Our top picks of books about trailblazing African-American girls and women!

Too often the stories of African-American women, who historically faced both gender and racial discrimination, have been hidden from many mainstream histories. Fortunately, in recent years, many have had their stories told in children's books and, in our blog post, we've featured 99 books for all ages, from tots to teens, about trailblazing African-American women and their diverse contributions to history. Their stories are heroic, heartbreaking, and hopeful, and are perfect for reading with your kids during Black History Month and all year round! 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 International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is held annually on Saturday, January 27, 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

Over 60 years, over 60,000 women have been treated for free for this devastating childbirth injury at Dr. Hamlin's fistula hospital.

When Dr. Catherine Hamlin and her husband, Reg, first arrived in Ethiopia in 1959, a fellow gynecologist warned them that "the fistula patients will break your hearts." They did — but also they ignited the Hamlins' determination to help. Hamlin and her husband co-founded the non-profit Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation, and in the decades since, over 60,000 women have been treated free of charge at their hospitals. Hamlin, died in 2020 at the age of 96 in Addis Ababa, hoped to inspire people around the world to help eliminate this devastating and entirely preventable childbirth injury which affects more than two million young women worldwide. "This terrible condition has been eradicated in the West," the Nobel Peace Prize nominee said. "In countries like Ethiopia it is a common condition.... [Here] women come into labor and there's nobody to help them." Continue reading → Continue reading

This trailblazing engineer became the first person in history to design a Naval ship using a computer.

Raye Montague, the groundbreaking engineer and ship designer, smashed both gender and racial barriers to revolutionize Naval ship design and become the U.S. Navy's first female program manager of ships. While Montague was the first person to ever design a ship on a computer, her contributions were little known until Margot Lee Shetterly's book Hidden Figures, which told the story of African American female mathematicians at NASA, generated a new interest in other little-known women who made remarkable contributions with their technical prowess. Montague, who died in late 2018 and whose story has been told in the picture book, The Girl With A Mind For Math, always credited her mother's insistence on education for giving her the push she needed to reach for her dreams. "You’ll have three strikes against you," she remembered her saying. "You’re female, you’re black and you’ll have a Southern segregated school education. But you can be or do anything you want, provided you’re educated." Continue reading → Continue reading

Girls' self-confidence often takes a big hit at puberty but these skills can help keep her confidence strong during the teen years.

“A pre-teen girl is at a unique moment in her life. The spark that is her potential grows more intense, yet she'll have to fight against gender norms that threaten to diminish it," observes writer Rebecca Ruiz. "There are countless ways she'll feel pressured to hide or change her authentic self.” Rachel Simmons, an expert on girls' development and author of the parenting book, Enough As She Is, agrees: "Girls are at their fiercest and most authentic prior to puberty." While research has confirmed that girls' self-confidence often drops after puberty, Simmons asserts that there are many ways parents can help girls keep their confidence strong during the teen years. To that end, she recommends "seven skills to consider teaching your daughter by the time she turns 13" that will help your Mighty Girl feel prepared for the challenges ahead. Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top 50 books for children and teens about heroic girls and women who fought for justice during the Civil Rights Movement.

From the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Greensboro sit-ins, the Freedom Rides, school integrations, the March on Washington, Freedom Summer, the Selma to Montgomery marches, we hear many stories about the pivotal events of the Civil Rights Movement, but so many are about the remarkable men in leadership positions at the time. But what of the women? What of the girls? Rosa Parks’ story is a powerful and important one, but surely hers can’t be the only story of courageous girls and women in the Civil Rights era. Continue reading → Continue reading

Our favorite Mighty Girl stories about the love between girls and their parents, grandparents, and siblings!

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it’s a great time to talk to your Mighty Girl about love — not just romantic love, but the many other kinds of love she’ll encounter in her life. After all, while your Mighty Girl may be years away from experiencing romantic love, she’s sure to have family who love her! Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's favorite books and resources focused on charity, giving, and community service to inspire all kids to make a difference!

On January 15, the United States recognizes the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., the civil rights leader who famously said "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'" To honor King’s memory, since 1994 this federal holiday has also been celebrated as a day of service. The website for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service encourages people to think of the holiday as “a day on, not a day off” by volunteering for local causes. Continue reading → Continue reading

From devoted friends to wise teachers to ferocious beasts, you'll find dragons of all varieties in our collection of Mighty Girl dragon stories!

When you talk about fantastic creatures, some people picture fairies, or unicorns, or elves — and some picture dragons! Your Mighty Girl may imagine herself as the daring soul who cows the dragon by force of arm or clever wit, or she might picture herself with a devoted dragon friend, flying to new heights and learning arcane secrets. With versions of dragons in almost every culture, filling every role from devoted mentors to ferocious beasts, there’s probably a dragon to suit any Mighty Girl’s dream. Continue reading → Continue reading

From building a birdhouse to playing bird bingo, there are plenty of fun ways to get kids excited about birds and birdwatching!

Happy National Bird Day! From a young age, many kids are fascinated by birds. Whether she loves watching birds in the yard or learning about different types of birds through books or games, there are countless ways to enjoy our feathered friends. To help her get started, in this blog post, we've shared our favorite books about Mighty Girl bird lovers, plus a variety of toys, games, and clothing celebrating birds. For kids interested in birdwatching, we've also recommended a few kid-size binoculars and field guides perfect for young birders! Continue reading → Continue reading