A Mighty Girl's top picks of books for parents on raising a Mighty Girl from the toddler through the teen years.

Parenting is always an adventure, but parenting a Mighty Girl can often seem particularly challenging: in a time when girls and their parents receive so many conflicting messages about what it is to be a girl, it's hard to know how to guide them to becoming confident, capable women. From the sexualization of increasingly younger girls to the new world of social media to old problems like bullying in the school yard, there are many challenges to growing up —  and parenting —  in today's world. Continue reading → Continue reading

By Carleigh O’Connell, Guest Blogger

Carleigh in front of the graffiti

How does a 14-year-old girl stand up on a graffiti-covered rock that makes fun of her body, take a picture, and then have the picture go viral on the internet reaching over 4 million people? Well, it happened, and it happened to me.

I am not really sure what made me step up on the rock that day. I do know that I didn't hesitate to do it. I knew it my heart it was right, and looking back, I would make the same decision if I had it to do over again. This entire experience has been a whirlwind, and I have learned so much. One of the most valuable lessons I've learn is that sometimes you have to stand up for yourself when no one else will, and do what people don't expect you to do.

The way I saw it, I had a choice. I could have just walked away, cried in my room or tried to ignore it altogether, but that wasn't an option for me. I knew the moment I saw the graffiti that I had to respond, and that's exactly what I did. I responded back to someone's hurtful behavior instead of becoming the victim and letting them get away with it.

Some call this bullying; I just call it "mean." Whoever wrote this wanted to bring attention to themselves. I can only assume that they were trying to be funny or cool around their friends at my expense. So, I turned the tables and highlighted the fact that it wasn't about them, it was about me, and I am not okay with being someone's target or springboard for popularity. Continue reading → Continue reading

By Katherine Handcock, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

When your Mighty Girl was young, you probably marveled at her incredible confidence: no matter what she wore, said, or did, she did it with a big grin that said, “This is who I am, like it or not!” But as kids get older, they start to be affected by the opinions of others, especially their peers. So the 3-year-old who proudly declared, “I’m the best!” can turn into a 5-year-old who says, “Nobody at school likes me!” or “I can’t do that — it’s for boys!”

Fortunately, while it’s normal for children to have bumps in the road where they question their worth, parents can do a lot to make sure that the bumps are small and that their daughters pass them quickly! By reading books about girls who face challenges to their self-esteem — either from questioning themselves, or brought on by disapproval from others — and overcome them, parents can teach their daughters that everyone struggles with self-esteem sometimes but that everyone is valuable and special in her own way. Continue reading → Continue reading

We frequently receive questions from people asking for recommendations for specific types of books or movies. In our "Ask A Mighty Girl" feature, we anonymously share select messages that may be of interest to the greater A Mighty Girl community. All messages are shared with the permission of the questioner.

Dear A Mighty Girl,

I have a 4 year-old who is starting to show some needs for a self-confidence boost and help standing up for herself. As parents we empower her on a daily basis, but as she goes into the world of preschool and interactions with friends and peers, we see that she doesn't stand up for herself if she gets cut off in line or if someone takes something she is playing with; instead she starts to cry. Recently she does not want to wear any kind of shorts with a print because "kids will laugh at me."

From conversations with teachers we do not see evidence of this happening, but it is coming from somewhere. I want to get some books that might address these issues directly and am wondering if there are 2 or 3 from the preschool list that you'd really recommend. Continue reading → Continue reading

Whether your Mighty Girl is a member of the LGBTQ community, or an LGBTQ ally, these books will show her that her experience is not unique: millions of people stand with her.

“I stand for honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated, and helping those in need. To me, those are traditional values.” — Ellen Degeneres

One of the founding principles of A Mighty Girl is that girls of all ages should be able to find books that reflect who they are: their background, their interests, and their dreams. But when a girl identifies as lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer/questioning — or someone in her life does — it can be challenging to find stories that reflect her experience. Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of books for children and teens celebrating acceptance and the value of diversity.

