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Strong Girls
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From: Aimee Ferris <aimeeferris_at_gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:17:04 -0400
What an interesting conversation (I've also been following and adding to my reading list). So many of the examples surely offer an example of physical strength or strength in perseverance/overcoming overwhelming obstacles that fate or circumstance has brought into the characters' lives, I wonder if there isn't just as much strength -- of a different sort -- shown in many contemporary novels. I find the girls in Joan Bauer's books to show a quiet, determined and steadfast strength of character demonstrated through their strong work ethic and intolerance to injustice. It seems like characters who have a passion, and commit to the real, often unglamorous, work needed to follow that passion should get a nod when we consider strong female literary role models (as Sarah Prielipp mentioned, that strong sense of self).
As an author, I struggled when finding my main character in a position where her best friend was doing something, certainly stupid, and possibly harmful to others. As an adult (on most days, heh), I absolutely wanted to write her going to the best friend's parents, going to a teacher, going to her own parents, outing her friend's lapse of judgment. But putting myself back into my teen shoes, would I or any of my friends have realistically had the strength to alienate or betray the person closest to us who so influenced our daily lives? As Pamela Gardow mentioned, it was something Vera in A.S.King's "Please Ignore Vera Dietz," struggled with (among other things). I think this quandary and this sort of courage is something most girls can relate to, and something that grows in importance in the face of issues like bullying, drinking and driving, drugs, etc.
On a different note, in response to the initial conversation starter, "Do you cringe at every pink, sparkly princess book before cracking the cover?" I did...and it was my own cover! Despite reviews regarding unexpected substance and an ALAN board member giving it solid thumbs up, I genuinely worry that because my novel features a girl in a pink princess gown, teachers or librarians will be leery of considering it, or suggesting it to girls for fear of the girls wondering why someone they looked up to thought they merited a fluffy (appearing) book. I wondered if the artsy girls I thought of as I wrote it would be embarrassed to be carrying it down the school hall.
I wonder if some of these misconceptions will fall away as the e-reader/kindle element takes hold. Will it let kids, and those recommending books to them, look beyond the cover?
Thanks for such a thought-provoking conversation, I look forward to adding more books to my 'must read' list.
Aimee Ferris Woodstock, NY
Will Work for Prom Dress EgmontUSA/Random House 2011 Girl Overboard Penguin 2007
Received on Wed 16 Mar 2011 01:17:04 PM CDT
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:17:04 -0400
What an interesting conversation (I've also been following and adding to my reading list). So many of the examples surely offer an example of physical strength or strength in perseverance/overcoming overwhelming obstacles that fate or circumstance has brought into the characters' lives, I wonder if there isn't just as much strength -- of a different sort -- shown in many contemporary novels. I find the girls in Joan Bauer's books to show a quiet, determined and steadfast strength of character demonstrated through their strong work ethic and intolerance to injustice. It seems like characters who have a passion, and commit to the real, often unglamorous, work needed to follow that passion should get a nod when we consider strong female literary role models (as Sarah Prielipp mentioned, that strong sense of self).
As an author, I struggled when finding my main character in a position where her best friend was doing something, certainly stupid, and possibly harmful to others. As an adult (on most days, heh), I absolutely wanted to write her going to the best friend's parents, going to a teacher, going to her own parents, outing her friend's lapse of judgment. But putting myself back into my teen shoes, would I or any of my friends have realistically had the strength to alienate or betray the person closest to us who so influenced our daily lives? As Pamela Gardow mentioned, it was something Vera in A.S.King's "Please Ignore Vera Dietz," struggled with (among other things). I think this quandary and this sort of courage is something most girls can relate to, and something that grows in importance in the face of issues like bullying, drinking and driving, drugs, etc.
On a different note, in response to the initial conversation starter, "Do you cringe at every pink, sparkly princess book before cracking the cover?" I did...and it was my own cover! Despite reviews regarding unexpected substance and an ALAN board member giving it solid thumbs up, I genuinely worry that because my novel features a girl in a pink princess gown, teachers or librarians will be leery of considering it, or suggesting it to girls for fear of the girls wondering why someone they looked up to thought they merited a fluffy (appearing) book. I wondered if the artsy girls I thought of as I wrote it would be embarrassed to be carrying it down the school hall.
I wonder if some of these misconceptions will fall away as the e-reader/kindle element takes hold. Will it let kids, and those recommending books to them, look beyond the cover?
Thanks for such a thought-provoking conversation, I look forward to adding more books to my 'must read' list.
Aimee Ferris Woodstock, NY
Will Work for Prom Dress EgmontUSA/Random House 2011 Girl Overboard Penguin 2007
Received on Wed 16 Mar 2011 01:17:04 PM CDT
