international day of the girl

To answer Beyonce's question about who runs the world, GIRLS is definitely right—especially during today's celebration of International Day of the Girl. After all, girls are capable, they're strong and they are the future.

Today, there certainly is a lot to celebrate about the steps we've made toward gender equality. Here are three big ones that should give us all hope:

1. Schools have noticed an increase in girls interested in STEM

Much has been written about how and why men vastly outnumber women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Less than a quarter of STEM jobs are filled by women, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce and only 16% of female students graduate from STEM subjects, according to the World Economic Forum.

But there are strong indicators we're moving in the right direction: Today's generation of girls are ready to innovate and are showing more interest in STEM subjects in school. With those inquisitive minds engaged + on the case, the future of STEM is looking quite bright.

2. Girls are taking up male-dominated sports like football

With no separate league for little girls in football (unlike softball, soccer and even hockey), it takes a lot of grit for girls to tackle the gridiron. But more and more of them are making names for themselves in the boy's leagues.

From the 11-year-old quarterback leading her team in the North Dakota Youth Football League to the Michigan linebacker doing double duty as Homecoming Queen, girls should be proof to everyone that they have a place in traditionally male-dominated sports. (And NFL players like Cam Newton now know better than to suggest otherwise, because girls aren't afraid to clap back.)

3. Girls outpace boys in college enrollment and graduation

America's girls are reaching for higher educations at higher rates than ever before. Back in 1994, only 63% of recent female high school graduates were enrolled in college in the fall following graduation (along with 61% of boys). By 2012, that number was up to 71% while the boys' numbers remained at 61 percent.

According to the Pew Research Center, women continue to outpace men in terms of educational attainment: In 2016, more women between 25 and 34 (52%) had finished college than men of their age.

Our girls are getting interested in science and sports and they're getting their degrees—but we still have a long way to go when it comes to true equality.

1. We need to get that pay gap in check

According to the Women in the Workplace 2017 study, women remain underrepresented at every level in corporate America despite all those degrees we're getting. And while the gender pay gap has narrowed, we still make less than men and work more once household responsibilities are factored.

2. We need to empower our daughters to speak up

A recent study of more than 10,000 American girls found that even girls with perfect GPAs don't think they are smart enough. And while most girls said they like to be in charge, one in three said she was afraid to act as a leader for fear of being perceived as bossy.

3. We need to boost our daughters' self-esteem

Worldwide, only 46% of girls reported high levels of body esteem. That's a big deal when you consider teaching girls to love their bodies results in higher levels of confidence, resilience and life satisfaction. So fostering good body image is an important pursuit when preparing our daughters to take on a world that still isn't always welcoming to women.

As with everyday, we should celebrate how far we've come and all that our girls can do. But we shouldn't forget how much they—and society in general—could achieve with more support. Let's all start changing culture for the better by empowering the girls of today.

[Originally published: October 11, 2017]

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20 kids' books to read during Hispanic Heritage Month

These books highlight exemplary Latinx figures who have contributed to US history.

Although I went to school in multicultural Los Angeles, I don't remember ever reading about (much less doing a book report on) a prominent Latino during my elementary school years. When I eventually became a mother, I wanted to make sure my children grew up proud of their Mexican-American heritage, but I struggled to find children's biography books featuring Latinx leaders. Latinos make up almost 20% of the entire U.S. population, but many of our heroes are not highlighted in books.

That is why I decided to use all of the skills I learned as a journalist for over 25 years to write children's books that filled that gap, so that not only my kids, but other Latinx children can learn and read about leaders from their own community. As a result, in 2018 I created Con Todo Press, a publishing company that highlights Latinx leaders and celebrates our culture. During Hispanic Heritage month, many classrooms and families are eager to learn more about the valuable contributions Latinos have made not only to our country, but to the world.

Below I am highlighting some of the books I have written to fill that gap, as well as other books written by Latinx authors or illustrators that highlight Latinx leaders.

Be Bold! Be Brave! 11 Latinas Who Made U.S. History

This non-fiction rhyming book features 11 Latinas who achieved greatness in various fields such as medicine, science, sports, and politics. Dolores Huerta, Selena, and Sonia Sotomayor are featured along with 8 additional outstanding women.


Grandes Dreamers

Grandes Dreamers celebrates the hardships and milestones of 12 women born in the United States.


Fearless Trailblazers: 11 Latinos who made U.S. History

Fearless Trailblazers highlights 11 Latinos who made history in their respective fields including science, sports, the arts and politics. Cesar Chavez, Fernando Valenzuela and Jean-Michel Basquiat are among those featured.


Latinitas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers

Latinitas features 40 powerful women who we have to come to recognize in the United States today.


Courageous History Makers: 11 Women from Latin America Who Changed the World

This bilingual rhyming book features 11 women from Latin America who are now known throughout the world because of their contributions in their respective fields. Celia Cruz, Frida Khalo and Rigoberta Menchu are among those featured.



This book features 30 Latinxs figures throughout history and their incredible passage to changing the cultural, social, and political character of the United States.


Tito Puente, Mambo King/Tito Puente, Rey del Mambo

This colorful book follows the story of Tito Puente, from a little boy who dreamed of having his own band one day to becoming the Mambo King.


The Spirit of Chicano Park

The Spirit of Chicano Park follows Bettie and Bonky's discovery of a historical and magical park rooted in community struggle and transformed into a place of cultural history.


Bravo!: Poems about Amazing Hispanics

Through poems, this book celebrates the achievements of Latinos from many different countries and from many different backgrounds.


