good literary role models for girls

[kittysailing]

So contemporary she's not even published yet .. Darcy Burdock a new funny, smart and very modern ten year old heroine from children's writer and performance poet Laura Dockrill ..( latitude, big chill,) You can pre-order on amazon tipped to be next tween novel big thing!http://www.thebookseller.com/news/rhcb-signs-laura-dockrill-three.html

[Inkmaiden]

Ooh, Harriet the Spy!

[gwod]

Been thinking about this thread alot so I asked my Teen and preteen which teen books the felt had good role models, (as it seems there are loads for younger readers,) and apart from Katniss from the Hunger Games and some Malorie Blackman they didnt feel that any of the 'heroines' in their books were people that they'd aspire to be. They pointed out though, that most books that they read now dont have a heroine, The main protagonist is usually in some sort of moral pickle or emotional turmoil and makes mistakes...so the gils identify with them in a more adult way...much more like the sort of books we read. Their example of this was Before I Die, the story of a terminally ill teenager, fulfilling her life dreams in a short time - she is brave and organised, but she also rails against her situataion in a very teen-ish way. They also start to read adult book - eldest just read The Help for example...so maybe the fact that there are not many books with aspirational heroines is because, like us, they wouldnt want to read it because it is a bit too 2 dimensional asthey get older.

[Betsey]

Julia Golding writes really brilliant female characters - Cat Royal in The Diamond of Drury Lane is a great role model (this won the Smarties book prize a few years ago) and she has also written a series of spy adventures featuring Darcie Lock. My daughters are a bit too young for Darcie at present but I have them in mind for the future (not sure re age range but probably year 5 onwards).

[prickle]

Agree with gwod that aspirational heroines can be 2d. I've just bought my newly 11 year old Anne Frank's Diary. Not fictional obviously but a really good read. Anne is a teenager dealing with ordinary teenage issues including puberty and boys but living in a scary dangerous world. In spite of the topic the book is not depressing. Would really recommend.

[Inkmaiden]

This thread is bringing back so many memories.

For the historically minded, I used to love The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare, with heroine Kit Tyler in 17th century New England, and Mary Anning's Treasures by Helen Bush which I'm not sure is even still in print. It's no literary masterpiece but I was fascinated by the true story of a young girl who became a famous fossil collector in 19th century Devon.

Michelle Magorian is also good- Rusty in Back Home is a great sparky character and the book also tackles the subject of women retaining their independence post-WW2. I didn't like A Spoonful of Jam as much but the issues faced by the protagonist Elsie are still relevant.

ETA, on the subject of non-fictional aspirational women I should add the biography of Helen Keller by Margaret Davidson is a classic- excellent for the younger reader.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Don't think you can beat Anne in The Famous Five. She makes her brothers' beds like all real girls should.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I seem to have killed this thread with ill-placed humour.

Back on topic: for younger girls, good role models are Sophie (Dick King-Smith) and the Princess books (Babette Cole).