A good book is a wise voice that remains in your life; it is a dream machine capable of transporting you to other times, it is food for the soul and the imagination.
For girls and boys, they represent a great tool to face the world; it is a shield to defend your ideals and motivation to go ahead.
This time we bring you a list of 10 books to turn your girls into super powerful women.
10 books to empower your girls
1. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
Author: Elena Favilli Publisher: Planeta México
From the first volume, this book became a source of inspiration for thousands of girls. This is not a book about princesses, but about real women who broke paradigms. From Frida Kahlo to Jane Goodall, from Coco Chanel to Nina Simone, from the Brontë sisters to Marie Curie.
All their stories told as a tale and with extraordinary illustrations. The second volume includes Nefertiti, Beyoncé, Rosalind Franklin, J. K. Rowling and even the Mexican golfer Lorena Ochoa, among others.
There is also a Goodnight Story with 100 Migrant Women Who Changed the World, 100 Extraordinary Mexicans, and a Goodnight Story of Fun and Adventure. All are excellent.
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2. Women (Mujeres)
Author: Isabel Ruiz Ruiz Publisher: Ilustropos
Women is an illustrated album that contains poets, painters, scientists, politicians… There are 18 real women who must occupy an important place in history.
In addition to the illustrations, it shares quotes that tell us about their way of facing the world.
Some of the women who appear in the book are Maria Montessori, Dian Fossey, Irena Sendler, among many others.
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3. Beautiful (Bonitas)
Author: Stacy McAnulty and Joanne Lew-Vriethoff Publisher: Astronave
Every girl is unique, witty and adorable. Beauty is not on the outside but in meeting challenges, showing kindness and spreading laughter.
This album has beautiful illustrations, but if you think it’s a traditional story, you’re wrong, rather it’s a book that plays with irony and stereotyped phrases about women.
In Beautiful, the authors encourage girls to do what they like and develop their potential.
Pretty girls are smart, strong, empowered… The phrase on the back cover is blunt: “The important thing is… be who you really are”.
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4. Butterfly Ears (Orejas de mariposa)
Author: Luisa Aguilar Publisher: Kalandraka Publisher
Having big ears, unruly hair, being tall or short, skinny or chubby… Any feature can be a source of parody among children, so they would need a book to help them understand that this is not right.
This is an illustrated album that addresses two very important topics: how to develop self-esteem and how to face criticism, sometimes cruel, with humor and ingenuity.
Many bullies will continue to insist: four eyes, mop hair, tablecloth dress, but it’s up to you to be yourself, value yourself and not allow anyone to abuse you.
5. Marlène Baleine (Malena Ballena)
Authors: Davide Cali and Sonja Bougaeva Publisher: Libros del zorro rojo
Malena is the laughingstock of the girls in her swimming class. She is fat and every time she plunges in the pool, she makes a huge wave, she is called Whale.
One day, the teacher whispers in her ear a trick to overcome her complex: just think the other way around! Instead of a whale, she thinks “barracuda” and starts swimming like a fish.
Malena manages to understand her own insecurities and the imposed ones. Through self-suggestion and humor (not taking things seriously), she manages to get over it, and that becomes a real therapy.
With faith and confidence in yourself, you will see that it is not so difficult to achieve what you set out to do, leaving those who make fun of others open-mouthed.
6. Princesses Fart, Too (Las princesas también se tiran pedos)
Author: Ilan Brenman Publisher: Algar
Little Laura has a very important question: do princesses fart? Fortunately, her father has the secret book of the princesses with all the answers to her questions.
This book is perfect for demystifying the figure of princesses: perfect, fragile, always acting with good manners. Well, it’s time to reveal their secrets, including her stomach problems and flatulence.
Father and daughter crush one by one the supposed “perfection” of the princesses.
For example, Cinderella did not run out of the ball because she heard the clock strike 12, but because the prince squeezed her so hard that she farted. Oh, and the bubbles in the water that accompanied the Little Mermaid were not exactly caused by algae.
7. When Girls Fly High (Cuando las niñas vuelan alto)
Author: Raquel Diaz Reguera Publisher: Beascoa/Lumen
The three girls have big dreams, but the villains of the Youwillnotgetit (Noloconseguiras) gang fill the girls’ backpacks, shoes and pockets with stones to prevent them from taking off.
The protagonists of this story represent all the girls in the world who daily encounter obstacles to achieve their goals.
It seems that their dreams are impossible, but with joy, ingenuity and courage they manage to get rid of the heavy stones. The message in this story is beautiful: it is in your hands to fight to get the stones out of your backpack.
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8. Princess Li
Author: Elena Rendeiro Publisher: Egales
Princess Li lived with her father, King Wan Tan, in a beautiful palace… She loved Beatrix, a girl from a distant land. The two were very happy until Wan Tan sent for the princess: it was the time for her to marry a young man of the court.
It is a classic children’s story, but also a beautiful love story. It talks about sexual diversity and interculturality.
Can you love someone who comes from another culture? Can you be happy with someone of the same sex?
The king tries to force the princess to separate from her beloved; he visits a sorcerer who turns her into a bird and betrays him out of ambition for the throne. He will finally be saved by someone he didn’t expect.
9. I am a girl!
Author: Yasmeen Ismail Publisher: Cartoné
The girl in this story is constantly being mistaken for a boy. While she drinks a soda, she plays with her straw. She unfortunately spills the soda on the table. She hears the waitress sigh, “Definitely, boys are unruly and messy”.
“But I’m a girl!” she says. A girl who likes to go full speed on her skateboard, jump in the pool, play the trumpet, make noise and jump everywhere. A girl who loves both playing with dolls and running a race and winning it. She is a girl, and no one should tell her otherwise!
This is an illustrated album full of color and joy. The protagonist is fed up with prejudice and sexism in society.
She is young but she realizes that others expect her to be sweet, tender and delicate just because she is a girl. She is proud of being a girl, a rebellious, cheeky, brave, and spontaneous girl.
She is a girl and loves to play and make noise, but also to read, play musical instruments, compete and win. She is a girl and she is happy to be one.
10. The Paper Bag Princess
Authors: Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko Publisher: Annick Press
Elizabeth is a typical fairytale princess, she is engaged to a handsome prince and soon they will be married.
But one day, a dragon comes to the palace and burns it to the ground. In the fire she loses all of her belongings, including her princess dresses.
The worst is not that, but the dragon has kidnapped her beloved prince. Armed with courage, Elizabeth goes in search of him to rescue him. Along the way she realizes that the prince is not as charming as she thought.
This is a story that tears down stereotypes and shows us a princess whose role is not to wait to be rescued, she takes the initiative, she goes to save the prince and along the way she realizes that there are a thousand more adventures to live.
Translated by: Ligia M. Oliver Manrique de Lara
