A Mighty Girl's top picks of picture books about girls who love to dance!

For many Mighty Girls, nothing is more fun than moving to music! Maybe she takes formal ballet lessons, or maybe she and her family just take joy in putting on their favorite tunes and dancing together for fun. Either way, a love of dance is a great way to get exercise, have fun, and express your creativity!

If you have a child who loves to step, twirl, plie, and more, in this blog post, we've put together a collection of our favorite picture books starring dance-loving Mighty Girls that are sure to inspire and delight dancers of all ages!

For books about real-life women dancers for children and teens, visit our Creative Arts book section. Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's favorite Christmas books, from beloved classics to new releases -- all starring Mighty Girls!

With December fast approaching, the Christmas season is almost here! And what better activity is there to prepare for the holidays than curling up and reading a beloved Christmas story together? For many families, reading holiday stories — whether old favorites or new finds — is a treasured part of the season. And, what better way to get in the holiday spirit than with a Mighty Girl Christmas story! Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top books for Thanksgiving!

Every November, families in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving — a special day of family, feasting, and thankfulness! In celebration of the upcoming holiday, we're sharing our favorite Thanksgiving stories starring girls and women. Of special interest to many of our supporters will be a children's biography about Sarah Hale, the woman responsible for Thanksgiving becoming a national holiday. Continue reading → Continue reading

Our top picks of books for children and teens starring Mighty Girls with disabilities.

Every child wants to see herself represented in the pages of her books — but if your Mighty Girl has a disability or special need, books featuring characters like her are few and far between. And when characters with disabilities do appear, they are often marginalized, only existing so that the main character of the book can show compassion towards them. In fact, from 1940 to 1970, of the tens of thousands of children's books published, only about 300 featured characters with any sort of disability — a far cry from the actual 10% of the population with some form of cognitive, physical, or mental disability. Continue reading → Continue reading

Violence and aggression are never signs of love or affection.

When girls get teased, harassed, or bullied by boys, there’s often someone who pulls out this tired phrase: "I bet he likes you!" Many women have vivid memories of being told that by adult authorities when they were young and the same phrase pops up seemingly everywhere, including children's literature and movies. In recent years, however, people have started reexamining the toxic message this often well-intentioned phrase sends. Barbara Dee, author of Maybe He Just Likes You, a new middle grade book tackling this issue, says "I spent a lot of time following the #MeToo stories that were everywhere in the news. I began wondering: Where does this behavior come from?... Those words — 'maybe he just likes you' — are so familiar and so dangerous." In this blog post, we'll explore how this phase teaches both girls and boys to normalize unhealthy relationships — and denies them the chance to have the fulfilling, respectful friendships and romantic relationships they deserve. Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of bullying prevention books for tweens and teens!

As kids enter puberty and their bodies and emotions start to change, bullying takes on new challenges: not only do relationships become more complex, but self-esteem is often more fragile and popularity can seem so much more important than it did a few years ago. So it’s particularly important for parents to continue offering their children resources to develop their understanding of relational aggression and bullying! Whether your Mighty Girl prefers to read fiction about the topic, or enjoys a non-fiction guide, there is material in this blog to help her unravel the complexities of bullying in middle school, high school, and beyond. Continue reading → Continue reading

Unhealthy perfectionism has become a growing contributor to teens' rising anxiety.

Many tweens and teens struggle with anxiety and perfectionism, and parents often bemoan that "she puts so much pressure on herself." Rachel Simmons, an expert on girls' development and the author of Enough As She Is, however, says that perception puts even more pressure on kids. "The very phrasing of the statement — 'on herself' — lays blame for distress at the feet of our teens, rather than a culture that is stoking the flames of their anxiety," she writes. "It puts the onus for change on kids — just chill, we seem to be saying, and you’ll be okay!" With a recent study finding a 33 percent spike in the number of teens who feel they have to be perfect to win approval, including from their friends and parents, it's more important than ever to acknowledge what teens are going through and help them develop strategies to deal with perfectionism. Continue reading → Continue reading

Our top picks of girl-empowering books about the wonders and changes of fall.

Autumn is here! The leaves are changing, the weather is getting cooler, and summer is becoming a memory. Every season brings with it the opportunity to share seasonal books with the Mighty Girl in your life, and this fall is no exception. So with that in mind, we've put together a selection of our favorite Mighty Girl books about fall. From celebrations of the changing weather to tales about growing pumpkins to autumn's metaphorical significance as a season of change, these books capture the many beauties of this contemplative season. Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of the Hermione-themed toys and clothing for fans of all ages!

Harry Potter may be the name on the book, but anyone who's read the series or watched the films knows that, more often than not, Hermione Granger is the one behind the plan that saves the day! For a generation of kids, this smart, confident, and courageous Mighty Girl has been one of the most beloved literary and film role models. In fact, when The Hollywood Reporter recently conducted a survey of 1,800 industry professionals, including actors, writers, and directors, Hermione Granger was selected as the favorite fictional female character of all time — by both male and female respondents. And with the series now in its third decade, the first book having been published in 1997, there are plenty of fans from a new generation who show that Hermione will be influencing young readers for years to come! Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of historical fiction starring Mighty Girls for tweens and teens!

For many readers, a good work of historical fiction takes history from facts and figures on a page and brings it to life! Historical fiction encourages readers to imagine what it was like to live in times and places other than our own — and helps them see that, no matter when and where someone lives, people are more alike than different. Plus, historical fiction has a particular role to play when studying eras where girls and women were often relegated to the sidelines: it can draw out their involvement in the major events of the period and show that, wherever history was being made, girls were there too. Continue reading → Continue reading