Happy weekend everyone! Christmas break is round the corner and what better time than this to get your little ones excited about reading? This Sunday we have curated a list of some of the most thrilling and inspiring books to inculcate the values of gender equality and feminism in children. Let’s dive right in!

1) Malala's Magic Pencil - Malala Yousafzai

This beautifully illustrated volume tells Malala's story for a younger audience and shows them the worldview that allowed Malala to hold on to hope even in the most difficult of times. As a child in Pakistan, Malala made a wish for a magic pencil. She would use it to make everyone happy, to erase the smell of garbage from her city, to sleep an extra hour in the morning. But as she grew older, Malala saw that there were more important things to wish for. She saw a world that needed fixing and even if she never found a magic pencil, Malala realized that she could still work hard every day to make her wishes come true.

2) Made by Raffi - Craig Pomranz

Raffi is a shy boy who doesn't like noisy games and is often teased at school. But when he gets the idea of making a scarf for his dad's birthday he is full of enthusiasm, even though the other children think it is girly to knit. Then the day draws near for the school pageant, and there is one big problem - no costume for the prince. And that's when Raffi has his most brilliant idea of all - to make a prince's cape. On the day of the pageant, Raffi's cape is the star of the show.

3) Franny’s Father is a Feminist - Rhonda Leet

Franny's Father is a Feminist portrays the loving bond between a young girl and her father who isn't afraid of bucking gender norms in order to ensure that his daughter grows up smart, strong and full of self confidence. From teaching her to fix her own bicycle and splashing in the mud, to cheering at ballet recitals and supporting Franny's mother in her career, Franny's Father displays what it means for a man to be a Feminist, and how male Feminism can play a vital role in the empowerment of young women.

4) William’s Doll - Charlotte Zolotow

More than anything, William wants a doll. “Don’t be a creep,” says his brother. “Sissy, sissy,” chants the boy next door. Then one day someone really understands William’s wish and makes it easy for others to understand, too. William gets a doll, so he can learn to be a loving parent someday.

5) Mary Wears What She Wants - Keith Negley

There was a time when girls only wore dresses and pants were only worn by boys until one day, a young girl named Mary had an idea - she would wear whatever she wanted and she wanted to wear pants! This bold, original picture book encourages little readers to think for themselves while gently challenging gender and societal norms on the journey of the true story of Mary Edwards Walker - a trailblazing 19th-century doctor who was arrested many times for wearing pants!

6) Stories for Boys Who Dare to Be Different :True Tales of Amazing Boys Who Changed the World Without Killing Dragons - Ben Brooks

Boys need to know that prince charmings and brave hunters are not the only role-models. Stories for Boys Who Dare To Be Different is an extraordinary compilation of 100 stories of famous and not-so-famous men from the past to the present day, every single one of them a rule-breaker and innovator in their own way and all going on to achieve amazing things.

7) A Computer Called Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Helped Put America on the Moon - Suzanne Slade

This is the inspiring true story of mathematician Katherine Johnson who counted and computed her way to NASA and helped put a man on the moon!

Katherine knew it was wrong that African Americans didn't have the same rights as others and that people thought women could only be teachers or nurses. She proved everyone wrong by zooming ahead of her classmates, starting college at fifteen, and eventually joining NASA where her calculations helped pioneer America's first manned flight into space, first manned orbit of Earth and the world's first trip to the moon!

8) No Difference Between Us - Jayneen Sanders

Jess and Ben are twins. Jess is a girl and Ben is a boy but in all the BIG ways, there is NO difference between them! Explore with your children the important issues of gender equality and respectful relationships. Combining cheerful illustrations and a simple but effective narrative, this book will help children to understand that fundamentally, there is no difference between us.

9) Not All Princesses Dress In Pink - Jane Yolen

Princesses come in all kinds. Some jump in mud puddles and climb trees, play sports and make messe - all while wearing their tiaras! Not every girl has a passion for pink, but all young ladies will love this empowering affirmation of their importance and unlimited potential.

10) Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World - Susan Hood

Fresh, accessible, and inspiring, Shaking Things Up introduces fourteen revolutionary young women - each paired with a noteworthy female artis - to the next generation of activists, trail-blazers, and rabble-rousers.