A Mighty Girl's top picks of Mighty Girl superhero books for National Superhero Day!

When danger threatens, Mighty Girl superheroes get ready to don their capes and masks and set out to save the day! While superheroes like Wonder Woman have been around for decades, in recent years writers, illustrators, and publishers have realized how many girls around the world have been waiting to see superheroes who look like them. And between long-time favorite superhero characters, new reimaginings of existing stories, and original characters whose stories are all their own, there have never been more choices for girls of all ages!

In this blog post, we're sharing our favorite superhero stories starring girls and women, from early chapter books to trade paperbacks collections of comic series to prequel novels telling untold parts of a character's story. These stories are full of action and adventures, with Mighty Girl superheroes who rely on brains as well as brawn when it's time to fight for justice! Continue reading → Continue reading

Brenda Chapman at the "Brave" premiere in Los Angeles. Image Source: Getty

Oscar-winning Brave writer and director Brenda Chapman, a supporter of A Mighty Girl’s “Keep Merida Brave” petition campaign, granted us her first in-depth interview discussing the Merida makeover. In this Q&A interview with A Mighty Girl co-founder Carolyn Danckaert, Chapman shares her views on the redesign of the character she created and its broader significance.

Danckaert: Before we discuss the makeover, can you tell me in your view what was so special about Merida as a character and how did her original visual depiction speak to that uniqueness?

Chapman: I let Merida's personality guide me as far as her wild hair. I wanted it to visually depict her attitude, her emotional make up so it wasn't just about “Oh look, she has cool red hair.” I wanted to make a statement with it as opposed to suggesting that she’s just trying to look pretty -- which she’s not. That’s just her natural wild, curly hair.

And as far as her body, I wanted to show a regular teenage girl’s body not one that of a girl trying to use push-up bra and go on a major diet or anything. I wanted her to look normal, like how girls look in real life. Continue reading → Continue reading

Katherine Handcock, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

Campaign Announcement: A Mighty Girl has launched a special Keep Merida Brave campaign page!

A Mighty Girl's petition to Disney on the redesign of the character of Merida from the film Brave as part of her induction into the Disney Princess collection has attracted over 180,000 signers and a huge amount of media attention.

To help keep our supporters abreast of compelling articles and commentary on our campaign to Keep Merida Brave, we've compiled a collection of articles that address the redesign from a variety of perspectives. All of them effectively point out why many people object to the changes and why the appearance of an animated character has meaning far beyond disappointing fans.

Recommended News Coverage

Merida redesigned - What message is the new look Princess Merida from Disney's Brave sending out?, Jenni Murray, BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Continue reading → Continue reading

By Carolyn Danckaert, A Mighty Girl Co-Founder

Campaign Announcement: A Mighty Girl has launched a special Keep Merida Brave campaign page!

After our post last Friday about the redesign of the beloved character Merida from the film Brave generated over 800 comments in a single day, we were inspired to launch a petition over the weekend calling on Disney to "Say No to the Merida Makeover and Keep Our Hero Brave!" In its first two days, it collected nearly 20,000 signers and today it surpassed 70,000 signers!

The petition focuses on the redesign of Merida in advance of her induction into the Disney Princess collection. In it, we say to Disney:

"Merida was the princess that countless girls and their parents were waiting for -- a strong, confident, self-rescuing princess ready to set off on her next adventure with her bow at the ready. She was a princess who looked like a real girl, complete with the ‘imperfections’ that all people have.

The redesign of Merida in advance of her official induction to the Disney Princess collection does a tremendous disservice to the millions of children for whom Merida is an empowering role model who speaks to girls' capacity to be change agents in the world rather than just trophies to be admired. Moreover, by making her skinnier, sexier and more mature in appearance, you are sending a message to girls that the original, realistic, teenage-appearing version of Merida is inferior; that for girls and women to have value -- to be recognized as true princesses -- they must conform to a narrow definition of beauty. Continue reading → Continue reading

Update: You can now pre-order the Brave DVD at Amazon.com.

 
We recently asked A Mighty Girl's Facebook supporters their thoughts on the new Pixar movie, Brave. The film has been highly anticipated for many months so we wanted to know if it lived up to their expectations and those of their children. Since we heard that a number of parents were on the fence about taking their young children to see Brave because of a few scary scenes, we also asked the group what minimum viewing age would they recommend.

