The Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility is located in the West Virginia native's home state.

"Hidden Figures" mathematician Katherine Johnson played a critical role in NASA's early space program — now, the space agency is honoring her contributions by renaming a NASA software facility after her! The Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility , located in Johnson's home state of West Virginia, is the home of NASA's IV&V Program, which is dedicated to "contributing to the safety and success of NASA’s highest-profile missions" by improving the software used for a variety of space launches and flights. "I am thrilled we are honoring Katherine Johnson in this way as she is a true American icon who overcame incredible obstacles and inspired so many," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in an announcement. "It’s a fitting tribute to name the facility that carries on her legacy of mission-critical computations in her honor." Continue reading → Continue reading

The Mighty Girl winners of this year's Newbery, Caldecott, and other top children's literary awards.

The beginning of the year isn't just awards season for movies: it's also the time when many literary organizations name their picks for the best books of the previous year! The American Library Association has a selection of prestigious awards that recognize children's and young adult titles — and in 2019, many excellent Mighty Girl titles are among the award winners. Continue reading → Continue reading

Dr. Donna Strickland is only the third woman in history to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.

Physicist Donna Strickland has just awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics for her groundbreaking work studying light and lasers — becoming the third woman in 117 years to win the prestigious award. The 59-year-old associate professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Waterloo was a graduate student working on her doctoral dissertation when she and her supervisor invented chirped pulse amplification, a method that creates ultrashort, high-intensity bursts of laser light without destroying amplifiers. The technique is most famous for its use in the development of Lasik eye surgery, but it also allows manufacturers to drill tiny, precise holes and makes it possible to miniaturize laser systems. Strickland, who describes herself as a "laser jock," says that becoming the third woman ever to win a Nobel Prize in Physics is "surreal," adding, "It’s hard for me to take it in right now. But I’m trying to enjoy it." Continue reading → Continue reading

Women are vastly underrepresented in Congress but research has found they are superior at governing.

The average American likely knows that there are more men than women in the U.S. Congress, but few realize how vastly underrepresented women truly are, how progress has been stalled for an entire generation, and how poorly the U.S. fares in terms of women's representation compared to the rest of the world. As of 2018, women hold only 20% of the seats in the U.S. Congress. Not only has this percentage barely budged for years, it's essentially akin to the representation of women in Saudi Arabia, a country famous for its poor record on women's rights. On a global scale, women's representation in the US lags far behind many other countries, ranking 104 out of 193 in the world. Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of newly released books starring girls and women who love science, engineering, and math!

With the demand for stories about female scientists at an all-time high, there have been growing numbers of exceptional books published about girls and women who love science, engineering, and math! It can be challenging for parents and educators, however, to stay up on all of the new releases so, to help make it easier, we've featured 12 of these titles in a new blog post. From books about role models like scientist Temple Grandin, computer scientist Grace Hopper, doctor Patricia Bath, mathematician Katherine Johnson, and marine biologist Eugenie Clark to fictional stories about science-loving girls curious about the world around them, there's sure to be a new book to appeal to every budding young scientist!

For more books for all ages about girls and women who love science, check out our blog post 50 Books to Inspire Science-Loving Mighty Girls or browse our entire Science / Technology Collection. Continue reading → Continue reading

The best girl-empowering books from February 2017 for kids, teens, & adults.

With so many new books constantly being released, it can be challenging to stay up on all of the great new titles for you and your Mighty Girl! After all, we add dozens of new releases to A Mighty Girl's vast collection of girl-empowering books every month. To help make it easier for you to discover new favorites, we've showcased our top new releases from February 2017 in a new blog post. With 20 books for all ages, from young children through adults, there's something for everyone looking for a new book to dive into!
Continue reading → Continue reading

Over 150 photos of Mighty Girls standing up for girls and women's rights at the historic Women's Marches held worldwide on January 21.

Millions of people took to the streets at Women's Marches around the world on January 21, 2017 in an unprecedented show of solidarity and support for the belief that women's rights are human rights. At the 914 Women's Marches that were held in all 50 states and over 60 countries, girls and young women participated in vast numbers. This day gave these girls an unforgettable life lesson about the power of their own voice in creating change – and the responsibility of every citizen to use that voice to stand up for their rights and the rights of others.

In this blog post, we're showcasing just a small fraction of the incredible photos of Mighty Girls at Women’s Marches worldwide that have been shared with us. Thank you to the many people who have shared their march stories and photos on A Mighty Girl's Facebook page. And, most importantly, thank you to everyone who participated in a Women's March – while the fight for girls and women's rights will continue, our voices on this inspiring day of action were powerful and sent the clear and unmistakable message: "We're not going away."
Continue reading → Continue reading

75 New & Classic Girl-Empowering Books for Holiday Gift Giving!

"I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book." — J. K. Rowling

When you’re looking for a gift for a book lover of any age, the natural choice is a good book! And, while the hundreds of titles in A Mighty Girl's book collection have been vetted to ensure they are both high quality and girl empowering, we understand that during the busy holiday season a 'cheat' sheet of the best Mighty Girl books for gifting can make choosing a book for a special child or young person much easier. To that end, in this blog post, we've complied a selection of enduring Mighty Girl favorites, alongside a number of the best 2016 new releases (which are marked by a brand new icon below). From gorgeously-illustrated picture books to thought-provoking teen fiction, these titles will delight, intrigue, educate, and inspire girls and boys alike!

To discover more 2016 releases, stay tuned for our annual 'Year in Review' round-up of the best Mighty Girl books of 2016, which we'll be releasing in early January.

Of course, you can also find many more reading recommendations in our entire collection of nearly 2,500 Mighty Girl books for all ages. And, for anyone looking for reading recommendations for adults, don't miss our new blog post Stories of Mighty Women: 2016 Biographies for Adult Readers. 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 Katherine Handcock, A Mighty Girl Communications Specialist

On A Mighty Girl, we feature thousands of books for children and teens about smart, confident, and courageous girls and women, but we are also often asked for reading recommendations for adults about inspiring women of the past and present. To that end, we're sharing thirty of our favorite books for adults about Mighty Women that were published in 2015.

Among these titles are gripping stories of survival, insightful introductions to oft-neglected female scientists, hilarious tales about life in the entertainment industry, and thoughtful reflections on the quest for women's rights. Our recommendations are all biographies with the exception of one remarkable work of historical fiction, The Nightingale, and a fascinating non-fiction guide, 100 Under $100: One Hundred Tools for Empowering Global Women. Since A Mighty Girl's website does not have a book section for adult readers, you won't find these recommendations on our site; however, we've included links below to Amazon so you can learn more or order individual titles.

So whether you're looking for a good book to delve into or a holiday gift for a friend, these women's stories are sure to inspire! And, to learn about our recommended 2015 releases for children and teens, don't miss our new post, The Gift of Reading: 50 Newly Released Books Starring Mighty Girls.

Continue reading → Continue reading