A Mighty Girl's recommendations for books, toys, and activities to inspire a lifelong love of writing and storytelling in kids of all ages.

If there’s one thing anyone who spends time around young kids knows, it’s that they are born storytellers! Children’s vivid imaginations and lack of preconceptions make for wild, fascinating, unexpected stories, and during their toddler and preschool years, we encourage them to explore and elaborate on their inventions. And most kids are thrilled when they start learning to write — finally, they have the opportunity to make their vision permanent, and share their ideas whenever they please.

But as kids move through elementary school and beyond, it’s all too easy for them to lose their love of writing and storytelling. The scrutiny of teachers and peers can make kids doubt their ability to create a “good” story, and too often writing becomes a chore, rather than a pleasure.

Fortunately, that’s not the way things have to end! It is possible to kids to keep their love of telling a good story, and develop it into a lifelong passion — and for some, even a career. This blog post provides a selection of books, toys, and activities for all ages that will get your child’s creative writing juices flowing. And who knows? You might find your own fingers itching for paper and pen… Continue reading → Continue reading

A Q&A by the A Mighty Girl Team

When Target announced that they would be removing gendered signs from the toy sections of its US stores, A Mighty Girl – and many in our community – were thrilled. Our Facebook post announcing this change, as of this writing, went viral with over 75,000 likes and 30,000 shares. While the response in our community was overwhelmingly positive, as word of the announcement spread, some commentators also had questions and concerns about the change. How would this affect shoppers? What does it mean for girls, boys, and parents? And, perhaps the root of many concerns: what’s the big deal about gendered marketing anyway?

LEGO ad, 1981

As supporters of ending gender discrimination and stereotyping, we applaud Target’s decision – and the many other efforts like it happening both in North America and around the world – so we wanted to address some of the most common questions we’ve been hearing about gender-neutral signage and marketing: how it works, why it’s important, and how it fits into other efforts to change the way the world sees girls and boys.

Gender-neutral marketing and merchandising is about much more than political correctness; instead, it’s a sign of the times, one that points to a shift away from strictly limited gender roles and towards a world where everyone can pursue their interests and talents without feeling like the odd one out. By the end of this blog post, we hope those with concerns will see why this decision is about so much more than signs. And, if you'd like to explore these issues in more depth than is possible in a short post, we've also recommend several books on this topic in the resource section below. Among the recommendations is an excellent new release for parents filled with advice on how to raise kids who are less constrained by gender stereotypes, Parenting Beyond Pink and Blue. 

If you share our feelings about gender-neutral toy marketing, please support companies that are doing the right thing by changing the way they organize their toy departments. You can leave a message congratulating Target for their decision on their Facebook page. Continue reading → Continue reading

By Katherine Handcock, A Mighty Girl Communications Specialist

With all of the amazing girl-empowering books out there it might seem like book lovers are easy to buy gifts for, but what if you want to get them something other than more titles for their library? Fortunately, there’s a whole world of gift options to help your Mighty Girl -- or the adult book lovers in your life -- celebrate their love of books, literature, and reading.

You could find the perfect literary-themed T-shirt or a beautiful book-themed poster. Maybe she’s crazy for a particular book character or she just loves to play with words and stories. This blog will provide you with some inspiration for almost any reader, whether she’s still enjoying story time on Mom or Dad’s knee or she’s sharing her childhood favorites with a new generation of Mighty Girls.

For more books, toys, and other resources to encourage your Mighty Girl's interest in storytelling and creative writing, check out our blog post on Fantastic Adventures and Amazing Tales: Encouraging Creative Writing and Storytelling.

To learn about more of our favorite toys of all varieties for Mighty Girls, check out our Girl Empowerment Toy Blog Series or visit our 2014 Holiday Guide. Continue reading → Continue reading

If you’re looking for fun clothes that reflect the full diversity of girls’ interests, visit A Mighty Girl’s newly expanded clothing section featuring nearly 450 girl-empowering selections! We’ve recently expanded our clothing collection to include, in addition to our extensive selection of t-shirts, PJs, socks, underwear, and even raincoats and boots. This selection of high-quality, fun clothing includes items for infants, toddlers, children, juniors, and adults, so the whole family can find a favorite!