Thanks to everyone who shared their feedback on the film! It will be undoubtedly very helpful for other parents, aunt/uncles, grandparents, or others thinking of taking children to see Brave.

For other girl-empowering animated movie recommendations, visit A Mighty Girl's animated movie section. Continue reading → Continue reading

Our favorite girl-empowering adventure stories to inspire your own Mighty Girl's adventures!

What adventures is your Mighty Girl planning this year? Will she bike to the park by herself, swim for the first time, or learn to ride a horse? Maybe she’s going on a trip with the Girl Scouts, or hiking in the woods near her house to find the perfect place to build her secret hideout. Or maybe her imagination will take her on even bigger adventures — into outer space, magic kingdoms, or realms of fantasy. One thing's for sure: an adventurous child's life will never be boring!

To inspire your Mighty Girl to celebrate her adventurous side,  we’re showcasing our favorite books featuring daring, courageous Mighty Girl characters on adventures of their own. These stories capture all the thrill and excitement of pushing yourself to do something unexpected and new. They might even inspire you to try a new adventure!

Continue reading → Continue reading

By Aaron Smith and Carolyn Danckaert, A Mighty Girl Co-Founders

If you think Disney has scrapped the Merida Makeover, think again. When 230,000 supporters signed A Mighty Girl’s petition to Keep Merida Brave, Disney came up with a convenient story. Disney Consumer Products, the division of Disney behind the Disney Princess merchandise line, contacted the industry blog Inside the Magic to "to set the record straight" in an effort to "to create some calm in the communities who are up in arms over the matter."

According to Inside the Magic:

“[Disney] had no intention of changing who Merida is. The artwork that has circulated online depicting the new 2D rendering of Merida was intended to be used only on a “limited line of products” as a “one-time stylized version.”

Inside the Magic further noted:

“Disney does admit that there are a few other variations of this rendering out there, supplied to Target for use on a limited line of products.”

But is the Merida makeover really just a “one-time stylized version” to be used only on a “limited line of products” only to appear at “Target for use on a limited line of products”?

Based on the evidence, the answer unfortunately appears to be no. Continue reading → Continue reading

40 of our favorite Mighty Girl stories starring smart, confident, and courageous princesses!

A princess is always pretty, sweet, passive, and needs a prince to rescue her, right? Wrong!

At A Mighty Girl, we receive many questions from people searching for empowering depictions of princesses — books that prove that princesses can be much so more than the limited stereotype usually applied! Instead, princess characters can be smart, strong, courageous, daring, and kind; and most importantly, they can be individuals, just like the children who love hearing their stories.

In this blog post, we feature 40 of our favorite independent princess stories but this is just a small sample of the many great titles available. In our popular special feature The Ultimate Guide to the Independent Princess, you'll find more than 100 books starring smart, confident, and courageous princesses for all ages! Continue reading → Continue reading

*** Read A Mighty Girl's latest Keep Merida Brave campaign announcement ***

By Brenda Chapman, "Brave" Writer and Co-Director

I have been overwhelmed at the supportive response that A Mighty Girl’s petition on Change.org has gotten and I’m thrilled and optimistic because of it.

But we’re not done. Regardless of the support the petition has received the campaign is not over. And it is still important to speak up.

In response to the overwhelming amount of support this petition has received, Disney has only backed down a little. They have yet to make a definitive statement that they intend to restore to Merida her original look, staying true to her character, on all future merchandise. The sexier, slimmer version of Merida with a come-hither look and an off-the-shoulder dress is still very much out there. In fact, it remains to be seen what is "limited" about this current iteration of Merida. Instead, it seems like a very intentional image created for the benefit of future merchandising. Disney’s move of restoring Merida’s bow and arrow seems like a hastily applied band-aid, hoping to quell the uproar about these unnecessary modifications to a beloved girl. Continue reading → Continue reading

Our favorite books for children and teens starring adventurous, sword-wielding Mighty Girls!

When it’s time for the brave young adventurer to pick up a sword and save the day, who says that adventurer has to be a boy? Sword-wielding Mighty Girls make for thrilling, dramatic fiction! If you have a child or teen who loves action, adventure, derring-do -- and a well-honed blade -- then there’s sure to be a perfect title for them in our new blog post showcasing our favorite books starring girls and women who are at home with a blade in hand. Continue reading → Continue reading