Rebekah Fitzsimmons, PhD

Rebekah Fitzsimmons, PhD, is Undefining Motherhood's expert on children's literature. She has a PhD in English (Children's Literature) from the University of Florida. She is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Professional Communication in the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. Rebekah's book, Beyond the Blockbuster will be available through the University Press of Mississippi in April. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, son, mother-in-law, and awesome dog.

Why Reading Creates A Generation of Empowered Girls: Rebekah’s Story

Without hesitation, I classify myself as a feminist. I trace this belief in equality, fairness and social justice in part to the strong women who raised me, including my mom, aunts, grandmothers, and family friends. This is exactly why I find reading materials about empowered girls so incredibly important. When asked recently to describe where […]

Feminist Books for Boys: Why ALL Kids Should Read Feminist Books!

Empowering books for girls aren’t just for girls, y’all! It’s essential that we read books about strong women to boys, too! That’s why we’ve compiled this list of feminist books for boys, made up of board books and picture books for young readers. Of course, feminist themes aren’t always explicit in books like these (although […]

Empowering Books for Girls Ages 0-12!

There are lots of great books that have been published in the last few years that feature smart, strong, interesting and diverse female characters. In this article, we learn about empowering books for girls from babies through tweens that feature empowered women of the present day (plus some badass fictional girls!). Want to find a […]

18 Must-Read Books About Winter for Kids

Winter is here, and as you cozy up by the fire, it’s time for some great winter reads with your kiddos. There are so many amazing winter books for kids that show the magic of this season! Here are our 18 favorite books about winter for kids, from our resident mom and children’s literature expert, […]

Movies + Children’s Books About Moving To Help Families Deal

If you are facing a move with young children, first of all, I SYMPATHIZE. I wrote all about my experience moving with kids, and believe me, it’s HARD. Luckily, I have you covered. This list of tv shows, movies, and kids books about moving to a new city will make your move smoother. I’ve also […]

Moving with Kids: 4 Ways to Help Your Child Cope

We’ve talked previously about why we feel “mom guilt” and how we can overcome it. I often find myself battling bouts of mom guilt, and it was pretty intense when I went through the experience of moving with kids. Uprooting my then-2-year-old’s life as he knew it was so hard. So many parents wonder, “How […]

The Best Children’s Picture Books About Diversity

Did you know there were more NON-HUMAN main characters in children’s books last year than characters from MINORITY groups? Outrageous! Learn from Rebekah Fitzsimmons, PhD, why diversity matters & how to choose diverse children's books. Plus our favorite recommendations!