If you're sick of hearing about sparkling vampires, witches and lycanthropy, but you know your daughter is not quite ready for Anna Karenina, here are three wonderful books that offer strong and relatable female lead characters as well as interesting and enjoyable stories.
1. Fifteen - Beverly Cleary
I was twelve when my mother gave me this book - at the time I was reading something much more fluffy about hipster angels - and I wasn't looking forward to reading something published in the fifties.
However Fifteen is, twelve years later, it's still my favourite book.
The story follows a fifteen year old girl, Jane Purdy, who is more or less anonymous in her high school and longs to be something special. She constantly envies popular Marcy Stokes and dreams of being just like her; with a boyfriend and a wardrobe to die for.
Jane's life changes unexpectedly when a new boy moves into town and wants to take Jane on her first real date. To Jane it seems almost too good to be true and does everything she can to appear sophisticated and keep her place with the in-crowd. In the end, though, Jane must decide whether being just like Marcy is worth changing who she really is - whoever that may be.
Fifteen is not only a sweet story that is easy to read again and again - but, as it was written in the 1950s, is also surprisingly wholesome and refers to having a chocolate soda in the local diner, 'going steady', pin curlers, full skirts, Steak Bakes, and the desire to own more than one cashmere sweater.
"Once more Jane sat staring at the telephone. This time she was filled with a confidence that was new to her. Stan Crandall. Stanley Crandall. He liked her. He had seen her once, and even though had been rumpled and grass-stained and having a terrible time with Sandra, he liked her well enough to go to the trouble of finding out her name and calling to ask her to go to the movies. Jane smiled at the telephone and gave a sigh of hapiness".
Ages: 12 - 16
Beverly Clearly
2. Circle of Friends - Maeve Binchy
It's 1958 in Ireland, Bernadette 'Benny' Hogan is the only child of elderly parents, smothered by their love and attention. Eve, the orphaned daughter of mixed class parents, has been raised by the nuns and harbours unmasked resentment for her mother's wealthy family who have abandoned her. Two completely different girls - large and soft, the other small and wiry, yet their friendship is unbreakable.
For Benny and Eve, growing up in Knockglen - a small town outside of Dublin - means that nothing is secret from the town's small and involved community and they long to be old enough to make their own decisions.
Now they're escaping to University in the city where they can finally be free to grow up.
But growing up is not as easy as they believed. In Dublin they find a new circle of friends - Jack, the handsome rugby star who wants to break free from his controlling father and find himself. His side-kick, Aidan Lynch, who heroically courts hard-hearted Eve, as she struggles to deal with her past, and the beautiful but selfish Nan Mahon who has ambitions that could ruin them all.
Through all this Benny and Eve take on new challenges with school work, tragedy, friendships, falling in love and trying to look after each other.
Eve had been there for as long as she remembered to help her fight her battles. To deal with the gibes of those who called her Big Ben. Eve had made short work of anyone who took advantage of Benny's gentle ways. They had been a team for years: the tiny wiry Eve with her restless eyes never settling long on anything or anyone; the bi handsome Benny, with her green eyes and chestnut brown hair, tied back with a bow always, a big soft quality bow a bit like Benny herself.
Ages: 15 (some mild sex references)
Maeve Binchy
3. These is My Words - the Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine
Nancy E. Turner
This book follows the true story of Sarah Agnes Prine, who was a young woman living in the Arizona Territory in the 1800s.
What truly makes this book special is that Nancy Turner is a relative of Sarah and the book is inspired by authentic family history weaving a rich tapestry of life, love and loss in the life of this incredible girl.
At age seventeen, Sarah begins the journey with her family across America as pioneers on the land. However the rough journey and unexpected circumstances lead to death and despair meaning Sarah must find strength and courage to continue making a life for herself out in the desert.
Covering a twenty year span of her life, this book takes the reader on the journey of Sarah's life where she rises to challenge after challenge and becomes an incredible independent woman, mother and wife.
This book is not only historically fascinating, with incredible stories of pioneer life, but also paints such a vivid picture of Sarah that it is impossible not to cheer her on as she falls in and out of love, fights for her friendships and stands up for what she believes is right.
This is a heartwarming tale of both sorrow and triumph that will have you weeping for her losses and applauding her joys.
Ages 15 (some adult content)
I turned to Jack Elliot and said, If you are too tired to haul water, you are too tired to bathe in it, and I am fit to be tied. Your supper is on the stove and your children are driving me to distraction and April has lost the scissors under the house through a crack in the floor so there will be no haircut tonight. If that don't please you, then I will put on a uniform and ride out of here tomorrow morning and chase around the countryside and you can wear this apron and tend these crying children and this drafty house from dark to dark.
Nancy E. Turner
Happy Reading.
