Vaginal Fantasy Book Club discussion

When my sons were younger I would read a chapter in a book to them a night. Picking the books for them was easy for me, Harry Potter had just begun filming so that was what I picked at the time. I now have a little girl approaching this age and I'm stumped. I could break out Harry Potter but I would rather pick a book that has a strong female character as the main in the genre. The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Alice in Wonderland, which is probably where I'll start but was hoping for suggestions of other age appropriate (5 to 10 years) material. I would deeply appreciate any help.

MIght I recommend the Theodosia books by Robin LaFevers? It's about a young girl at the turn of last century whose parents are archeologists working in a British museum. Her parents keep bringing back cursed objects and it's up to Theodosia to fix things. Really lovely.

I also read my kids the Winnie the Pooh books at age five. And the Marguerite Henry horse books.

Absolutly check out Tamora Pierce's body of work. My first suggestion would be "Alanna" and the corresponding quartet (empowering and well-rounded women-warrior characters). The Circle of Magic series is for younger kids and are also extremely fun (I read Alanna as a preteen but read the Circle books as an adult and I still enjoyed them). In my opinion she is one of the best YA writers out there -- particularly if you are looking for adventure and strong women characters (and her menfolk are awesome too, but I believe she is known for writing good female characters).

Here are a couple of books and personal favorites that I have in my personal library that I've read and liked that had a strong female protagonist. All of these books should be appropriate with that age range with lead characters that I was proud to read. I totally strongly recommend them. I'm a huge fan of strong female characters in children's literature. And remember, all good things comes in threes. ^_^


For a young girl starting to get into SciFi, I totally recommend the WondLa Series. Even if this book is geared to children, it had me guessing what would happen to our young protagonist. The world and it's characters are amazing with a bit of dystopian fantasy in there and some BEAUTIFUL illustrations. The leading lady is a strong and resourceful girl that is quick to learn of her circumstances and makes the best with what she has and the friends she makes a long the way.

The Search for WondLa (WondLa #1) by Tony DiTerlizzi
A Hero For WondLa (WondLa #2) by Tony DiTerlizzi
The Battle For WondLa (WondLa #3) by Tony DiTerlizzi


For a whimsical "Alice and Wonderland" feel but with a much more fleshed out story (in my opinion), I totally recommend the Fairyland Series. I love the whimsy of "Alice and Wonderland" and the fashion that comes from it but I actually hated the story. This was the book to make me pause and rethink that notion. I may not have liked "Alice and Wonderland", but I LOVED the Fairyland Series. The illustrations included in each chapter are also lovely. Catherynne M. Valente is definitely a master storyteller that I have kept an eye on since.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Fairyland #1) by Catherynne M. Valente
The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There (Fairyland #2) by Catherynne M. Valente
The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two (Fairyland #3) by Catherynne M. Valente


If you want to get into a dystopian fantasy for children, this is a really good one with a rebellious, gutsy and strong female lead character. I really adored this series. It was quirky and intelligently written without being too dark or scary while also adding dystopian world-building for the budding girl that will hopefully grow into the SciFi and Fantasy genre. This book also has some nice illustrations. ^_^

Museum of Thieves (The Keepers Trilogy #1) by Lian Tanner
City of Lies (The Keepers Trilogy #2) by Lian Tanner
Path of Beasts (The Keepers Trilogy #3) by Lian Tanner

I hope these suggestions are good enough to help you get started. I'd just like to say though, when I clicked on your topic that says "The Next Generation", I seriously thought it was a topic about Star Trek. Oh well, this is good too. LOL! ^_^v

Also, I want to add good graphic novels that are great for young girls, with compelling stories and great female lead characters/protagonists and amazing art.


The Last Unicorn is a classic and although there is a novel that you can read to your little girl, she might have an easier time reading the graphic novel version on her own. The art is amazing and it's the same story, losing none of the charm.

