From a young age, my mom taught me to believe in myself, my strength, and my courage. From educating me on important women’s issues to trying to make sure I was consuming positive media, she did everything she could to make sure that I understood the power of my voice.
I will always be grateful for the gift of self-confidence my mom gave me. I believe that each and every child deserves to be reminded of how wonderful and strong they are. One way we can do this is by reminding young girls that they have the power to become anything they dream. I’ve put together a list of five books for young children that promote girl power and strength.
1. My First Book of Girl Power
DC Comics released this inspiring book for young readers that showcases their female superheroes, from Wonder Women to Batgirl. It praises the sheroes on their physical characteristics like strength, but it also focuses on their courage and bravery to combat difficult situations.
This is an awesome read for young girls who want to grow up and change the world. It shows them at a young age that nothing will stop them from being the shero they have always dreamed of becoming!
2. Odd Velvet
This amazing read by Mary Whitcomb is a great reminder of how each and every one of should embrace the things that make us different. Whitcomb explores this message through Velvet, who is different than her classmates. From her name to the gift she brings for her teacher, Velvet never seems to fit in. Although her classmates react at first by making fun of her differences, they soon realize that her wonderful quirks make her who she is—special, unique and fearless!
3. Not All Princesses Dress in Pink
This rhyming-filled children’s book written by Jane Yolen and her daughter will push young girls to fight stereotypes and reach for their dreams. A line from the book reads, “Some princesses wear their jewels while fixing things with power tools.”
This book is a powerful reminder that with hard work, girls can achieve anything they could ever imagine.
In this picture book by Kelly S. DiPucchio, Grace is shocked by the fact that the United States has never had a female president. Instead of getting discouraged, Grace decides to be a trailblazer and run in her school’s mock election. This is a great reminder that when faced with adversity, we should always choose to fight. Grace’s courageous spirit and ability to speak up will inspire young girls everywhere.
5. The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes
Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein teamed up create a wonderful children’s book with a message we could all learn from: It’s okay to make mistakes. Beatrice is a young girl who always seems to get everything right. She always meets deadlines, always matches perfectly, and always takes home first place in her school’s talent show. When she makes a very public mistake, however, Beatrice must learn to cope with the fact that she messed up. It reminds us that we all make mistakes and we are all perfectly imperfect—which is such a beautiful thing to be!
There are endless books out there that bring children important insights about life and growing up. I know that I still carry many of the lessons I learned throughout my childhood as an adult and use them daily. These reads give us a friendly reminder that some of the most important lessons we will ever learn in life are simple. We just have to remember to act on them.
Cover image courtesy of Shutterstock.
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