Rad American Women A-Z

Rad American Women A-Z by Kate Schatz is a vibrant, joyful, and genuinely illuminating alphabet book for children and adults alike — one that introduces young readers to twenty-six extraordinary American women who changed history, challenged the status quo, and proved that being radical is not a dirty word but a badge of honor.

About the Book

From A to Z, Kate Schatz presents twenty-six women whose lives and work represent the full, magnificent range of American female achievement and courage. The book includes expected icons — Angela Davis, Billie Jean King, Frida Kahlo — alongside less-familiar figures who deserve far wider recognition. Each entry is a short, energetic biographical sketch designed to capture the essence of a woman’s contribution and spirit, illustrated with gorgeous silk-screen-style portraits by Miriam Klein Stahl that give each subject a bold, graphic presence on the page.

The selection is deliberately diverse — in race, sexuality, profession, era, and approach to change. Schatz includes scientists and artists, athletes and activists, writers and warriors, ensuring that no single definition of “radical” dominates. The book celebrates Dolores Huerta alongside Bessie Coleman, connects Yuri Kochiyama to Zora Neale Hurston, and gives equal weight to women who fought with words, with deeds, with music, and with their bodies. This diversity is itself a statement: there are many ways to be brave, and this book honors all of them.

The writing is accessible for middle-grade readers while containing enough substance to engage adults. Schatz has a talent for the telling detail — the specific moment or decision that illuminates a whole life — and her enthusiasm for her subjects is infectious. The book ends with a section of further reading and a note on the importance of knowing women’s history, modeling for young readers the idea that books open doors to more books.

What Makes It a Meridian Award Winner

The Meridian Award for Children’s recognizes books that open the world to young readers — that tell true, important stories in ways that children can hold and carry forward. Rad American Women A-Z does this with exceptional flair. Its visual boldness, its breadth of representation, and its refusal to simplify or sentimentalize the lives it celebrates make it stand apart from countless other biographical books for children. It takes its young readers seriously — their capacity to understand injustice, to be inspired by resistance, and to imagine themselves as agents of change. That is what the best children’s literature does, and this book does it beautifully.

Who Should Read This

Rad American Women A-Z is ideal for children aged eight to twelve, but it works equally well as a read-aloud for younger children and as a gift book for adults who want an introduction to women’s history they can share with the young people in their lives. Teachers and librarians will find it an excellent classroom resource for discussions of gender, history, diversity, and civic courage. Parents looking for books that give their daughters — and sons — role models beyond the standard canon will find twenty-six here. It is also simply a beautiful object: Stahl’s illustrations make it a book worth keeping on a shelf for life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rad American Women A-Z worth reading?

Absolutely — for children and adults alike. Rad American Women A-Z manages to be both a beautiful picture book and a genuine work of popular history, introducing readers of all ages to women whose stories deserve to be far better known. Schatz writes with energy and respect for her subjects, and Stahl’s illustrations give each woman a visual presence that is both striking and memorable. It is one of the best biographical books for children published in recent years.

What genre is Rad American Women A-Z?

Rad American Women A-Z is illustrated children’s non-fiction — specifically a biographical alphabet book celebrating radical American women throughout history. It won the 2016 Meridian Award for Children’s and is published by City Lights, the legendary San Francisco publisher with a deep commitment to literature that challenges and expands the way we see the world.