Turning Pages: My Life Story

Written by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, this children's book tells her own story from the perspective of her as a young girl who loved books.


L is for LATINX

Get ready to learn the ABCs with a Latin twist! Through engaging text and colorful illustrations, you will meet 26 amazing individuals from all over Latin America.


A Girl Named Rosita

A Girl Named Rosita follows the story of Rita Moreno, a proud Puerto Rican superstar who is known worldwide for her acting, singing, and dancing.



Separate Is Never Equal centers on Sylvia Mendez and her family's struggle to end segregation just seven years before the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education would take place.


The Life of / La Vida De Dolores

The Life of/La Vida de Dolores follows Dolores Huerta, the civil rights activist's journey to becoming a leading voice in the farmworkers movement.


Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln

The true story of piano prodigy Teresa Carreño who eventually played the piano for two U.S. presidents.



For kids ages 6-10, this book features Roberto Clemente, the first Latin American player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.


Queen of Tejano Music: Selena

A colorful and vibrant picture book that depicts the life of iconic singer Selena Quintanilla.


Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré

A picture book biography of one of the most significant and inspiring figures in library history. Pura Belpré, the first Puerto Rican librarian in New York City.



A bilingual picture book biography of Peruvian archaeologist Julio C. Tello, who unearthed Peru's ancient cultures.



The story of Mexican American chemist Mario Molina who helped solve the ozone crisis of the 1980s.



The important safety tip parents need to know about sleep + car seats

Why you might want to plan for more pit stops on your next road trip.

When we become parents we don't just have to learn how to take care of a baby, we also have to learn how, when and why to use all the different kinds of baby gear.

There is so much to learn and when it comes to car seats there is one rule many parents haven't heard of: infants shouldn't be left in car seats for more than an hour at a time, and they should never nap in a car seat outside the vehicle.

According to multiple studies, babies are at risk for decreased oxygen levels while in car seats, especially when the car is not in motion or the trip lasts for an extended period of time. Although preterm babies or infants with respiratory conditions are most at-risk, there is good reason for all families to take proper precautions.

As Scottish mother-of-two Kirsti Clark recently told STV, she had no idea that infants shouldn't be left in car seats for more than an hour at a time until her 3-week-old daughter, Harper, had a seizure following a car trip that went longer than expected. It was a situation not unfamiliar to many other families: The Clarks simply got stuck in traffic and then left Harper in the seat while they put their older daughter to bed.

When Harper's father then took her out of her car seat she seemed like she could not get comfortable on his lap, Metro reports. Her father tried to settle her on a play mat and that's when the baby suffered a seizure. The Clarks rushed to the hospital where she was treated and thankfully recovered. But, Clark says one of the biggest shocks to her was that these guidelines even exist.

"I've never once been told a child should not be in a car seat for any length of time," she told STV. "Nowhere in the instruction booklets or any guidance that we've seen online has there been anything mentioned about breathing difficulties."

This is why some hospitals do what's known as a "car seat challenge" with preterm babies before discharge, which allows professionals to monitor the baby's cardiorespiratory stability when they're in their car seat.

Make sure all care providers know to never use a car seat for naps 

Sharon Evans, a trauma injury prevention coordinator at Cook Children's Hospital, told WFAA News the idea that car seats can be used for naps outside the car is a pretty common misconception that needs to be cleared up.

"There's nothing about the car seat that's designed to sleep," she told WFAA News. "Of course, if the straps aren't tight, the child can kind of slump down."

Safety experts say parents should make sure everyone who looks after the baby, including daycare providers and babysitters, understands that they should not be placed in the car seat outside of the vehicle.

Lisa Smith tells WFAA News she did understand the risks associated with car seat naps and didn't let her baby daughter, Mia, nap in the car seat. Tragically, at nearly 18 months old Mia was left to nap in a car seat at her licensed home daycare, and lost her life to positional asphyxia, or restricted breathing. Now Smith, like Clark, is on a mission to educate other parents to make sure this doesn't happen to another child.

"I walk around town and see people using a car seat on the seats at restaurants or putting them on the floor at tables," Smith says, adding that she will tell Mia's story to parents when she sees a baby napping in a car seat, letting them know kindly, "'I just want you to be really careful.'"

What parents should do

Researchers with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Paediatric Society agree with Smith: The most dangerous time for a baby to be in a car seat is when they're not actually in a car. So while it may seem convenient to leave a sleeping babe in their car seat after a long trip or while you're at a restaurant, it's best to take them out right away.

The AAP recommends that when you are using the car seat as intended in the car, plan"to stop driving and give yourself and your child a break about every two hours." In the case of babies younger than one month, some car seat researchers recommend avoiding unnecessarily long road trips.

"Restrict it to say, no more than half an hour or so," Professor Peter Fleming, a noted car seat researcher, told the BBC. (If you've got to go farther than that, just plan for rest stops to get baby out of the car seat.)

All this comes with one significant note: While baby is in a moving car, safely buckled into a car seat is always the safest place to be. As noted in a study The Journal of Pediatrics, babies riding in a car seat as per the manufacturer's guidelines have a very low risk of suffocation or strangulation from the harness straps.

If we're aware of the risks and make sure to take breaks and take the baby out of the seat when the car stops, everyone can ride safely. Car seats, when used properly, are a literal lifesaver we should all be thankful for.

[Update, September 13, 2018: Added information regarding Lisa Smith's case.]

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