By Katherine Handcock, A Mighty Girl Communications Specialist

2015 has been a fantastic year for new Mighty Girl books! We're thrilled to see so many authors, illustrators, and publishers producing books that celebrating brave, intelligent, creative, and confident girls! In fact, our 2015 Year In Review collection features nearly 200 titles!

In this blog post, we're showcasing many of our favorite 2015 girl-empowering releases for toddlers, preschoolers, and early elementary-aged children, including board books, picture books, and early chapter books. With a wide assortment of books featuring diverse characters, engaging stories, and creative artwork, there's sure to be a title to delight every child!

And if you're looking for a tween or teen, stay tuned, check out our blog post,
Top 2015 Mighty Girl Books for Tweens and Teens, for our favorite new releases for older readers. You can also browse our entire 2015 Year In Review collection for options for all ages. Continue reading → Continue reading

Mighty Girl classics beloved by generations of young readers!

While hundreds of wonderful new Mighty Girl books are published every year, there are also many girl-empowering stories that have been passed down for decades! Times may have changed, but these classic characters still speak to the girls of today just as they did to their mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers! With that in mind, we're showcasing our favorite classic Mighty Girl stories in this blog post. These are books that you’re likely to remember from your own childhood — in fact, you may have even been first introduced to them because an adult you know loved them as as child!

In the first section, we've highlighted classic stories written before 1950, many of which remain immensely popular decades after their publication. In the second section, we've featured modern classics written between 1950 and 1990. These modern classics show the changes in the way Western culture viewed girls and women with the Mighty Girls in these pages tackling difficult social issues, going on hitherto unimagined adventures, and daring to define themselves in daring ways. And, more and more, girls being portrayed in strong leadership roles is no longer considered unusual — that's just the way Mighty Girls are!

So take a look at our collection and see if your favorite Mighty Girl book from your own childhood is on here. One way or another, it’s sure to spur you to share a few with the Mighty Girls in your life. After all, one of the great joys of a beloved book is having the opportunity to share it with a new generation!

Of course, the books featured in this post are only a handful of the many Mighty Girl books available. To browse our collection of over 3,000 girl-empowering books for children and teens, sortable by recommended reading age and theme, visit our Books section.

Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of books, toys, clothing, and room decor featuring Rey!

For decades, many girls have loved the exciting stories of the Star Wars universe. But whether they were fans of the original rebel princess, Princess Leia, or eagerly followed the adventures of other Star Wars characters, like Padme Amidala, Ahsoka Tano, or Sabine Wren, it's often been challenging to find merchandise that celebrated the characters that they loved.

With the arrival of Star Wars: The Force Awakens — and the revelation that the film's star, Rey, was female — excitement began to build. But despite Rey's prominence in the film, fans were dismayed to discover that products featuring her were few and far between. This led to a hashtag campaign, #WheresRey, dedicated to seeking better representation of female characters — in particular Rey — in Star Wars merchandise. Fortunately, companies began to respond to the demand and provide more options for Rey fans.

In advance of the highly anticipated sequel, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, in this blog post, we're showcasing a variety of books, toys, clothing, and decor featuring Rey, as she is shown in both films. Whether you're seeking a storybook for a young fan, an action figure depicting Rey during her Jedi training, or artwork featuring Rey, there are many more options for all ages. Now, fans of this courageous and determined Mighty Girl character can read stories, play with toys, dress up, and decorate the walls — all with Rey! Continue reading → Continue reading

By Katherine Handcock, A Mighty Girl Communication Specialist

If realism-based graphic novels amplify and deepen a story grounded in the real world, guess what an author and illustrator can do with a tale of pure fantasy! For young readers, it can be revolutionary to see new worlds, born entirely of someone's imagination, come to life on the page. A good combination of story and artwork can make almost anything seem real and who doesn't love the feeling of being absorbed in a good book?

With that in mind, the second blog post in our graphic novel series features books for children that are set in worlds of fantasy. Whether these stories make just a small tweak to an otherwise realistic setting — like adding friendly robots, escaped doodles, or alligators that really do live in the sewers — or create a completely new world to explore, these books will open kids' minds to the incredible possibilities inherent in storytelling. They might just be inspiring to come up with an amazing new world themselves!

For recommendations of graphic novels that are grounded in real life, check out the first post in our blog series, Life in Pictures: Mighty Girl Graphic Novels for Young Readers about Real Life. You also can browse our entire collection of over 100 graphic novels starring girls and women on a wide variety of themes in our special feature on the Top Graphic Novels Starring Mighty Girls. Continue reading → Continue reading

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

Too often girls and women view each other as competition or threats, rather than allies -- here's how to change that.

Too often, girls and women are taught to think of other girls and women as competition or even threats, not as allies. In fact, Caroline Adams Miller, a positive psychology expert and the author of Getting Grit, says that when she asks female professionals if they feel like one of the biggest challenges they face isn't just how they are treated by men but also getting torn down by other women, "It’s not half the room raising their hands — it’s 100 percent of the women." When girls are empowered and confident, however, they can learn how to team up in ways that encourage and support one another, making it more likely that all of them will find success! Phyllis Fagell, a professional school counselor, spoke with a variety of experts to find out why girls are prone to see one another as competition — and how parents can encourage them to build empowering friendships that lift each other up instead. Continue reading → Continue reading

By Jennifer de Beer, A Mighty Girl Research Intern

The season of reflection is upon us, and here at A Mighty Girl we’ve been taking a look back at the year’s new releases. As it is also the season of gifting, many of you are likely interested in finding some fresh, new material to inspire and delight the Mighty Girls in your life. Whether you like to stay on top of new releases or are seeking the perfect present for a young book lover, you are in luck!

Our latest special collection, 2012 Mighty Girl Books: A Year in Review features more than more than 100 empowering books for girls, the majority of which are brand new additions to our site.

Over the course of this past year, a wide variety of books have hit the market that feature stellar Mighty Girl characters. The new titles run the gamut, from picture books to young adult novels, historical fiction to fantasy, and the return of old favorites alongside newcomers. 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

Our top picks of Mighty Girl role model dolls from Frida Kahlo to Rosie Revere, Engineer!

For many Mighty Girls, a beloved doll or action figure becomes a constant companion. With so many new dolls based on both real-life and fictional female role models, now is the perfect time to give her one to look up to! From scientists to artists to superheroes, these dolls represent many positive values including intelligence, courage, compassion, perseverance, curiosity, and more. Whether you're picking a person that your Mighty Girl already admires, or introducing her to a role model that you think she'll love, our blog post will help you find the perfect doll for encouraging her to dream big! Continue reading → Continue reading