Richard Stoltzman, and he shared a Mafia-spiced brunch with Jerry Orbach.

Me and The Times: My wild ride from elevator operator to New York Times editor, columnist, and change agent (1967-97)

By Robert W. Stock,

What is this book about?

An intimate, unvarnished look at the making of the Sunday sections of The New York Times in their pre-internet heyday, back when they shaped the country’s political and cultural conversation.

Over 30 years, Robert Stock edited seven of those sections, innovating, and troublemaking all the way – getting the paper sued for $1 million, locking horns with legendary editors Abe Rosenthal and Max Frankel, and publishing articles that sent the publisher Punch Sulzberger up the wall.

On one level, his memoir tracks Stock’s amazing career from his elevator job at Bonwit Teller to his accidental entry into journalism to his…


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