10 Classic books for children where the hero is a girl. Look at the list and find a book you did not know about!
Alcott, Spyri, Burnett, Barrie, Porter, Montgomery, Hemon, Undset, Sharp, Keene.
Louisa May Alcott (b. 1799) is the author of the well loved book Little Women. See also the DVD. The book is good, but the author interests me more: how many women of that generation do you know who were free spirited, independent, feminists and abolitionists? If you read a good biography of Alcott that children would like, let me know.
Most children like the story of a little girl living in the mountains of Switzerland. Heidi by Mrs Spyri, is an enduring classic DVD
Frances Burnett (b. 1849) wrote the beloved Secret Garden, with Mary Lennox (bless the girl's curiosity) as a hero. The author's personal philosophy is confusing to me, but it does not matter in the book, which is a good read.(DVD)
J. M. Barrie (b. 1860), the author of Peter Pan, wrote one of my preferred plays. It is called Quality Street *** What happened to women during the Napoleonic wars? They were impoverished and they had to work. For the middle class of the time, it was shameful for a woman to have a job: she should stay at home and be supported by a husband. That feeling persisted throughout the Victorian era and ended...soon after the Second World War. I once met in France a widow of WWII who had to quit her native small town to be able to work: her middle class family opposed it; they thought that living from their charitable donations was more respectable than working. This makes of Quality Street one of the most important books a teen can read. In the play, a woman who has been forced to work (she became a teacher) is so ashamed when the man she loves returns from the war, that she disguises herself as a younger imaginary sister, and behaves likes the good society would like her to. But the soldier has seen a lot and does not approve. It is exciting reading, even today and it has such deep roots in history.
Eleanor Porter Pollyanna who conquers all hearts (DVD). It sounded fake to me when I read it, but don't mind me.
L. M. Montgomery (b. 1874) is the Canadian author of Anne of Green Gables and a lot of other good books. Quite of few good movies were inspired by her books.
The tough, tough life of farmers in Canada is illustrated by Maria Chapdelaine a young woman who decides that her call is to be a pioneer (instead of marrying a city guy). The author, Louis Hemon (b. 1880) died before the book was in print. Millions of copies were sold. You can download the book for free, but it is less fun than a good copy.
A book difficult to find, but so worth it, is Eleven years old, an autobiography of Norwegian author Sigrid Undset (b. 1882) who won the Nobel Prize of Literature. I have not read her other books, except Spring, difficult to find as well. Spring is for young adults. It describes a young woman who marries for love, then finds marriage difficult, but comes back to her love. It is a beautiful coming of age novel, and about 50 years after I read the book, I still remember how she goes visiting the valley where she played as a child and discovers it is just a small ditch.
The most funny and pleasant heroin of all times is called Cluny Brown. The book was written by Margery Sharp (b. 1905). Cluny Brown was made into a romantic movie with Charles Boyer: more romance and less fun than the book. What is interesting is that the two protagonists in the book elope together and get married. When they do, the reader is not surprised, and yet no word of love or attitude has warned you: it is the result of a meeting of minds and that makes the book quite interesting.
Under the name of Carolyn Keene come all the adventures of Nancy Drew who is generally playing detective and solving mysteries.
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