Girls
Cherry Ames, nurse extraordinaire, has a variety of adventures in the books in this series. In this one, Cherry is a nurse at a girls’ summer camp, where she helps the girls get along, tends to a variety of nursing duties, and has a mystery to solve.
These old books are favorites from my childhood which have happily been re-released. While the writing is not of particular quality, the books have value as mysteries, variety in setting, and old fashioned nostalgia.
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Ella is given the gift of obedience as a baby, which quickly reveals itself as a curse. After much suffering, Ella finally takes steps to break the curse, both for her own benefit and for a prince’s.
Based on Cinderella, this book tells a much deeper story than the fairy tale version, complete with magical creatures, a fairy godmother, mean stepsisters, and all the rest. The languages add another layer as well, and there is a glossary in the back with words from the various languages.
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Annika is an Austrian orphan raised by servants. Though she loves her new family and her friends, she dreams of her mother arriving one day. When this actually happens, the subsequent events are not quite as Annika dreamed. She suffers and is mistreated but is ultimately rescued. Essentially, it was all an act to steal valuable jewels Annika did not even know she had.
I was delighted to discover this author when my daughter brought this book home from her school library. Between the generous amount of Vienna history, the character of Annika, and the mysterious nature of the jewels and Annika’s fate, this makes for a fast-reading book.
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Ginnie notices that her peers are all good at something, so she seeks her own talent. As she pursues this idea, she sees that her best friend, Geneva, has different priorities and interests. Ginnie works to discover what she is good at and finds that she has a way with young children. Ginnie also realizes that pursuing her interests is hard work but enjoyable.
This is a good way to begin a discussion of your daughter’s talents and interests. It is also useful to discuss the idea that friendships are not dependent on sharing particular talents and interests. Ginnie and Geneva and the other girls have plenty of other things in common and are therefore free to develop these individual aspects of their personalities.
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Kaya, a member of the Nez Perce tribe, is proud, adventurous, and optimistic. We get a peek into the lifestyle and customs of the tribe in this first book in the Kaya series.
This book is especially good for addressing concepts about character, like having humility, accepting responsibility, acting with the right motivations, and learning from our mistakes. The story reflects the effects of Kaya’s actions, sometimes positive and sometimes not.
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Madeleine L’Engle has many good books centering on families, and this is one of them. In Meet the Austins, Vicky’s family is discombobulated by the arrival of a troubled orphan. Despite the difficulties Maggy presents, the family honors its commitment and makes a place for her.
Like many of L’Engle’s characters, Vicky cares about her family and her place in it. She is appreciative of her parents and siblings and is sensitive to what is right. She may be awkward and imperfect, but she is secure in her family’s love, which is a reassuring message for any child.
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The Ramona books are enjoyable, “real” stories that show an imperfect girl’s interaction with her world. In this one, third grade Ramona navigates school and home concerns. She fears being a bother to her teacher, has some embarrassing incidents at school, and wrestles with her responsibilities for keeping her family OK (by behaving at the Kemp’s house).
This book, as all Ramona books do, gives us a girl’s perspective on the world and her place in the family. It brings forth and resolves common childhood worries. An important point to note is that the Ramona books can give parents an idea of how children might be processing the world around them so we can relieve their worries.
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Third-grader Ellen finds camaraderie with the new girl in town. Ellen and Austine have adventures around town and in school while developing their friendship and meeting the challenges of this age.
A misunderstanding threatens their friendship, and for some time the girls do not speak. This is realistically portrayed and serves as a good discussion point for how to handle these common but hurtful squabbles.
Click for Discussion QuestionsI fondly remember the Ginnie series from my own childhood. Ginnie, age 11ish, navigates a 50’s suburban world. Though out of print, you can often find these books used on Amazon or eBay. This particular book is excellent for discussing with your daughter the downfalls of being a follower, how to pursue one’s own interests, and how to navigate the difficult social world girls often face. Ginnie and Geneva have been best friends for ages, but when a new girl comes between them, Ginnie is at a loss for how to cope, as she is so reliant on Geneva. Ginnie’s mother shows her how to develop her own interests and not wait for Geneva to return. Ultimately, Geneva sees Ginnie’s confidence and this is one of the things that restarts their friendship.
This book is a good springboard for discussions about the social world with our daughters. Through Mother’s gentle guidance and Ginnie’s willingness to step out of her comfort zone, this book models an effective way to handle when a friend is suddenly no longer your friend.
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Eight-year-old Alice moves to a new state with her father and brother (mom has died) and faces making new friends in a new school. She has a hard time with this but identifies her successes and slowly becomes open to friendships with more and more people.
I liked how Alice identified how silly it was to be feuding with a group of girls and then reached out to that group and befriended them. There is some incongruity between how this 8-year-old thinks and acts and how a real 8-year-old thinks and acts, but it did not significantly detract from the story.
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