The Last Unicorn by author Peter S. Beagle and illustrator extraordinare Renae De Liz


Cucumber Quest is a great way to get a girl's feet wet in graphic novels in this lighthearted fantasy webcomic for all ages. You can purchase the printed graphic novels online on her website or even read the entire story online for free before you make your choice! I highly recommend getting a printed version though if you like it. It would be easier to read for your young ones and much more portable for a child.

Cucumber Quest (Volume 1) by Gigi D.G.
Cucumber Quest (Volume 2) by Gigi D.G.

http://cucumber.gigidigi.com/

What about Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books?

Wow! I can't believe I didn't think of the Last Unicorn (she likes the movie) or Tiffany Aching. Those were the ones mentioned I've read. The others I will look into. I knew I was asking the right people for help. Thank you and keep them coming. I've got quite a few years to fill up with bedtime stories.

Aw, I was gonna say WondLa! I just ordered the 3rd one for my girl. :) I'd recommend checking out Mighty Girl if you haven't. Here's their list of top read-aloud books for mighty girls: http://www.amightygirl.com/mighty-gir...

But specifically, I like Patricia Wrede's Dragons series, The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge, and WondLa, of course. I actually like Harry Potter for this reason too. Hermione, obviously, but Luna and Ginny are great and even McGonnegal and Ms. Weasley.

We tried both Little Women and Anne of Green Gables, but my daughter didn't care for them and we ended up lemming them. I still read to her at night (she's 10) even though she reads a TON of books on her own.

Wolf-Speaker I love this series by Tamora Pierce, starting with This book. It's awesome!

The Abhorsen series by Garth Nix is fabulous. It's a little more geared towards pre-teens than children, but it should definitely be mentions in a list of awesome female protagonist genre reading for the next generation.

Another one I like is gathering blue by Lois lowery. It's the second in the set that is better known by the giver.

I highly recommend the Tamora Pierce books. If you're going to read the ones set in Tortall, I think it helps to start with Alanna ("The Song of the Lioness"). But you can also start with the Circle books, as mentioned above, since they are set in a different universe.

I would also recommend Catherine Egan. The first two books of her trilogy are out, with the third due in September. They are geared for middle years.

There are also Madeleine L'Engle books and the Susan Cooper "The Dark is Rising" series, which I seem to remember had a strong female protagonist. And I would definitely recommend Patricia C. Wrede's The Enchanted Forest Chronicles.

Jenn wrote: "The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge..."

I love that book! Linnets and Valerians is another one of hers that is lovely.

C.G. wrote: "There are also Madeleine L'Engle books and the Susan Cooper "The Dark is Rising" series, which I seem to remember had a strong female protagonist. ..."

Madeleine L'Engle yes, but Jane in "The Dark is Rising series" is a bit of a drip.

Also, I haven't read it yet, but Gail Carriger just came out with a new sci fi book with a young female protagonist meant to address this gap in sci fi. It's called crudrat. I'm not sure if it's only an audio book right now or also a regular book. I backed the kickstarter for the audio book that she chose to publish independently.

I further the nomination of Dealing With Dragons. Such a sassy princess in that book.

I think the Narnia books are great for kids, both boys and girls. Lucy & Susan don't go around swordfighting, but they are brave and determined and not marginalized to keep to expected gender roles.

Another series I liked when I was younger were the Redwall books by Brian Jacques. Not many of them have female leads, but they all have strong female characters. I'd recommend it for kids closer to 10 though, since the bad animals can seem pretty scary to a younger child.

I personally loved the Dear America books as a kid (I still own them all, actually, have never been able to give them away). They're historical fiction, but a great way to get young readers interested in history (the research tends to be fairly accurate) and each has a female heroine who takes charge of her story in her own way.

I would have to third or fourth (lost count lol) the Tamora Pierce books! Alanna: The First Adventure

A Wrinkle in Time, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Little House on the Prairie are the ones my mom read to me when I was a kid. I loved them.

I've recently started following a website on facebook called A Mighty Girl. Check out the site! Click on their Books tab. They have empowering female books from every genre, sortable by age... Huge resource! Check it out! http://www.amightygirl.com/