Queen Girls books with real women as heroines in these must-read fairy tales.
Kids

The heroes of these fantastic fairy tales? Real women. (Really.)

When it comes to imaginative stories and tales, my kids have always been somewhat confused by what's real and what's make-believe. This is especially true of anything Star Wars ("Did his hand really come off?"), Harry Potter ("Do house elves really exist?"), and fairy tales ("Can someone really have hair that long?"). But now, they'll get the Yes-es they've been looking for. And it will surely blow their minds.

Related: Girl power! Empowering books for girls

In Queen Girls stories, the heroes don't wait for a magical kiss from a handsome prince, or a swift flick of the wand from a fairy godmother who can quick-fix their lives. These stories are based on real women in history.

Real kickass women, doing real kickass things.

There's a book on Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to earn her pilot's license; and soon there'll be the tale of Isadora Duncan, a ballerina who is known for starting the modern dance movement, and Savitribai Phule, women's rights activist and founder of the first school for women in India.

Considering Queen Girls gorgeously illustrated books didn't just meet its Kickstarter goal (in one week, no less), but blew it out of the water, we're guessing these three books are just the beginning.

And, like every good fairy tale, there's an intriguing plot twist: For every book you order, Queen Girls will donate another to an organization around the world that is fighting illiteracy.

Huh. Maybe there is such a thing as happily ever after.

You can pre-order the first book, Bessie, Queen of the Sky from Queen Girls Publications, on Indiegogo now.

More in KidsView all picks →

A Q&A with author Jamie Sumner about her new book Wish You Well

Q&A with middle grade author Jamie Sumner

Jamie Sumner is a best-selling middle grade author who often writes about the disability experience. • Wish You Well follows three kids who feign friendship to scam a wish-granting foundation.

Girls' beach weekend packing essentials

What to pack? Be sure to include these girls' weekend beach essentials

What we took as a moms' girls' beach weekend getaway in Destin, Florida. • Author named the Laura Ashley buttery soft robe the #1 robe in their collection. • Sherpani Jetsetter Totes has tons of space and exterior pockets for tickets and passports.

shannon hale princess in black book and author

Q&A with children’s book author Shannon Hale

Shannon Hale is the bestselling author behind The Princess in Black series. It's a favorite early chapter book series for kids ages 5–8 and boys love it as much as girls do. Her newest book, Princess in Black and the Trick or Treating Trouble, comes out just in time for Halloween. We talked with her about it as part of our Q&A author series and asked about a few of her favorite things too.