EndOfOrdinary Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 My husband has a student (age 16) who uses reading as her escape from a less than ideal living situation. The girl devours books and is an advanced reader. Adult themes are not something she is shying away from. She has been turned over to me for books as she is beginning to really deal with finding her own sexuality, power dynamics concerning women, the role of women throughout history, and in general "strong female girl stuff" as my husband put it. As much as I do not like the idea of boxing up books into categories like "boy books" and "girl books," she is definitely looking for "girl books" just due to where she is right now. If you know of gender neutral books, hit me up with those too. I have been feeding her books left and right. She is loving it. However, my reserves are getting thinner and I am trying to pre-read any selections I do not know since she is publicly schooled. Lots of leeway, but I do not want Dh getting fired! As such, I'm asking all you fantastic homeschooling teacher/mentors out there to give me suggestions. She has already read: Poisonwood Bible, The Red Tent, Secret Life of Bees, A Handmaid's Tale, Cane River, and FoxFire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AppleGreen Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 It has been a while since I read some of these, but here are a couple off the top of my head: The Language of Flowers A Tree Grows in Brooklyn The Bean Trees Cold Sassy Tree Mists of Avalon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy, then The Master of Hestviken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy58103 Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I second "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" ... my all time favorite! Betty Smith also has some other less-known books. Julia Alvarez has several coming-of-age books with female protagonists. At least one of them was a required reading in my public high school. "In the Time of Butterflies" and "How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents" are on my bookshelf. Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God" Anything by Toni Morison ... Beloved, The Bluest Eye Or the Bronte sisters ... Wuthering Heights, Pride and Predjudice John Steinbeck's "East of Eden" and Charles Frazier's "Cold Mountain" probably fall under the gender-neutral category Would she be interested in non-fiction? Cheryl Strayed's "Wild" was a fantastic read. Woody Holton wrote a good biography of Abigail Adams. Eleanor Roosevelt has a good autobiography, as well as another good book entitled "You Learn by Living" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 I haven't tried any non-fiction suggestions. I'll ask her. We go out for coffee from time to time to chat about the books. She does not have a female adult in her family. Dad is really doing his best, but raising a teenage girl as a single dad is trying for him. Real life women and their stories might be something she doesn't even know she would enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegs Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 The Millennium Trilogy? And 'When Women Were Warriors'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 I'm starting a list. You guys are great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Let me think what I read at that age. Her tastes sound a little like mine. There's classic Octavia Butler - Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents are two of my long-term favorites. There's equally classic LeGuin - I re-read The Dispossessed at least once a year, and frequently re-read The Telling or Lathe of Heaven as well. Recently I read Stranger by Rachel Manjia, and I've been spamming it everywhere because I think it's a really great book. Hm. I remember 16 was the year my whole family devoured Marsden's Tomorrow, When the War Began series. Remind me, I gotta get that on Kindle.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Story of a Girl, and, Sweethearts, by Sara Zarr, are head-on (tasteful) wrestling with real teen/young adult issues. Tombs of Atuan by Ursula LeGuin is fantasy, but has a strong female protagonist making life-changing choices. Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks is an older work, but is a powerful, realistic view of a teen girl's downward slide into alcohol and drugs Warriors Don't Cry: Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High School by Melba Beals is a powerful autobiography of being part of the 9 black teens who showed great courage and poise in being the first to break the color barrier in their state's segregated educational system. Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene, an older historical fiction set in the U.S. during WW2, with some strong coming of age themes. Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byers, gentle older work, teen girl protagonist learns compassion and to set aside self-focus. For something lighter, or more humorous... Austenland by Shannon Hale is a sweet and funny fluff people for those who are "into" the Jane Austen movies. The Day They Came to Arrest the Book by Nat Hentoff is a lively read with a number of teen and adult characters arguing the different sides of censorship, centering on the high school English class reading Huckleberry Finn. The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt is a teen boy protagonist with misadventures and discovering Shakespeare. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams is just great fun for everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3in9th Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Any novels by Margaret Atwood The whole Anne of Green Gables series and its spin offs. May read young for her, but having a feisty fictional female role model was powerful for me. The Color Purple by Alice Walker For more recent stuff- The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoot Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I would just second Cheryl Stayed's Wild and Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. Both FANTASTIC books. The House on Mango Street by Cisneros The Cousin's War series by Gregory if she likes historical fiction The Thirteenth Tale by Setterfield The Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray is fun girl fiction Maybe No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Smith Goose Girl by Hale The Glass Castle by Walls is a good memoir, but depending on her situation may hit a little too close to home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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