I’m pretty excited about the current sweep of consciousness-raising books for young readers celebrating inspiring women.

Due to the wildly successful Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, the concept of the ‘girl book’ is currently being re-imagined, signalling the emergence of a new genre that honours female figures who have shaped our cultural landscape. The stars of Shout Out to the Girls are Australian women, past and present, who have demonstrated their strength, independence and all-round awesomeness, those who have made a virtue out of living by their convictions. Household names such as Cate Blanchett, Daisy Pearce and Rosie Batty are represented alongside lesser known talents such as Jessie Street, Ella Havelka and Marita Cheng.

The book encourages gratitude to women – promoting a sense of positivity – by casting a spotlight on those who have contributed to the enrichment of our social fabric, many of whom bravely and singularly championed causes to achieve history-making ‘firsts’ before going on to gain mainstream acceptance. With an engaging format, a good multicultural mix, and all royalties going to The Smith Family charity, of all the new empowering ‘girl books’ on offer, Shout Out to the Girls is my downright-must-have pick. Shout out to the all-female illustrators and writers of this book for making it so great!

Carrie Croft works as a bookseller at Readings Hawthorn.