20120417

And here I thought we're past the age of George Eliot

I'm cross-posting this a bunch of places because feminism happens to be one of those things that I feel strongly about, and here's another reason why I think it's necessary:
One of my favourite children’s authors is J.K. Rowling. Her Harry Potter series are some of the most successful children’s books ever written, so much so that as many adults as children have read them. But, as a woman writer, Rowling struggled to get these books published. Initially, despite the fact that her main character is a boy, publishers rejected her manuscript because they were worried boys wouldn’t read a book written by a woman. This biased perception continued even once she secured a contract, and she was ultimately made to conceal her sex by use of the two initials J.K. -from Jump!
Which brings me to the A Mighty Girl site. This is essentially their mission statement:
After years of seeking out empowering and inspirational books for our four young nieces, we decided to create A Mighty Girl as a resource site to help others equally interested in supporting and celebrating girls.
Girls do not have to be relegated to the role of sidekick or damsel in distress; they can be the leaders, the heroes, the champions that save the day, find the cure, and go on the adventure. It is our hope that these high-quality children’s products will help a new generation of girls to grow and pursue whatever dreams they choose -- to truly be Mighty Girls! 
Okay so "Mighty Girl" is kind of a tacky name, but I really like what they're doing and an easy way to show them support is just to mention them in your blog / twitter / tumblr /whatever or "Like" them on Facebook, so I'm doing that and hope that those of you who are still following this will take a moment to do so as well.
 

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