Empower the Next Generation with Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls

This post was sponsored by Rebel Girls as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. If we want to teach our children that anything they can dream is possible, we need to introduce them to inspiring people that have had big goals. My suggestion for learning about anything is to grab some books. Reading Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is a fantastic way to empower the next generation to dream big. I get commissions for purchases made through the affiliate links in this post.

Empower the Next Generation with Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls

I’ve heard great things about the Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls books and had been wanting to check them out. I’m happy that they sent me a copy for review. It exceeded my expectations. Having a collection of stories about awesome women all in one book is a great idea. It’s perfect for empowering our girls and teaching them that they can be whatever they can dream and they can achieve anything they want.

What we do as parents matters. What we encourage (or hinder) can have a lasting impact. I want my children to know they are only limited by their imagination. Letting them read about the experiences of others – the triumphs and the struggles – is important for them see what’s possible – to see that barriers can be broken and that limits don’t need to be finite.

More Than a Bedtime Fairy Tale

In each volume of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, there are 100 stories each about a woman that you may or may not know. The biographies are written more like a fairy tale than your typical biography. This story format feels more approachable to kids and makes it enjoyable to read.

In each 1-page tale, we learn a little bit about the life of an extraordinary woman. The facing page has a portrait of the woman with a quote by her. The women include scientists, painters, artists, writers, judges, engineers, singers, businesswoman, and more. Each of these woman has taken a stand, braved a new trail, or made an impact on our world.

Every night, we’ve been reading 3 or 4 stories. My daughter wanted to start at the beginning and work her way through the book. Although we did jump around to some of the women we were most anxious to learn more about.

My kids love volcanoes. They were excited to read about a volcanologist, Katia Krafft. Her passion for filming and recording volcanoes has helped with volcano safety and evacuation.

Women Who Inspire Me

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls includes two woman who inspire me. Jane Goodall is in volume 1 and Rachel Carson is in volume 2.

We learned that Rachel Carson was an impactful writer and vivid storyteller. She brought to light the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment. Her book , Silent Spring, launched the modern environmental movement and inspired millions to focus on conservation efforts.

My favorite quote from Rachel Carson is, “A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement.” We need to help them hold onto that wonder and encourage them to explore their world.

I had the privilege of hearing Jane Goodall speak a few years ago. I walked away feeling uplifted and empowered. Everything she has accomplished in her life is truly amazing. Her mother was instrumental in fostering her love for animals and helping to shape her future. (This again speaks to influence we have on our children’s futures.)

Jane Goodall says “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” Goodall is a scientist and activist. She is talking about our impact on nature and how every living thing is connected. Her words have power. I want my children to hear from and about people like her.

Boys Need These Stories Too

It’s also important for my boys to read empowering stories about females. My oldest, Aiden, saw that J.K. Rowling was in the book. Being a huge fan, he had to turn to her page and read about her.

Later that night, he told me what he learned – how she submitted her stories to lots of publishers before Harry Potter was finally accepted by one and that they asked her to use J.K. instead of Joanne because they thought young boys would not want to read something written by a woman.

Aiden told me it shouldn’t matter what gender an author is. He reads a book because of the writing not because of who the author is. I was impressed by his wisdom.

Kids understand more than we give them credit for. We need to make sure they are hearing the right messages – messages of equality and encouragement, self-worth and support.

Take It a Step Further

The short stories leave you wanting to learn more about these inspiring woman. Search for more books and information about the women you and your children find most interesting. I plan on creating a book list to help with this. Rebel Girls has a podcast. Each episode features one of the women in the books. It’s a great way to listen and learn more.

Connect with Rebel Girls on Facebook or Instagram.

Do you have a rebel girl who inspires you?