Amanda Gorman, the United States' first-ever youth poet laureate, recited her stirring poem "The Hill We Climb" at the inauguration.
Amanda Gorman, the United States' first-ever youth poet laureate, recited her stirring poem The Hill We Climb, which is reprinted below, at the January 20, 2021 inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The 22-year-old recent Harvard graduate was the youngest Inaugural Poet in history. Continue reading Continue reading
The Nobel committee praised Glück "for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal."
The acclaimed American poet and essayist Louise Glück has been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize for Literature! The Nobel committee praised Glück "for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal." The 77-year-old Yale professor is best known for lyric poems focused on intense personal experiences, such as those involving loss, rejection, desire, and healing. She has been honored with a Pulitzer Prize for The Wild Iris and a National Book Award for Faithful and Virtuous Night, as well as serving as the Poet Laureate of the United States for 2003 to 2004. In announcing the award, the Nobel Prize committee chair Anders Olsson, praised Glück's unique voice, observing: "It is candid and uncompromising, and it signals that this poet wants to be understood — but it is also a voice full of humor and biting wit.” Continue reading Continue reading
A Mighty Girl's top picks of picture books about trailblazing girls and women throughout history.
If you flip through a typical history book, you might think, as historian Gerda Lerner once wrote, that "ostensibly one-half the human race is doing everything significant and the other half doesn’t exist." Far too often, women's contributions have been neglected in history books and school curriculums — fortunately, there are growing numbers of wonderful books being published for young readers about girls and women who made their mark on history. And, there's no better time to share these stories and make sure that the next generation — girls and boys alike — appreciates the important and diverse roles that women have played in history! Continue reading Continue reading
From the heartfelt to the playful, A Mighty Girl's favorite gifts for celebrating Mighty Moms!
For many Mighty Girls, their mother is the model for everything they want to be — and a special mom deserves a special gift for Mother’s Day! If you’re looking for some great ways to celebrate and inspire a Mighty Mom in your life, we’ve put together a selection of gift ideas that will help you let her know how important she is. These gifts will help her connect more closely with her Mighty Girl; let her record her thoughts, experiences, and wisdom to share in the future; help her show her own mightiness in fun and playful ways; and inspire her for the year ahead. Continue reading Continue reading
Our top picks of books about trailblazing African-American girls and women!
Too often the stories of African-American women, who historically faced both gender and racial discrimination, have been hidden from many mainstream histories. Fortunately, in recent years, many have had their stories told in children's books and, in our blog post, we've featured 99 books for all ages, from tots to teens, about trailblazing African-American women and their diverse contributions to history. Their stories are heroic, heartbreaking, and hopeful, and are perfect for reading with your kids during Black History Month and all year round! Continue reading Continue reading
"I share this honor with ancestors and teachers who inspired in me a love of poetry, who taught that words are powerful and can make change when understanding appears impossible."
Poet Joy Harjo has been named America's 23rd Poet Laureate — making her the first Native American person to hold the prestigious position! "Joy Harjo has championed the art of poetry — 'soul talk' as she calls it — for over four decades," Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a press release announcing Harjo's selection. "To her, poems are 'carriers of dreams, knowledge and wisdom,' and through them she tells an American story of tradition and loss, reckoning and myth-making." The 68-year-old, who is also the first poet laureate from Oklahoma, called it a "tremendous honor," saying, "I share this honor with ancestors and teachers who inspired in me a love of poetry, who taught that words are powerful and can make change when understanding appears impossible, and how time and timelessness can live together within a poem." Continue reading Continue reading
The best new books for children and teens about incredible girls and women for Women's History Month 2022.
If you love to introduce kids to incredible girls and women from history, it's been another year full of fabulous new books for children and teens! Their fascinating stories give kids — girls and boys alike — a more nuanced and complete understanding of history, while also providing role models for the next generation of groundbreaking women to come. Continue reading Continue reading
A Mighty Girl's reading recommendations and other resources for children and teens honoring the contributions of women to the founding of the United States.
The Fourth of July is celebrated across the United States in commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. While no women were present to add their signatures to the declaration, their role in creating and preserving the freedom that all Americans cherish is equally important to our nation’s history. In this blog post, we strive to, as Abigail Adams famously directed her husband, John Adams, one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence, “remember the ladies” and their immense contributions to the nation's founding! Continue reading Continue reading
A Mighty Girl's top picks of girl-empowering books for middle grade readers!
One of the great joys of summer for avid young readers is the opportunity to explore books all on their own! Tweens are ready for intriguing, original, and complex stories, which means that middle grade readers can find titles perfect for them in every genre. And with new titles coming out all the time — many of them starring Mighty Girl characters — there is an ever-growing selection of books to choose from! Continue reading Continue reading
Our top picks of inspiring books for Mighty Girl graduates from preschool to college!
Whether it's from preschool or college, graduations mark important transitions in a child's or young person's life. If you know a Mighty Girl who is graduating this year, then in the middle of the flurry of school-end projects and graduation party planning, you’ve probably paused for a moment to reflect on the momentous change coming for both of you. Whether your Mighty Girl is going to be starting school full-time as a first grader or moving cross-country to attend college, you likely want to pass on some words of wisdom as she takes her first steps into this new stage of life. Continue reading Continue reading
