A Mighty Girl's top picks of girl-empowering bilingual board and picture books in English and Spanish.

From the moment they're born, kids are like sponges for language, and many parents decide to take advantage of that natural ability by introducing more than one language early. Whether you speak multiple languages at home or want to teach your child a second language, bilingual books are a fun way to introduce kids to new vocabulary and develop fluency! And in the United States, where millions of people speak Spanish as a first or second language, there's a huge demand for high-quality books that incorporate both English and Spanish text. Continue reading → Continue reading

"I Love My Body Because" is a new picture book by Shelly Anand and Nomi Ellenson that shows what makes every body special.

When Shelly Anand and Nomi Ellenson were girls, both remember feeling insecure and self-conscious about their bodies. Their experience is not unique according to a study by the Girl Scouts which found 80% of 10-year-old girls are already afraid of getting fat and other studies which found that 79% of girls have opted out of activities due to a lack of body confidence. As adults, Shelly and Nomi say that they have been on a journey to learn to love themselves just as they are, and they wanted to help girls learn to do the same. That desire was the spark that led to creation of their new book, I Love My Body Because — a book they wish they'd had as kids, "one that opened up a world where we recognize all the amazing things our bodies can do." Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of books for children and teens about real-life girls and women who fought for a more just, equal, and peaceful world.

When people think about what it means to love their country, some assume patriotism requires unwavering support, and that questioning or disagreeing with their government's choices is unpatriotic, disruptive, and even dangerous. But the truth is that dissent makes countries stronger: when citizens demand the best from their leaders and their countries — justice, accountability in government, and equal rights for all — everyone benefits. In fact, throughout history, progress for every country has come from people's willingness to stand up for what they believe in and insist on being heard, even if their beliefs counter those of the people in power. In other words, dissent isn't distracting or divisive: it's patriotic! Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of books for children and teens on understanding and managing emotions to build their emotional intelligence.

Whether you have a preschooler struggling to name how she feels, a tween wrestling with newly complex emotions, or a teenager who needs to find ways to incorporate her emotional life into adult decision-making, parents can do a lot to help kids navigate their emotional world. But sometimes, it’s hard to know where to begin. 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

A Mighty Girl's top picks of girl-empowering chapter books for young readers.

There's little that compares with the amazing moment when a young reader realizes she can read on her own! It's a tremendous accomplishment when a child gets through her own book from cover to cover. The best way to encourage that practice is to fill your young reader's shelves with fun, exciting, and just-challenging-enough books to read, but finding those books — especially girl-empowering titles — can often be difficult. Sometimes you need a leveled reader that suits your child's ability, and sometimes you're looking for the perfect early chapter book. Whatever you're looking for, you want it to be entertaining enough to catch their attention but of sufficient quality to properly exercise their reading skills. Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top books for children and teens about the refugee experience.

With heart-wrenching photos and videos of mothers and children fleeing Ukraine filling television and computer screens, many children will be understandably curious and concerned about what is happening and what it means to be a refugee. As millions of people have been forced to leave Ukraine following the Russian invasion — sparking the fastest and largest displacement of people in Europe since World War II — it's more important than ever to talk to kids about refugees and the importance of the world opening its arms to help those in need. Continue reading → Continue reading

In order to be ready for her daring, adventurous days, your Mighty Girl needs to get a good night’s rest! But it can be hard settling down for sleep when there’s an exciting world out there to be discovered. Most kids love the chance to curl up and read together with the people they love as a way to wind down before bed. Whether you're reading a book about bedtime, or just one that gets her into a quiet, contemplative mood, bedtime books can make those last few minutes one of the favorite parts of her day — and yours.

To help get your kids ready for bed, we’re showcasing 25 of our favorite bedtime books starring Mighty Girls. Hopefully, these stories — ranging from the sweet and fanciful to the clever and funny — will help everyone in the family get a good night’s sleep!

If you'd like to find books to read together with older children who have moved beyond picture books, check out the recommendations in our special collection of 150 Read Aloud Books Starring Mighty Girls. Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's recommended books and resources for preparing girls for their first periods.

Do you remember having your period for the first time? Were you relieved, scared, or confused? Did you know what was happening, or were you told after the fact? Did you think you could bleed to death, or believe that you couldn’t swim or go to gym class? Did you hear someone make joking references to women being “on the rag” and think, “I’ll die of embarrassment if anyone knows?” Did you feel like you were prepared?

In a world that is increasingly public about all sorts of previously private topics, menstruation is often still a taboo subject. What information girls do hear around them is often negative or incorrect, and even school health classes that discuss the subject often focus on the “nuts and bolts” without ever touching on the real, practical experience of a monthly cycle. As a result menarche — a girl’s first period — is still likely to be disconcerting for her.

But parents, mentors, and friends of Mighty Girls can turn this milestone of womanhood into a much more positive experience. By providing lots of accurate information, real-life experience, and practical advice, girls can learn to view their menstrual cycle in a totally different way: as an important element of their female nature and as a key sign of coming adulthood. In this blog post, we’ll help you turn a girl’s first period into an empowering experience. Continue reading → Continue reading

Twenty books that explore poverty and hardship in local communities -- and cultivate kids' desire to lend a helping hand to those in need.

For many kids, poverty and hunger are things from long ago or far away, but the truth is that financial hardship exists in our own communities as well: behind closed doors, many families struggle to provide the necessities. Divisions due to class differences can appear any time — after all, when a new “must-have” toy or clothing brand becomes popular, there are always classmates at school who can’t have it. And yet, talking to kids about poverty and class is difficult for many adults because the issues behind these problems seem too complicated or uncomfortable to explain. Continue reading → Continue reading