A Mighty Girl's Father's Day tribute showcases our favorite books celebrating the special father-daughter bond.

A father is a special presence in a girl’s life: he supports, encourages, and loves his daughter, even as he models to her what a man can be. Father’s Day provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate this unique and important relationship in the lives of many Mighty Girls. Whether they’re dancing with their babies, walking in the dark and snow with their little girls, or teaching their tweens and teens to be self-sufficient, the fathers in these books know a thing or two about raising Mighty Girls! Continue reading → Continue reading

Janie Forsyth McKinney stood up to a violent mob to bring aid to the bloodied and beaten Freedom Riders attacked by the Ku Klux Klan.

12-year-old Janie Forsyth McKinney performed a heroic act of compassion in response to the firebombing of the Freedom Riders bus in Anniston, Alabama on May 14, 1961. It was Mother's Day when the bus carrying civil right activists was viciously attacked in this small Southern town. Horrified by the scene before her, the brave girl pushed through the violent crowd to bring water to the bloodied riders laying on the ground. McKinney knew that her actions would anger the local Ku Klux Klan, but she explained that she was driven to act by one of her favorite passages of scripture: "Whatever you do to the least of my brothers, you do it to me." Continue reading → Continue reading

"Such a fine, sunny day, and I have to go, but what does my death matter, if through us, thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action?"

"Laws change. Conscience doesn't." — Sophie Scholl

When Sophie Scholl was born to a German family in Forchtenberg on May 9, 1921, nobody could have expected that she would give her life at age 21 for her anti-Nazi resistance work. Scholl was a key member of the White Rose, a student resistance group in Munich, and remains one of Germany's great dissenting heroes of the World War II. Despite that, few people outside of Germany know of her name or of the courage that allowed her to face death rather than give up her belief in what was right. Continue reading → Continue reading

Through years of starvation, illness, and fear, the women continued to work together as a nursing unit, caring for thousands of people imprisoned with them.

In 1942, 77 American Army and Navy nurses were captured by the Japanese, marking the beginning of what would become one of the greatest, yet little known, stories of heroism and sacrifice during World War II. Incredibly, every single woman survived three long years of starvation, illness, and fear as prisoners of war, all while continuing to work as a nursing unit, providing medical care to the thousands of people imprisoned alongside them. "They were a tough bunch. They had a mission," says Lieutenant Colonel Nancy Cantrell, an historian with the Army Nurse Corps. "They were surviving for the boys… and each other. That does give you a bit of added strength." Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of books about girls and their teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week.

If you think back to your years in school, chances are there will be at least one teacher you will always remember. Maybe he was the one who sat with you and slowly helped you form separate letters into a word; or maybe she was the first one to hear a secret dream and, instead of laughing, started helping you make it a reality. She may have offered a shoulder to cry on when things were going wrong, or maybe he was the one who showed you that you had a talent you wouldn’t even have guessed. No matter who it was or when it happened, without that teacher, you would be a different person. Continue reading → Continue reading

The best biographies, memoirs, and historical fiction for adults about heroic women of World War II.

Women have always served their countries in many ways during wartime, but the sheer scope of World War II demanded more of them than ever — and they answered the call. Around the world, women served as military nurses, pilots, resistance fighters, codebreakers, spies, and in other roles. For decades, their stories were little known. Sometimes, details were classified so women couldn't tell anyone, even their families, about the work they had done during the war. Other times, they hesitated to share their experiences, often because they humbly believed that their contributions were "ordinary." And, in some cases, their work was left out of histories because society did not recognize that women could be veterans, and that an Army nurse or a WASP pilot or an SOE spy deserved just as much celebration for her heroism as any soldier. Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of books about the Holocaust for children and teens in recognition of Holocaust Remembrance Week.

"Hatred eats the soul of the hater, not the hated." — Alice Herz Sommer, Holocaust survivor

Each year on Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is held this year on Monday, May 6, we take time to remember those who died — and those who survived — during the infamous Nazi regime. It is a difficult topic for any of us, but particularly difficult to discuss with children. How do you talk about something so beyond most children’s contemplation in a way that respects the experience of those who lived it? Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top pick of the books, toys, and clothing featuring the mighty women of Star Wars!

From Princess Leia and Padme Amidala, to Rey to Jyn Erso, the girls and women of the Star Wars universe have inspired generations of Mighty Girls! These characters are bold, compassionate, determined, and strong; they fight for justice and they risk their lives to protect their friends. It's no wonder that, on Star Wars Day, there are so many girls eager to declare, "May the Force be with you!" Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of picture books about trailblazing girls and women throughout history.

If you flip through a typical history book, you might think, as historian Gerda Lerner once wrote, that "ostensibly one-half the human race is doing everything significant and the other half doesn’t exist." Far too often, women's contributions have been neglected in history books and school curriculums — fortunately, there are growing numbers of wonderful books being published for young readers about girls and women who made their mark on history. And, there's no better time to share these stories and make sure that the next generation — girls and boys alike — appreciates the important and diverse roles that women have played in history! Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's favorite books about the special love between mothers and daughters in honor of Mother's Day!

On Sunday, May 12, people in over 80 countries around the world will celebrate Mother’s Day — a day dedicated to celebrating mothers and the contributions they make to their families and to their broader communities. For many Mighty Girls, their relationship with their mothers is a very special one, since Mom is their model for just how mighty girls and women can be. Continue reading → Continue reading