Neither a Rebel without a Cause nor a Princess to be saved!

💭 Rebel Princess reflections

On my daughter's first birthday, she received a copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales. Over the last 200 years, this book has become tradition in Germany and has even been translated into over 160 languages. A lot of the fairy tales we grew up on, such as Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel were lifted from this collection of stories, which was intended to preserve oral folk tales from German-speaking regions and protect cultural heritage during a time of political upheaval.

Reading a few stories from this book to my daughter unwittingly sowed the seeds for the idea that would later become The Rebel Princess Community. If you somehow managed to receive a copy that was passed down across the generations, your version might still have a prince buying (!) Snow White’s corpse because he was obsessed with her beauty. The ‘improved’ version where he saves her with a (non-consensual!) kiss is not that much better. On occasion, my daughter still asks me to read these stories so I make Rebel Princess revisions on the spot such as "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the smartest and strongest of them all?"

In spite of the female empowerment movement, the books, shows, songs, and games that young girls are exposed to are still dominated by traditional gender narratives with women portrayed as supporting characters, or worse, victims waiting to be saved. In many of these stories, girls are taught that beauty and obedience are their greatest assets - qualities rewarded with love and rescue. Our household has a zero tolerance policy for this type of content.

For almost 5 years, I have been researching and building a library of content for my daughter across all mediums and spanning all ages until she becomes a teenager. The premise of this community is to build a network of families - virtually and IRL - supporting each other by sharing inspirational stories of Rebel Princesses, unearthing hidden gems of content and warning each other of dangers hiding in plain sight. Together, we’re not just raising strong-willed, independent and dynamic daughters - we’re building the future we believe in.

📙 Top 5 Book Recommendations for Rebel Princesses

For 2-3 years old:

• Do Princesses..? (by Carmela Coyle) - A series of 10 board books that playfully redefines what it means to be a princess, celebrating adventurous, curious, and authentic girls who climb trees, ride bikes, and ask big questions - proving that real princesses are brave, messy, and true to themselves.

• Little Ones (by Vashti Harrison) - A series of 3 board books introducing toddlers to trailblazing Black women in history with beautifully illustrated, accessible stories that encourage big dreams from the very beginning.

• Olivia (by Ian Falconer) - A series of 5 board books (with chapter books for older children) about an imaginative piglet, engaging in everyday adventures, with stories that celebrate creativity, individuality, and the joys of childhood.

• Baby Feminists (by Libby Babbott-Klein) - A pair of board books introducing toddlers to iconic women from history, depicting them as babies to emphasize that everyone starts small before achieving greatness.

• Ladybug Girl (by Jacky Davis) - A series of 10 board books (with chapter books for older children) about a brave young girl engaging in outdoor and insect play.

For 4-8 years old:

• The Questioneers (by Andrea Beaty) - A series of 7 books about curious children in different fields including Sofia Valdez - Future Prez, Rosie Revere - Engineer, and Ada Twist - The Scientist.

• Princess in Black (by Shannon and Dean Hale) - A series of 12 books with a prim and proper princess secretly transforming into a masked hero to battle monsters and challenge gender stereotypes.

• Jasmine Toguchi (by Debbie Michiko Florence) - A series of 7 books about a Japanese-American 8-year old, as she navigates family traditions, friendships, and personal growth with determination and heart. ​

• Anna Hibiscus (by Antiuke) - A series of 7 books about a young girl, navigating life in "Amazing Africa" with her large, loving family, blending everyday adventures with heartfelt lessons on culture, community, and compassion

• Cece Loves Science (by Kimberly Derting) - A series of 6 books about curious young girls, who explores scientific questions through hands-on experiments, fostering a love for STEM and critical thinking.

For 9-12 years old:

• RedMask & the Handbook for Superheroes (by Agnes and Elias Våhlund) - A series of 10 books about a young girl learning the arts of being a Superhero as a response to the serious topic of bullying. Of Swedish origin; available in English!

• Mariella Mystery (by Kate Pankhurst) - A series of 8 books about a clever and confident young detective, who solves quirky and cozy mysteries using her top-secret journal, sharp wit, and a flair for fun.

• Zita the Spacegirl (by Ben Hatke) - A series of 3 books about a girl who’s accidentally launched into space and takes on alien villains to rescue her friend.

• Jada Jones (by Kelly Starling Lyons) - A series of 6 books a a science-loving, rock-collecting fourth grader who navigates school life with curiosity, courage, and kindness.

• The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency (by Jordan Stratford) - A series of 4 books starring young Ada Lovelace and Mary Shelley as fearless detectives solving crimes in Victorian London - with brains and boldness, and zero damsels in distress.

 🏠 Family Framework for raising Rebel Princesses (with purpose)

Our goal is not to raise a defiant troublemaker. We’re raising a thinking, feeling, future-shaping human, who challenges outdated norms with curiosity and purpose.

One of the primary frameworks we try to employ with enough practice (and morning meditations) is The Socratic Method. 🙋‍♀️ Instead of saying “Because I said so,” we TRY to respond with, “Why do you think we have to do that?” or “What would happen if we don’t do that?” Rebel Princesses aren't rebels without a cause - they're kids learning to think for themselves in a world that still often rewards girls for quiet compliance.

To be clear, we use rebel as a metaphor to contrast with princess, which is what the world expects all little girls to be. She can still love tiaras and sparkles, but we hope that she see those things as one part of her power, not the price of being liked. Our wish for our daughter is to not sit idly in a castle, waiting for her Prince Charming; but to be the protagonist in her own story. ✍️

⏭️ Other Rebel Princess Certified Content

Whether you lack time while on a development sprint or need some quality time on a holiday, we have recommendations for you:

• 📺 Top 5 Show Recos: From Africa’s STEM Superhero, who ‘technovates’ epic inventions to a Royal Detective solving mysteries in an Indian-inspired kingdom.

• 🎲 Top 5 Board Game Recos: From an Uno-like game with math and totally suitable theme of Queens saving Kings to a resource management game played in Marie Curie’s life timeline and helping her win her double Nobel Prize!

Dedicated to our Trailblazers in Tiaras,

The Team from Rebel Princess Community