Pro-girl books for 2 year old daughter

please send me titles of children's books that are pro- girl for my 2 year old daughter. we are growing up and away from the hungry little catepillar and the other fun classics, and need some new material that ideally are pro- girl. if you also have suggestions for books on how to raise a strong girl-- please share. lisa

Once nice thing about the library is that the books eventually have to go back, which puts a limit on how many time you have to read the same book over and over (she may want to check it out again, but you'll have a week's reprieve).

You didn't mention what city you are in, but the Oakland main library has a good-size children's library, and a very helpful librarian who can help track down specific books or recommend books on a specific theme (stong girls, for example). Carrie

Books for 4yo with positive female characters

My partner and I have a 4 year old girl. She's recently begun to make remarks about people's bellies being ''too big.'' This concerns us considerably, and we've done a fair amount of talking with her about understanding that bodies come in all shapes and sizes and that it's important not to judge people along these lines. We seek additional resources to help in this regard. Can people recommend books/stories for 4 and 5 yr old girls that include characters (especially female) of varying body types, where such diversity is either a non-issue or, ideally, discussed in a supportive way?

More generically, we are also looking for stories with girl characters who value being smart and strong as much, if not more, than being pretty. She's adorable, and hears as much from the world all the time, and we are eager to balance this by reinforcing the power of being smart and compassionate. Our concern is that she'll conclude that her looks are the easiest way to win praise, and that emotional or other intelligences aren't worth the effort, by comparison. We work with each other, her teachers, and other significant adult figures in her life along these lines, but would appreciate additional children's lit suggestions to supplement our efforts. Thanks. Anonymous

Books with strong girl characters

Can anyone update/add to the list of kids' books with strong girl characters that was generated in discussion here in 1997? We have profited from many of the titles recommended but would like to have more. Also, some of the resources described there are now out of date. It would also be interesting to know if there is some kind of newsletter or catalog reviewing such books. Thank you. Jennifer

K-4

Mirette on the Highwire
Ride on the Red Mare's Back Ursula K. LeGuin (folktale, set in Sweden. Girl rescues brother from trolls.)
Catwings (& sequels) Ursula K. LeGuin (strong female kitten/cat characters)
Girls to the Rescue ed. Bruce Lasky (modern stories of brave girls by different authors)
Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole (She wants to play with her pets, rather than marry & outsmarts her parents and the princes who come to call.) There's a similar book called The Paperbag Princess. I can't remember the author.
The Magic School Bus books by Joanna Cole (Ms. Frizzle is the teacher)

Grade 3-6

Tatterhood and Other Tales ed. Ethel Johnson Phelps (folktales, some scholarly footnotes)
Not One Damsel in Distress ed. Jane Yolen (folktales)
Birdie's Lighthouse by Deborah Hopkinson (a girl takes over the lighthouse in a storm when her father is gone)

How's that to start? I don't know how old your daughter is, these are for 10-13 year olds. nadja

Children's books with strong intelligent females

I'm wondering if anyone out there has recommendations for children's books that have strong, capable, intelligent female characters and don't reinforce the crazy beauty focus, body-image neuroses and gender stereotypes that abound everywhere. For example, we have Princess Smartypants and The Paper Bag Princess, both a good start (although both books feature only white characters), and I would like to expand our library. Do y'all have any favorites? Carrie

I have purchased several other books similarly billed, but theese others seemed to have a hard time finding good books, and listed many that they admitted were mediocre stories.(?!?) Don't miss Odean's book if you are interested in strong female messages. (She also has several other books about books for kids: books for boys, for babies and toddlers and books about things kids love).

I'm a big fan, Lisa

4-7
Abuela by Arthur Dorros. (A girl and her grandmother fly over the city.)
What Kind of Babysitter is this? by Dolores Johnson (mom has a night class, elderly female babysitter is a big baseball fan)
Lily's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes (nurturing male teacher, strong little girl mouse)

6-10
Michael and Rosie by Cynthia Voight. (A boy and girl are ''best friends'')
Princess Smartypants
Sleeping Ugly by Jane Yolen (Jane Yolen has written many other books with female and male characters who have the full range of emotions and behaviors.)
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lundgren
The Catwings books by Ursula LeGuin (brave little flying cats, well written and funny for adults as well as kids.)
A Ride on The Red Mare's Back by Ursula LeGuin (Big sister rescues little brother from trolls -- insightful into both of their motivations, though mostly about the sister and the red mare.)

10+
Inspirations: Stories of Women Artists by Leslie Sills. For older kids, though my 7-year-old likes it as a read aloud with plenty of discussion. Includes Frieda Kahlo, Georgia O'Keefe, Faith Ringgold (who has written and illustrated a number of good kids' books herself), and Alice Neel. Tamara Pierce has written a number of series set in a medieval world where girls prove their mettle as knights.
The Earthsea Trilogy by Ursual LeGuin (explores the meaning of gender -- suitable for 12+. I think it was written for adults.)
In Code: A Young Woman's Mathematical Journey by Sarah Flannery. At 16 Flannery develops an important cryptography algorithm, winning Ireland's Young Scientist of the Year award.

