This past weekend I had invited my department colleagues over for dinner (stress! but it turned out great), and one of the guests struck up a conversation with my tweenie daughter. He asked her what her favorite subject was in school, and she thought for a minute. I actually had no idea what she was going to say, because she likes school in general and I think of elementary school as relatively undifferentiated - it's all just "school" to me (no offense to my elementary teacher friends).
She finally said, "Math. Or science."
GLORY Hallelujah! That's what we like to see 9-year old girls sayin'!
But... I'm afraid to read Reviving (or Surviving) Ophelia, because I'm dreading that, that, THING that happens to girls when they get just a little older than my daughter. Maybe it won't happen to her. Maybe if I squeeze my eyes shut real tight and click my sparkly red heels together, it will all come true for me, and she won't go through that, that, mysterious GATE into the "I hate math, I'm no good at science, drive me to the mall Mom" world. She won't get whacked by the wand of the Mormonism princess fairy that says a future's all determined by your sweetness, your compliance, and your bust size, and your intellect can be checked at the door. Maybe being raised by me & my husband, and surrounded by brothers, will be enough for her. Maybe the "virtue/strength" message will continue to move towards the center of the YW program by the time she gets there.
We recently came across three books that she hadn't read in a long time and delightedly re-read and I realized that all were feminist retellings of fairy tales, that subvert the typical paradigm. One's the now-classic Paper Bag Princess (Robert Munsch) - in which the princess, after completely outwitting the dragon, eventually figures out that the prince is totally not worth her time and doesn't get married after all.The other is Alain Vaes's version of The Princess and the Pea, in which the princess (Opaline Von Highbredde) drives a tow truck and is really good at lots of things and smart in lots of ways that aren't typically "feminine."
Then there's also Clever Beatrice, a lovely version of a classic American folktale featuring a fiesty and smart girl with wild hair, who outsmarts a giant in order to bring his wealth back to her family - kind of a girlpower version of Jack and the Beanstalk.
What are some of your favorite books to empower girls, young women, or yourselves? What would you put on your essential list for stories that build girls up? Summer reading list, anyone?
5 comments:
I highly recommed the "Rapunzel" by Shannon Hale. Take a fairy story, mix it up with some Old West, add a girl using her long braids as lassos and have yourself a great time!
It's true that many girls lose interest in math in middle school. One reason is that it gets harder and less concrete (think: algebra, not addition), and those stinky boys who were less mature in every way than our beautiful girls begin to catch up, and sometimes surpass, girls about this time. So, because boys who used to be behind them in math are now getting it faster, the girls start to think they are not good at math, and give up.
I agree that the sparkly red heels are a great idea, but you can also work on the praise of actions, rather than praise of being. You know, "Great work" instead of "you are so smart."
Oh, and if you want a great, feminist book, try the Twilight Series. (Ow, ow! I'm kidding! Ow!)
Against my will, I like "Cinder Edna". "Brave Irene" by William Steig is a good one. "Helga's Dowry", anyone? You can see that I read more picture books to my kids than chapter books....
My daughter loved reading The Fairy Chronicles series because they are all about the goodness and power inside you. (Reading level might be 3rd/4th grade.) Sorry I don't have any YW level suggestions!
I highly recommend the Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. I have not read Rupnzel yet. Shannon Hale is an LDS authour. This book is about what it takes to be important ie brains and the importance of ecconomics, in saving her village. A nine year old would still love this book, it does have magic. Beehives would love it too.
You might consider A Palace of Mirrors by Margaret Haddix Peterson, a fairy tale retelling of Rapunzel. Loved the ending!. I also second Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale a graphic novel with large age appeal.
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