Lil' Pauline CoverThis spring, a group of five fabulous women at Harvard Business School launched a book series aimed at inspiring children by introducing them to successful women. Lil’ She & Lil’ Me books capture a few childhood memories from women in a variety of fields, and highlights one character trait critical to girls’ development, all in one entertaining and engaging story.

The first book in the series, Lil’ Pauline Creates a Curious Concoction, tells the story of fashion industry executive Pauline Brown, and a day in her life as a young girl when she created her first perfume. While the first book explores curiosity, the following books will focus on additional key character traits, identified by Paul Tough in his book How Children Succeed, including optimism, zest, self-control, social intelligence, gratitude, and grit.

slide_420410_5370308_freePersonally, I am grateful to raise my daughter right now. In the wake of the 90s supermodel, overly photoshopped era, our generation of parents benefits in the backlash. We can shake off the haters as we bop along to T.Swift, and see women of all shapes, sizes, and colors in mass media. But, at least for me, being brought up in a time that women were often objectified in media, and encountering a really solid female role model was a challenge, I often feel ill-equipped to lead my daughter into the confidence and self-esteem I want her to have. In order to continue the momentum our generation has generated, we need to have the language to have conversations about exactly what qualities we want to encourage in our daughters. Lil’ She & Lil’ Me does just that.slide_420410_5370310_free

Following these women as young girls – like our own, like our nieces, or our son’s friends, or granddaughters – on their adventures toward becoming dynamic, influential members of society, is inspiring. These books will inspire your daughters, they will inspire you, and they will inspire the men in your children’s lives to encourage our girls to be tenacious and daring. slide_420410_5370306_free

“Hopefully girls can carry these women with them throughout their lives and rediscover their stories whenever they need inspiration,” the creators say. Telling the stories of real life women makes room for more conversation about who they are as real role models and how they got to where they are.

The next book in the series will follow protagonist Debora Spar, the President of Barnard College. The team continues to find other protagonists for future books. The stories are beautifully illustrated by Charlotte Fassler, former illustrator for the fashion blog Man Repeller. You can learn more about the Lil’ She & Lil’ Me movement and purchase books on their website or Amazon, or check them out on Facebook.

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1 COMMENT

  1. I just signed my daughter (12yrs old) for the Nike Ultimate camp with Major League Ultimate in Boston, I hear it is a great way for kids to get exercise and learn sportsmanship. Ultimate is suppose to be the next up and coming sport. Has anyone else worked with Major League Ultimate before; with camps or clinics?

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