Adults Too many choices but you cound consider books by LeGuin, Margaret Atwood, Octavia Butler, Adrienne Rich (poetry), Marge Piercy, Lucia Berlin, Pat Murphy, Lucille Clifton (poetry -- has some books for kids), Fanny Howe (poetry -- some books for adolescents) are good starting points.

I notice my list is heavy on the science fiction -- partially that's personal taste, and partially that's because a number of feminists are writing science fiction in order to deconstruct our ideas about gender. Carol

Chapter Books for 6-year-old Girl

Our daughter is really into reading chapter books now, but has come home with a string of them which have all been situated in white, middle class, suburban families with siblings who bicker constantly, tell each other to "shut up!" and call each other "stupid" and "jerk." In the latest book, the main character invited some girls over for a slumber party for her 11th birthday and two girls would not eat pizza because they were on a diet! Please tell me there are chapter books out there where girls are not obsessed by body image, siblings do not fight and name call, and all the people are not white and middle class (or European and nobility -- princesses, etc). She loved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but seems to want to read about girls recently. I would love any recommendations with either boys or girls as main characters that would be topically appropriate for a first grader. Thanks! Dana

The "shoes" books, by Noel Streatfeild --Ballet, Dancing,
Theater,  Circus, Travelling, etc.
Caddie Woodlawn, Carol Ryrie Brink
The All-of-Kind Family, by Sydney Taylor (Tailor?)
The Little House on the Prarie books, by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Betsy Tacy Tib books, Maude Hart Lovelace
The Anne of Green Gables books, by LM Montgomery (perhaps at a
slightly older age)
Little Women, Little Men, Jo's boys, Eight Cousins, Rose in
Bloom, An Old Fashoned Girl, plus a few others as well that I don't
recall off the top of my head, by LM Alcott
The Beverly Cleary books-- Ramona Quimby, age 8 comes to mind,
but they are all great.
Famous Five, Secret Seven (detective series), The St. Clare
girls, and Mallory Towers series, by Enid Blyton and anything else that
Enid Blyton has written
Encyclopedia Brown
The Five Little Peppers
Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell
Madeleine L'Engle books (again, perhaps for older kids)
Charlotte's Web, by EB White (plus the rest of the the EB
White books)
Other great Authors, some of the titles are escaping me now:
Many books by Eleanor Estes: the Moffats (series), Ginger Pye
Betsy Byars (good for that age)
Elizabeth Enright
Other resources to find great kids books:
Newberry Book Awards
Caldecott Book Awards (Amazon has a list of all the books to
receive these awards)

Good luck and happy reading. I enjoy re-reading many of these even now, so I hope you enjoy them as well! Sorry, I forgot to add Mrs. Piggle Wiggle to the list... (a must read!) and if anyone has a similar list from when they were young boys, I would love to see it! Shahana

An additional plug for Beverly Cleary: Ramona the Pest, Beezus & Ramona, Henry Huggins, Henry & Ribsy, Otis Spofford, etc.

Lloyd Alexander: the whole Prydain Chronicles -- The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, Taran Wanderer, The High King, etc. Robert O'Brien: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Louise Fitzhugh: Harriet the Spy, Sport John Fitzgerald: The Great Brain books (series) Elizabeth George Speare: The Witch of Blackbird Pond, The Bronze Bow E. L. Konigsburg: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler And for the slightly older child, let us not overlook the much, and deservedly, lauded Harry Potter books. Any of the these books (possible exception of the Witch of Blackbird Pond, but even there I'm not sure) I would recommend with a clear conscience to kids who like to read, of either gender. Some might be a bit challenging for a 6-year-old. One thing I do find pretty annoying is the unthinking classification of some wonderful books as a "girl's" book or a "boy's" book, often simply because of the gender of the main protagonist. Boys especially are apt not to read a "girl's book" and thus miss out on really great stuff.

My husband read certain of the above (and the L.I. Wilder books) as an adult, at my insistence, and had to agree, they were swell. Harriet of Harriet The Spy is appealing to any kid. The fact that she's a girl is practically a non-issue, but boys don't tend to read that book. Anyway, I can't wait until my 3-year-old son can sit still for a story without too many pictures, so that I can start the indoctrination. And I too would love to hear about books I may have missed. Wendy

Other books I remember loving: Linnets and Valerians by Elizabeth Goudge (great family dynamics, some fantasy/magic)

Family Sabbatical and Family Grandstand (and Caddie Woodlawn) by Carol Ryrie Brink (Caddie Woodlawn has some uncomfortable native American Images) (these may be out of print, but available at the library)

The Saturdays, Four Story Mistake and pretty much anything by Elizabeth Enright.

The Moffat Series by Eleanor Estes (Rufus M is particularly charming!)

I also remember fondly the Carolyn Haywood Books but haven't read any recently to see if they hold up over time, but reading level and them wise they are *perfect* for an excellent first grade reader.

