8 Best Empowering Children’s Books for Women

On a warm spring day in 1883, a woman rode across the Brooklyn Bridge with a rooster on her lap. It was the first trip across an engineering marvel that had taken nearly fourteen years to construct. The woman’s husband was the chief engineer, and he knew all about the dangerous new technique involved. The woman insisted she learns as well. When he fell ill mid-construction, her knowledge came in handy. She supervised every aspect of the project while he was bedridden, and she continued to learn about things only men were supposed to know: math, science, engineering. Women weren’t supposed to be engineers. But this woman insisted she could do it all, and her hard work helped to create one of the most iconic landmarks in the world.

This book teaches young girls to love themselves in spite of what others may say. It explores building self esteem in order to combat bullying. This story empowers girls to face challenges even when they don’t feel brave.

Pretty Hair by Carylee Carrington (Archway Publishing from Simon & Schuster, 2019) is a book about embracing your hair and being empowered by the unique differences that make you you. This powerful children’s book tells the story of a little girl named Sophia who is excited for the first day at her new school. She has a new dress, new shoes, and a new hairdo. Her mom has combed Sophia’s hair into cornrows with blue and white beads to match her dress. She loves hearing the beads in her hair hit together, like tiny wind chimes. When she arrives at school, Sophia discovers her hair is different from the other girls’ hair. The children are curious about Sophia’s cornrows, and one even seems to tease her. Sophia is sad; she begs her mom to style her just like her friends. What happens next is a journey of self-discovery and looking at her roots, which brings her to appreciate her own hair and heritage. This picture book helps empower young girls to understand that there are an amazing variety of styles and textures of hair and no one type is the definition of “pretty.” Children learn to embrace their differences as well as the differences of others, and see the beauty and value of others, no matter their outward appearance.

When middle school mishaps happen, five friends form the S.M.A.R.T. Squad and use their collective skills and the power of science to bring order to their school. Science reigns supreme with this squad of young brainiacs. Join Izzy Newton and her friends in he first adventure of this fun new middle-grade fiction series from National Geographic Kids. A crowded new school and a crazy class schedule is enough to make Izzy feel dizzy. It may be the first day of middle school, but as long as her best friends Allie Einstein and Charlie Darwin are by her size, Izzy knows it’ll all be okay. However, first-day jitters take an icy turn when Izzy’s old pal Marie Curie comes back to town. Instead of a warm welcome, Marie gives her former pal the cold shoulder. The problems pile up when the school’s air-conditioning goes on the fritz and the temperature suddenly drops to near freezing. The adults don’t seem to have a clue how to thaw out the school. Cold temperatures and a frigid friendship? Izzy has had enough of feeling like an absolute zero. She rallies up the girls to use their brainpower and science smarts to tackle the school’s chilly mystery… and hopefully to fix a certain frozen friendship along the way. Will the girls succeed and become the heroes of Atom Middle School?

Have you ever heard someone say Girls can’t do that? Get ready to put that idea to rest once and for all. Fantastic photographs and an eye-catching design pair with riveting, diverse tales of both famous and little-known women who made their mark in leadership, sports, the arts, the sciences, and more. Advice, calls to action, and exclusive interviews with great role models – such as Oprah Winfrey, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Roxanne Gay, Emma Gonzalez, Nancy Pelosi, Jane Goodall and more – will challenge you to be yourself and empower you to change the world, too! Get a glimpse of history, origins, and inaccuracies of outdated criticisms and gender myths, and learn how women across the world are making waves and shaping the future in every field.

When shared with young girls, this universal message about their inner gifts of strength, beauty, courage, compassion, hope, joy, talent, imagination, reverence, wisdom, love, and faith helps form within them a strong foundation of self-respect. For teens, this story offers empowerment and hope during times of diminished self-esteem and uncertain transition. In fact, this book has been the basis for programs designed to help girls make the transition from middle school to high school. The Twelve Gifts of Birth reminds females of all ages to see the dignity that is inherent in themselves and others and encourages them to use their gifts to make a difference. This award-winning bestseller began as a hand-made book the author lovingly created for her own daughters as they were approaching high school graduation and their next life transition. When Charlene realized that all children need to hear, and deserve to hear, messages about their value, she published the book and traveled throughout the US to discuss the message in varied venues, including detention homes for girls. Because it is a universal message about living life well, The Twelve Gifts of Birth attracted attention from the media, therapists, educators, and clergy. Twenty years after its release it is still selling well and being used as an inspirational message in ceremonies.

The book introduces us to the family and best friend of seven year old Daisy, who is a beautiful African American girl experiencing confusion in defining the difference between true beauty and physical beauty. The book is a phenomenal tool that can be used to boost self-esteem and self-worth in girls cross culturally. Your Own Kind of Beautiful! is a great conversation starter; ideal for the talks that all mothers should have with their daughters as they begin to navigate the often bumpy road to self discovery.

It’s a sweet story about a young girl who achieves her dreams and it’s an inspiration to many others like her.