Hello! Long time no write! I'm sorry it's been a while! I've been in school, and doing activities, and, well, you know... That's no excuse, I suppose, but mostly I just didn't have anything interesting to write about. But I'm back! With 5 fantastic novels for the little girl (or big girl, or boy, really books don't have genders) on your Christmas list! These 5 books all have one (or two) amazing girl characters to look up to. Some clever, some smart, some brave, some leaders, some just really fantastic people—oh, and a lot of mischief. Let's roll it!
#1: Gathering Blue
The sequel, or as the cover calls it, "companion", to Lowry's best-selling The Giver, Gathering Blue follows Kira, an orphan living in an unforgiving world parallel to the community (the setting of The Giver, I promise it's all straightened out it Messanger). Kira is remarkably gifted, but what really makes her a role model is her bravery when faced with a grave task. No, the plot is not complex (and don't expect to find out what happened at the end of The Giver, the book is set separately and does not have the same characters. They show up together later in the quartet.), but the writing is fantastic and the characters are jewels.
#2: The Magicians Nephew
WHY CAN'T POLLY BE IN THE REST OF THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA TOO! Eh hem, sorry about that, just needed to get that out. Okay, now where were we? Ah yes. The Magician's Nephew, by C.S. Lewis. It's the prequel to the series, and was written later, so that's why Polly wasn't in the rest of the Chronicles, but it's really a shame. The Magician's Nephew is the boy Digory, of course, the old man in later Chronicles, but the true gem of Nephew is Polly. She's clever, practical, pragmatic, and always knows exactly what to do. Polly figures out some quite complex matters on her own, and has the sense that Digory lacks. That's not to say she's not adventurous though, in fact, Polly is a remarkable little girl. She knows how to stand up for herself, but is never impudent.
#3: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (and the other Flavia de Luce books)
Mysteries will always be my favorite, and Flavia is probably my favorite character on this list. She's 4 years younger than me, but she's totally still my role model. A budding chemist, Flavia solves a murder mystery with tools from her beloved home lab in the quaint english countryside manor of Buckshaw. She reaches into history and pulls out the brutal, beautiful, and baffling secrets. I can't give too much away, it is a mystery after all, but I can tell you that I'm on book number 3 and still madly in love with Flavia
#4: The Willoughbys
Okay, okay, so Jane isn't technically the main character, but you know what, she's fantastic. The Willoughbys is about a family of 6: 2 terrible parents and their 4 fantastically horrible children. Also, it's by Lois Lowry (I didn't even notice until I started writing this). Upon realizing that the children in all the best stories are parentless (true, see future post), the Willoughbys go on a quest to become orphans themselves. Jane, the youngest and only girl (why yes, hello, right here), is constantly teased and ignored by her brothers; however, despite their cruelty, Jane's One Big Goal is to become confident and stand up for herself. She is a business woman in the making, and the best kind of person. A true kindred spirit, I think Anne would call her.
#5: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
50% Historical Fiction, 50% Science Fact, 100% pure fabulous literature, Calpurnia Tate isn't everything a turn-of-the-century southern girl ought to be—she's a heck of a lot more. Callie too is the youngest of many brothers, but she has a certain curiosity about her that makes her story worth a re-read. Calpurnia turns her nose at sewing and piano-playing: she'd much rather be in her grandfather's study. She wants to be a naturalist, and she spends every free minute pouring over The Origin of Species, or writing in her notebook. Calpurnia is an observer, a defyer of the norm, and a deviant of tradition. That deviation is exactly what leads to her evolution into a brilliant young person. She learns from being wrong, and while some of the historical facts aren't totally perfect, the relationships and characters are strongly woven. There's also a passage from Darwin at the beginning of each chapter. (I don't have the paper book, this is me listening to the audio version)
Bonus: A web series, The Brain Scoop
I adore Emily Graslie, and the Brain Scoop. It's about natural sciences, and it's made at the Field Museum of Chicago. I'm not going to go into great detail, other than to tell you to go watch it! It's fantastic! Some episodes are not totally appropriate for young eyes and ears, so be sure to screen them first. The ickiest episodes have a "gross-o-meter" at the beginning to warn you of blood and guts.
https://www.youtube.com/user/thebrainscoop
https://www.youtube.com/user/thebrainscoop