The bedtime reading ritual is something parents have been doing with their children for centuries. It is a great way to bond with your child and also instill a love for books into them. The books you choose really matter, as they can influence their future development. Gone are the days where princesses had to be rescued by princes from dragons, and they lived happily ever after. Now, you need to tell your children stories that encourage them to be empowered and responsible members of the global community. The empowerment aspect is especially important for little girls, as the time for princess and unicorn stereotypes is long gone. Of course, if they love princess stories, you can still read them, but make sure the princesses are worth aspiring towards. Here are a few books you should read to your daughters, and help them become bold and courageous.
1: Blueberry Girl
This is an endearing poem written by Neil Gaiman for his friend Tori Amos’ daughter. It was illustrated gorgeously into book form and shows a young girl exploring the world around her. Both you and your children will enjoy the beautiful wording and illustrations, and you might even find yourself getting emotional!
2: I Like Myself!
This book is a great way to encourage self-esteem, individuality, and confidence in your children. It consists of fun rhymes and wild illustrations, so your children will keep bringing it to you to read! The book pushes them to love themselves inside and out, which is a message we all need.
3: The Princess Knight
This is a great story to subvert the traditional image of a princess. in it. A princess decided to show her family she’s just as strong as her brothers and participates in a jousting tournament in disguise. Of course, she wins the tournament and shows everyone what she’s made of.
4: This Little Trailblazer
This board book lets you and your kids read about the lives of some of the most influential women in history. It gives your daughters a real-life role model to look up to and shows them how being empowered is valuable and achievable. You’ll find role models like Rosa Parks, Florence Nightingale, and Ada Lovelace in this book.
5: Pippi Longstocking
The classic Swedish character served as one of the earliest empowering female protagonists in contemporary children’s stories. Children will laugh at her antics, and will see how asserting yourself and exploring the world around you is fun. These books have been iconic for decades, and Pippi is a celebrated cultural icon of Sweden.
6: Me…Jane
Jane Goodall was an amazing conservationist and scientist who made groundbreaking discoveries about chimpanzee communities. The writer made this inspirational story accessible for young children by showing Jane as a young girl with a stuffed chimpanzee toy.
7: The Paper Bag Princess
This is another subversion of the classic princess and dragon story. In this one, the dragon kidnaps the prince instead of the princess. Then, she goes to rescue her prince by outsmarting the dragon. However, the prince is put off by her unfemininity, but she is proud of herself and gets her happily ever after without having to marry him.
You can find most of these books in bookstores or online and can create a lovely collection for your children. Make sure you read such books to them regularly and instill a sense of curiosity, courage, and empowerment in them.
