For the first time in its 34-year history, The Magic School Bus is getting a feature film — and Elizabeth Banks will star as the iconic teacher Ms. Frizzle!

For the first time in its 34-year history, The Magic School Bus is getting a feature film — and Elizabeth Banks will star as the beloved Ms. Frizzle! Banks, who is also producing the film with her company Brownstone Productions, is best known for roles in The Hunger Games franchise and in Pitch Perfect. Now, she's excited to be stepping into the famous school bus to teach a new generation of kids about science. "We are delighted to bring to life the iconic Ms. Frizzle and her zest for knowledge and adventure in a fresh new way," says Scholastic Entertainment’s president Iole Lucchese. "[We hope the movie] inspires the next generation of kids to explore science and supports the dedicated teachers who help make science real and accessible for young learners every day." Continue reading → Continue reading

NASA's Washington, D.C. Headquarters is being renamed in honor of Mary Jackson, the space agency's first African American female engineer.

Mary Jackson was NASA's first African American female engineer — now, the space agency is honoring her contributions by renaming its Washington, D.C. headquarters in her honor! In addition to her scientific accomplishments, Jackson also led programs which supported the hiring and promotion of more women at NASA and served as a Girl Scout leader for more than 30 years. "Mary never accepted the status quo, she helped break barriers and open opportunities for African Americans and women in the field of engineering and technology," says NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. "We will continue to recognize the contributions of women, African Americans, and people of all backgrounds who have made NASA’s successful history of exploration possible." Continue reading → Continue reading

After 7-year-old Sophia Spencer was bullied for loving bugs, women in entomology around the world rallied to her support; now she's published a picture book about her experience.

When 7-year-old Sophia Spencer was bullied for her love of bugs, women in entomology around the world rallied to her support. Four years later, the 11-year-old Mighty Girl has published a picture book, The Bug Girl: A True Story, to share her story with other kids who feel different because of their passions. And Sophia hopes they take away one very powerful message from her experience: "You can follow your passion too. You don’t have to give up." Continue reading → Continue reading

The 22-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate shared photos of the celebration on Twitter, writing that it's "hard to express my joy and gratitude right now."

22-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai has graduated from Oxford University! The world-famous girls' education advocate, who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban eight years ago, shared her good news on Twitter, posting pictures from the celebration which included a "trashing," an Oxford tradition in which new graduates are covered with foam, confetti, and food. She wrote that it's "hard to express my joy and gratitude right now as I completed my Philosophy, Politics and Economics degree at Oxford."

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As head of NASA's human spaceflight program, Kathy Lueders will oversee the Artemis program which plans to land a woman on the moon in 2024.

Kathy Lueders, the NASA official who oversaw the historic SpaceX astronaut launch last month, has been named the new head of NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate! In this role, Lueders will lead all of NASA's human spaceflight programs, including the Artemis moon program which plans to land the first woman on the moon in 2024. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine praised her appointment in a statement, observing: "Kathy gives us the extraordinary experience and passion we need to continue to move forward with Artemis... and achieve the ambitious goals we’ve been given." Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of books for parents on raising a Mighty Girl from the toddler through the teen years.

Parenting is always an adventure, but parenting a Mighty Girl can often seem particularly challenging: in a time when girls and their parents receive so many conflicting messages about what it is to be a girl, it's hard to know how to guide them to becoming confident, capable women. From the sexualization of increasingly younger girls to the new world of social media to old problems like bullying in the school yard, there are many challenges to growing up —  and parenting —  in today's world. Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of fantasy novels starring heroic girls and women!

One of the great powers of reading is that you can be transported into imaginary worlds: world where magic is real, where fantastical beasts roam freely, and where your hero may have the chance to save the entire world! Fantasy novels were long considered to be the domain of male protagonists — sword-swinging barbarians and clever wizards — but modern fantasy authors often put their Mighty Girl characters at the center of the story!  Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of new biographies about Mighty Women for adult readers.

Moms can be an incredible source of inspiration, but that doesn’t mean they can’t use a little inspiration themselves! Stories of the incredible women of past and present aren’t just great to share with young readers: they’re also a great gift when you want to honor a special woman in your life. With that in mind, we've gathered a selection of 75 new biographies for adult readers in a blog post which tell the stories of Mighty Women, all perfect for Mother's Day gift giving! Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of mysteries for children and teens starring Mighty Girl detectives!

From uncovering a mystery to the hunt for clues, from mistaken conclusions to the big reveal, many Mighty Girls love detective stories! And, while many of the most favorite fictional detectives, from Sherlock Holmes to Hercule Poirot, are male, there are many excellent mysteries starring female detectives who lead investigations, study the evidence, and solve the mystery — all perfect for inspiring the would-be detectives of tomorrow! Continue reading → Continue reading

The 55-year-old Girl Scout leader was scheduled to run in this year's Boston Marathon; after it was postponed due to the pandemic, Tandy Wilson decided to use her training to lift the spirits of the girls in her troop by visiting each one at home.

Tandy Wilson had been training for years to qualify for the 2020 Boston Marathon — so after the coronavirus led to the historic marathon's first postponement in 124 years, the long-time Girl Scout leader decided to put all of her marathon preparation to good use by lifting the spirits of the girls in her troop! The 55-year-old troop leader laid out a 46-mile route across the San Fernando Valley in California — 20 miles longer than a marathon — that allowed her to run past the homes of all 52 of her Girl Scouts over 11 hours. Calling it "Tandy's Purple Unicorn Run" after the troop's official color and the Boston Marathon's mascot, Wilson stopped at each girl's house to chat while observing social distancing, take safe-distance selfies, and leave them each a Purple Unicorn Sticker celebrating the troop and her run. "I’m so excited just to see all of them," she said before setting off on the 46-mile run. "Seeing them. That’s what’s going to keep me going." Continue reading → Continue reading