The Amazing Power of Girls

Children’s Book Council Teacher’s Favorite
Canadian Children’s Book Center Best Book
CCBC Starred Science Book

An accessible and beautiful picture book about our universe’s most powerful and invisible forces—girls.

This lyrical, STEM-focused girl-power picture book uses the author’s background as an engineer to describe the various forces at work in our world by personifying each one as a girl. Each stanza showcases a different girl and scientific force to create a diverse cast of individuals, simplifying complex forces into memorable characters. Back matter on forces rounds out this teaching tool. And each “I am” statement reinforces girls to see themselves in science!

“We know that with the right support and opportunities, girls can do anything. Early exposure to STEM is particularly important to send a clear message that girls are natural scientists, mathematicians and engineers, and they should embrace and develop their innate curiosity. The Amazing Power of Girls highlights the presence of STEM in everyday life. This helps girls understand how they are part of the STEM ecosystem and makes it clear they will play an important role in shaping the world.”- Stephanie J. Hull, Ph.D. President & CEO, Girls Inc. (Serves over 100,000 girls across North America)

“The Amazing Power of Girls by Maria Marianayagam is an inspiring celebration of physics, storytelling, and representation. In a field where women—especially those from diverse backgrounds—are significantly underrepresented, this book provides young readers with role models who look like them, reinforcing that they belong in STEM. By blending physics concepts with the power of storytelling, The Amazing Power of Girls makes complex ideas accessible while fostering both scientific curiosity and a love of reading. Integrating literacy and STEM helps young children see that science isn’t just in textbooks—it’s all around them, shaping their everyday experiences and future possibilities.” – Jennifer Flanagan, Co-founder, President, and CEO of Actua (Canada’s Largest STEM outreach program)

Resources for The Amazing Power of Girls

Activity Kit

Downloadable poster

Book Talk with Maria

Book Trailer

Educator Guide

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Resources for The Amazing Power of Girls

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