If you know our site, you know it doesn’t have to be International Day of the Girl Child for us to recommend inspiring new books for girls. And yet, today is that day, and I just happen to have a couple of new books on my desk that I’m excited to share with you.
Oh, and they are definitely not just for girls. All kids, regardless of gender, should find inspiration in the words of these authors, and the stories of incredible girls.
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Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Inspiring Young Changemakers
Edited by Jess Harriton and Maithy Vu
We’ve been sharing the outstanding books since the very first Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls was released in 2016. They’re just out with a brand new book to share the stories of (as you might have guessed) a diverse group of young change makers who are closer to our own kids’ ages than most of the women featured in previous books.
While you’ll find stories and wonderful illustrations of young women your kids probably already know, like Greta Thunberg, Keke Palmer, Billie Eilish, Mari Copeni, and Bindi Irwin (who also contributed the forward), there are also names that your kids will be excited to learn more about. Like 22-year-old LGBTQIA+ activist Jazz Jenning; Ethiopian tech ed entrepreneur Betlehem Dessie; and Nora Al Matrooshi, who’s just 29 and has become the first ever Arab astronaut.
Love Your Amazing Self: Joyful Verses for Young Voices (pre-order)
By Ofuosu Jones-Quartey, illustrated by Ndubisi Okoye
The better place you yourself are in, the happier you are with yourself, the more you have to give. Which is why I am so happy to find this gorgeously illustrated new book that celebrates so many of the traits we want to teach our girls, including kindness, mindfulness, self-empowerment, positive affirmation, strength, and self-love. (And yes, our boys as well — particularly as our culture still tends to minimize these traits as soft or weak.)
The entire book is written in easy lyrical verse that feels more hip-hop than Dr. Seuss (the author himself is a hip-hop musician and meditation teacher.) Each section highlights a different thought-starter or meditation, that frankly, more adults could use as well. It’s a perfect book to read aloud with your kids, and ends with a list of “amazing actions” readers can take, from asking for help when you need it, to doing something fun — even if it’s not something other people find fun. I love that.