We've been reading Redwall (Brian Jacques) to our eight year old happily. We also read all of Narnia, though the earlier in the series are far more accesible than the later ones, and the Christian symbolism gets difficult. We'll probably start with Lloyd Alexander fairly soon. Myriam

We're very lucky to be in Berkeley where we have access to so many cultures. You should be able find these books in the used book stores on Telegraph. best of luck! Vaiju

The Beverly Cleary series are great, as are books by Johanna Hurwitz. Miriam Sachs has written many books over the years, many about middle class families, but others about families facing financial or health issues as well. As your daughter gets a bit older--my daughter and I have both enjoyed books by Lois Lenski. My daughter has also read historic fiction by an author whose name I forget, but who wrote one book called Lyddie about factory work in New England and another about a runaway slave making his way to freedom.

On a totally different note, my son loves books by James Howe. He has written a whole set told from the point of view of Harold the dog. They are "mysteries," starting with Bunnicula (a bunny found abandoned in a movie theater where Dracula was being shown and brought home; Chester the cat is convinced he is a vampire and begins to try to rid the house of him--very funny), and going on to Howliday Inn (Harold and Chester are boarded at a kennel while the family is on vacation), Return to Howliday Inn, The Celery Stalks at Midnight... you get the idea. He has enjoyed these from first grade through fourth. It's true all the main characters are male, but these are extremely funny, and my daughter loves them, too, even though she has far "out grown" them by now. And to the extent that people show up as characters at all, the women are generally sensible, direct people (the image of men tends to be less positive... quite a few bumbling fools, I'm afraid).

This list, as you will note, is very thin on books from other cultures/ethnicities/racial backgrounds. It doesn't reflect my preference, just what we found and what I can remember them reading. In the area of picture books there seems to be much more variety. Again, I can't remember the names of many authors, but two of our favorites are Faith Ringgold and Ezra Keats (I think I have these names right). The books of both of these authors go beyond a good story to beautifully illustrate childhood experiences and family relations, and my children have enjoyed them well past the stage when they moved on to chapter books. Cynthia

Some other series my daughter enjoyed at that age that are almost all about white kids but certainly much more wholesome than what you were describing are "Boxcar Children", "Magic Attic Club",and "The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashly Olsen" Other books my daughter has loved in the past few years, she is now 10 include, -books by Scott Odell "Island of the Blue Dolphins" "Carlota" -"Ella Enchanted" -"Anne of Green Gables" -books by Yoshiko Uchida "Journey Home" "A Jar of Dreams" -books by Laurence Yep "The Amah" -"Marisol and Magdalena" by Veronica Chambers -"Gwinna" by Barbara Helen Berger

A lot of these are about girls of different ethnicities and are all beautiful stories. My daughter has loved all of them and has read most of these stories several times. Some of these wont be appropriate until your daughter is a bit older but a few might make good read alouds so that you can help her understand the content. Anyhow, you might want to take your daughter to Codys or another bookstore with plenty of childrens books and let her look around in the childrens section. It is often easier for children to find books in a bookstore than in a library where book covers are more frequently on display. I hope this is helpful. There are many great books out there these are just a few. Have fun! Liza

Story books with girl characters

I have two sons - 3 1/2 years and 6 months - who love it when we read stories. The problem is that all of Pooh's friends are boys (except for Kanga who is often wearing an apron) and so are the trains on the Island of Sodor (except for Daisy who doesn't like smelly tunnels). You get the idea. I'd really like to have books with a wider variety of boy and girl characters. Any suggestions? Robin

I also love the Frances books (Bedtime for Frances, A Bargain for Frances, A Baby Sister for Frances). These are old books -- I read them when I was a child -- but I like them even more as an adult because the parents seem so sensible and wise.

Sorry I don't know the authors, but I think any children's librarian or good children's bookstore could help you find them. Beth

Best Friends for Frances, by Russell Hoban Banned from an all-boy baseball game, Frances organizes a "No Boys" outing with interesting results.

Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney Alice Rumphius has a career, travels to exotic places, retires by the sea, and becomes an interesting old woman.

I recently found a book called "Allie's Basketball Dream" by Barbara Barber (?) which is really well written and beautifully illustrated (illustrator is someone else.) The main character is a girl who is given a basketball by her father. When she practices shooting baskets, at first she misses; nearby boys laugh, other kids ask what she is doing, even offering to trade a volleyball for her basketball since the volleyball would be "easier" for a girl to handle. Ultimately, she keeps trying and makes some baskets. The other kids want to play with her and even the older boys cheer her. I like it and my son loves it. It has actually helped him to not get frustrated when he misses a shot. He often says "I'm Michael Jordon" when playing b-ball. But just the other day while playing, he said "I'm Allie".

The Max board book series by Rosemary Wells is about a "boy" rabbit, but his sister Ruby is always present. My son likes those too. In the Carl the dog series, it is a little girl that Carl goes on adventures with. There is the Madeline series, but that may be for slightly older kids. I have a train book that has both male and female characters doing all the different jobs associated with trains. I can look up the name. Martha

Madeline books, (which are for older kids)

In doctor suess books I often just write an "s" in front of "he" since the chracters are all weird creatures, this is especially easy in "one fish, two fish".

You're right though there aren't very many books for the under two set with any girls. liz

        I do not like the way you slide.
        I do not like your soft inside.
        I do not like you lots of ways
        And I could live for many days
        Without eggs.