“Brave Ballerina” by Michelle Meadows, illustrated by Ebony Glenn, Holt, 32 pages, $17.99, ages 3-7

“Brave Ballerina” begs to be read aloud. The book, by Michelle Meadows, tells the story of Janet Collins, a gifted dancer born in New Orleans in 1917, a time when many ballet companies would not accept a black artist. Meadows’ simple rhyming narrative introduces young listeners and readers to the moments that made up Collins’ road to success as a dancer — including the young ballerina’s own hard work and the strong support of her family — and to the heartbreaking ways she was thwarted by racial segregation. Ebony Glenn’s graceful, friendly illustrations show Collins as a child, arms outstretched in the joy of dancing, and later as a young woman working to perfect her art in lithe poses and wearing beautiful costumes. Collins became the Metropolitan Opera’s first African-American prima ballerina. The triumphant closing lines, “This is the dancer,/ bold like the sun,/ a prima ballerina/ in 1951” ring both victorious and beautiful. This is a wonderful and inspirational biography for aspiring young dancers and other athletes.

— Kathie Meizner

“Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life” by Laurie Wallmark, illustrated by Katy Wu, Sterling, 48 pages, $16.95, ages 5+

“Hedy and Her Amazing Invention” by Jan Wahl, illustrated by Morgana Wallace, Penny Candy, 36 pages, $16.95, ages 7-11

Hedy Lamarr’s initial heyday came during World War II, when she starred in Hollywood movies and raised money for the American War effort. But the glamorous actress (1914-2000) also had an inventive mind, and she is belatedly being celebrated for her discoveries. There have been magazine articles, a major biography and a feature-length documentary (aptly named “Bombshell”); now there are two illustrated books for children celebrating her work. Hedy Lamarr’s “Double Life” starts by showing how Lamarr’s creativity emerged early in her Viennese childhood: Her father encouraged her scientific thinking, and she loved to play pretend and imitate others. Laurie Wallmark’s lively biography also explains Lamarr’s most brilliant idea (conceived with composer George Antheil), which improved the guidance system for torpedoes and led to today’s wireless communications. Jan Wahl’s “Hedy and Her Amazing Invention” proceeds in seven short chapters and may leave the slightly older reader wanting more. Either way, Morgana Wallace’s charming collage illustrations convey the intelligence and charisma of this newly appreciated pathbreaker.

— Abby McGanney Nolan

“Watch Us Rise” by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan, Bloomsbury, 368 pages, $18.99, ages 13+

At the beginning of the intelligent young-adult novel “Watch Us Rise,” best friends Jasmine Gray and Chelsea Spencer announce their goal for junior year: to “totally shut down the patriarchal systems of oppression.” Co-authors Watson, who won a Newbery Honor last year for “Piecing Me Together,” and poet and activist Hagan chart the course as their protagonists take strong action. Marginalized and even mocked for their feminist stance on body shaming, racism and artistic integrity, Jasmine, a black actress and writer, and Chelsea, a white poet, start a club “specifically for women” at their progressive high school. When their blog goes viral, the young women must deal with the mixed reactions: affirmation from kindred spirits, resistance from fellow students, and disciplinary action from the principal. The girls’ poems and reflective essays are interspersed. Through this intense year of change and growth, Jasmine and Chelsea persist in speaking their truth.

— Mary Quattlebaum