Families who loved I Could Not Do Otherwise: The Remarkable Life of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker by Sara Latta often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your child expresses frustration with social expectations or feels discouraged by the idea that they must fit into a specific mold to be successful. It is a powerful resource for the middle schooler who is starting to notice systemic unfairness and needs a real-life example of how to maintain personal integrity in the face of intense public scrutiny. This biography follows the defiant life of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a Civil War surgeon and the only woman to ever receive the Medal of Honor. Beyond her medical achievements, the book explores her lifelong battle against restrictive gender norms, from her choice of 'bloomer' clothing to her arrest for wearing pants. It provides a nuanced look at resilience, showing that while Mary won many battles for justice, she often did so at great personal cost and without the immediate approval of her peers. It is an excellent choice for fostering discussions about identity, civic duty, and the long road to social change.
