From the Black women who paved the way as scientists, doctors and inventors in the 19th and 20th centuries, to those at the top of their STEM fields in the 21st century, Changing the Equation (Abrams, $19.99) is an inspirational collection of achievements by women who refused to be less. Readers will learn about Angie Turner King, the extraordinary mathematician and educator who was a mentor to Katherine Johnson, and Flemmie Kittrell who, among many other achievements, started a nursery school at Howard University that served as a model for Head Start. Tonya Bolden’s engaging voice paints a portrait of amazing women who you will love learning about. Ages 10-14. Heidi Ashton Yoon

Bessie Coleman was a girl with dreams as big as the open sky. She was only eleven years old when the Wright brothers made their historic flight at Kitty Hawk. Talkin’ About Bessie (Orchard Books, $17.99) by Nikki Grimes uses a cast of characters gathered to memorialize Coleman after her passing to narrate her ascent from a dirt-floored cabin in Texas to first African-American female pilot. This cross-section of characters from Bessie’s life reveals much about the political and social climate of the period, which serves to highlight the significance of her singular achievement. Each monologue peels back another layer of Bessie’s exceptional life and career. This uniquely structured biography with lyrical language and beautiful watercolor illustrations by E.B. Lewis will inspire any child with big dreams. Ages 4-8. Brandi Rose

Ida Mae Jones is no stranger to the skies. She first learned to fly with her father crop dusting for fellow strawberry farmers in 1940s Louisiana. When her father dies and her brother enlists as a medic with the military, Ida wants to do her part too. African Americans can't sign up to be in the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) but with her light skin, she can pass for white. Ida is plenty familiar with the need to do twice as much to prove herself half as good as the men. She's dealt with that as a Black woman. In the WASPs though, no one knows her race and she will need to keep it that way, yet passing puts her directly at odds with her family and community. With vibrant description and emotion, Sherri L. Smith gives the reader an inside look at the training and flying that Ida and other WASPs had to do to prove themselves. Flygirl (Penguin, $9.99) is historical fiction at its best, engaging, informative, and eye-opening. Ages 13 and up. Anna Jordan