For parents and educators concerned about fostering children's appreciation of diversity and acceptance of others, it can sometimes feel like an uphill battle in divisive times. From the subtle to the overt, discrimination based on sex, race, sexual orientation, religion, country of origin, appearance, and ability does exist, and tackling it can be a difficult conversation to have with kids regardless of their age. Continue reading → Continue reading

35 Posters for Children With Uplifting Messages of Support & Solidarity.

Over the past few days, children's book illustrators have been creating images featuring their beloved characters coupled with messages of love and support. Many of these images show their characters with a safety pin (#KidLitSafetyPin), others show the characters hugging (#HugsfromKidLit), but all are symbols to kids feeling vulnerable or being targeted with harassment that they are not alone -- that they are loved and valued. Moreover, these drawings, which the artists hope teachers and librarians will post in schools (you can click on any image below to open a printable version), send an important message to all students that now is the time to come together with friends and classmates to stand against any hateful speech or actions motivated by differences in gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, country of origin, or ability.

Along with sharing these messages of love, hope, and solidarity with children, author Kate Messner also expressed the importance of taking the next step: "If this is something you plan to share with students, please also take time to talk about what it means to have someone's back when it comes to fighting bullying and bigotry. Wearing a safety pin (or putting up a poster) doesn't really help unless it's accompanied by a promise of action. Speaking up and standing beside people who are being targeted requires courage, commitment, and planning. Here's a resource [from the Southern Poverty Law Center] that I think is great for talking with middle grade kids and older."

With young children, picture books offer an excellent way to emphasize the importance of kindness and acceptance of others. And, of course, literature is also a powerful way to explore topics ranging from misogyny to bigotry to xenophobia with older children and teens, as well as a vehicle for encouraging discussion on how we can build a more just and inclusive society now and in the future. In the resource section below, you can find a variety of such reading recommendations for all ages.

We hope you will print the images below, share them, and let all of the kids in your community know: they can find safety, hope, and love in books and with you. Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of girl-empowering books for children and teens about making friends and coping with friendship challenges.

Whether they are in the midst of making new friends or renewing old ones, learning to navigate the complexities of friendship is an important part of growing up. In this blog post, we've showcased our favorite fictional stories and non-fiction guides that can help children and teens learn how to form and keep positive, healthy friendships. From the first introduction to the first big fight, these timely stories will help your Mighty Girl learn how to be a great friend at every age! Continue reading → Continue reading

The beginning of the school year is one of the most exciting times of the year, but it can be one of the most anxiety-provoking as well! We’ve put together a list of the best back-to-school books to help your Mighty Girls make sense of these emotions and to show them that they’re not alone. These books speak to the range of school experiences, from first-day jitters to dealing with bullying to struggling to find one's own voice.

You can view the complete list of Mighty Girl school stories in our Back to School Special Feature or browse through a few of our favorites highlight below for students in different age groups, including new students, elementary school (grades 2 – 5), middle school (grades 5 – 9), and high school (grades 9 – 12).

Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of books about friendships between girls and boys.

Books about girls who are best friends forever are easy to find — but what about girls who are friends with boys? Mixed-gender friendships are all too rare in children's literature, and often those that do exist develop into a romance story, creating the impression that romance is the inevitable conclusion of all relationships between a girl and a boy. But in an ideal world, people are friends with anyone who shares their interests, and gender isn't a factor! Providing a model for these girl-boy friendships in children's books is a great way to show that friendships form with many different people — and reading about these friendships encourages kids to build and maintain mixed-gender friendships as they grow.

In this blog post, we're featuring a variety of stories about girl-boy friendships. These girls and boys adventure together, care for one another, and provide the support that everyone needs to get through tough times. It's the perfect way to encourage young readers to focus not on the gender of a friend, but on the quality of the friendship. Continue reading → Continue reading