The best new children's books about girls and women in science!
Girls and women are curious, intelligent, persistent, and bold: it's no wonder they can be such good scientists! While women in STEM have fought prejudice for years — much of which still lingers today — they've also made important discoveries, invented world-changing things, and helped humanity make great leaps in our understanding of our planet, the universe, and more. Continue reading Continue reading
Five Recommended Non-Profit Organizations Helping Ukrainian Refugees
Europe is in the midst of its biggest refugee crisis since World War II with over 1.5 million Ukrainians fleeing their country in the ten days since the Russian invasion. People around the world have looked on in horror as mothers and children have flooded out of the country with only what they can carry in their arms. In the face of the shocking stories and images being broadcast worldwide, many people are eager to help the innocent people whose lives have been devastated by the invasion and destruction of their country. 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
The best new books for children and teens about incredible girls and women for Women's History Month 2022.
If you love to introduce kids to incredible girls and women from history, it's been another year full of fabulous new books for children and teens! Their fascinating stories give kids — girls and boys alike — a more nuanced and complete understanding of history, while also providing role models for the next generation of groundbreaking women to come. 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
56% of girls say they have been sexually harassed at school, but little is being done to help them and 79% of schools claim there were zero incidents of sexual harassment during the entire school year.
For many women, their first experience with sexual harassment doesn't happen in college or at a job: it happens when they are schoolgirls. Among girls in grades 7 to 12, one national study found that 56% of experienced sexual harassment at school, and the impact of this harassment on girls' well-being was often substantial with 22% reporting trouble sleeping and 37% not wanting to go to school as a result. Adults are sometimes hesitant to talk about this topic in middle school, but there's increasing evidence that these discussions about boundaries, respect, and consent can pay off in unexpected ways. "Sexual and gender-based harassment can be difficult subjects to broach, but abuse thrives on silence," writes Dr. Jasmine D. Williams, a research scientist at the Committee for Children. "By taking harassment seriously, educators and families help empower students to address [these] issues." 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
Sex-abuse prevention educators say teaching kids accurate terms for their private parts is an important part of protecting them from abuse.
Most kids probably know words like knee, stomach, and eye, or even more specialized terms like muscle, intestines, or brain. So why it is often surprising to hear a young child use a term such as vulva rather than a cutesy euphemism? Many experts — including sex abuse prevention educators — argue that there are plenty of good reasons to teach young children accurate terminology for their genitals rather than colloquialisms.
As Laura Palumbo, a prevention specialist with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, points out, “teaching children anatomically correct terms, age-appropriately, promotes positive body image, self confidence, and parent-child communication; discourages perpetrators; and, in the event of abuse, helps children and adults navigate the disclosure and forensic interview process." However, people who use these terms often get pushback: everything from parents filing complaints against teachers to politicians getting banned from their state house floor. In The Atlantic, writer Catherine Buni talked to front-line educators as well as psychology researchers to hear why anatomical terminology is important for kids to learn from a young age. Continue reading Continue reading
A Mighty Girl's top picks of deals on girl-empowering toys and book box sets!
In our final gift round-up of the holiday season, we're helping out the last-minute shoppers: all of the girl-empowering toys and book box sets featured in this blog post are currently on sale and still available in time for Christmas. From science sets and craft kits to book series starring Mighty Girl characters, we've included a range of options to appeal to Mighty Girls' diverse interests. And, best of all, with free two-day shipping for Prime members, you still have time to have it under the tree on Christmas morning! Continue reading Continue reading
Applications are now open for this unique, tuition-free wilderness science program!
If you know an adventurous, science-loving teenage Mighty Girl looking for a challenge this year, Inspiring Girls Expeditions is currently accepting applications for their free wilderness expedition science program! This year, the non-profit organization is running twelve different expeditions, including ones focused on mountaineering on an Alaskan glacier, rock climbing in the Rocky Mountains, hiking in the Swiss Alps, and sea kayaking in Alaskan fjords. On each trip, a small team of girls will spend up to 10 to 12 days exploring and learning through scientific field studies with professional glaciologists, ecologists, mountain guides, and artists. Continue reading Continue reading