Once you've entered our clothing section, you can filter the selection in a variety of ways to make it easier to find just the right thing for your Mighty Girl -- or yourself! Our age filter allows you to sort by a variety of age groups, from 0 - 2 to 13+, as well as adults. And, our clothing type filter allows you to view the collection by the different types of clothing described above.

We have divided our collection into nine categories. Our Superheroes, Character Themed, and Literary Themed categories focus on clothing featuring individuals (both fictional and real) that represent strong female characters in a variety of media. The Animals / Nature collection lets nature-loving Mighty Girls showcase their love of the great outdoors and the creatures that live within it. Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl is proud to announce the expansion of our clothing section! In addition to featuring several great girl-empowering clothing companies, we are now offering a selection of empowering shirts and accessories through Amazon and CafePress. This selection of high-quality, fun clothing includes items for infants, toddlers, children, juniors, and adults, so the whole family can find a favorite!

We have divided our collection into eight categories. Our Superheroes, Character Themed, and Literary Themed categories focus on clothing featuring individuals (both fictional and real) that represent strong female characters in a variety of media.

Our Science / Technology section includes clothing that promotes girls and women in STEM areas, while our Career / Jobs lets girls express their future career dreams and aspirations. Our Sports / Hobbies section makes it easy for girls to find clothing relating to their interests, especially active lifestyles. Finally, our Girl Power / Feminist and Princess Alternative sections show off how girls and women can be so much more than damsels in distress! Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's Father's Day tribute showcases our favorite books celebrating the special father-daughter bond.

A father is a special presence in a girl’s life: he supports, encourages, and loves his daughter, even as he models to her what a man can be. Father’s Day provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate this unique and important relationship in the lives of many Mighty Girls. Whether they’re dancing with their babies, walking in the dark and snow with their little girls, or teaching their tweens and teens to be self-sufficient, the fathers in these books know a thing or two about raising Mighty Girls! Continue reading → Continue reading

The best biographies, memoirs, and historical fiction for adults about heroic women of World War II.

Women have always served their countries in many ways during wartime, but the sheer scope of World War II demanded more of them than ever — and they answered the call. Around the world, women served as military nurses, pilots, resistance fighters, codebreakers, spies, and in other roles. For decades, their stories were little known. Sometimes, details were classified so women couldn't tell anyone, even their families, about the work they had done during the war. Other times, they hesitated to share their experiences, often because they humbly believed that their contributions were "ordinary." And, in some cases, their work was left out of histories because society did not recognize that women could be veterans, and that an Army nurse or a WASP pilot or an SOE spy deserved just as much celebration for her heroism as any soldier. Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of children's books about tree-loving girls and women and nature-themed science toys in honor of Arbor Day!

There's something special about trees! They provide a place to climb and explore, shade to play or read, and a bit of beauty when it's most needed. And of course, the environmental benefits they offer critical for our planet and for the creatures — including Mighty Girls — who live near them. So it's no wonder that, for many people, trees hold a special place in their hearts! Continue reading → Continue reading

From the heartfelt to the playful, A Mighty Girl's favorite gifts for celebrating Mighty Moms!

For many Mighty Girls, their mother is the model for everything they want to be — and a special mom deserves a special gift for Mother’s Day! If you’re looking for some great ways to celebrate and inspire a Mighty Mom in your life, we’ve put together a selection of gift ideas that will help you let her know how important she is. These gifts will help her connect more closely with her Mighty Girl; let her record her thoughts, experiences, and wisdom to share in the future; help her show her own mightiness in fun and playful ways; and inspire her for the year ahead. Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of girl-empowering books for children and teens starring Asian American Mighty Girls.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is nearly here! Every May, we celebrate the diverse cultures and communities represented by Asians and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the United States — and recognize the contributions that AAPI people make to our country every day. Continue reading → Continue reading