"Girl" books for High School

[perky]

I am finding that many of the classics which are at a high school reading level are very much "boy" books which don't necessarily have a lot of appeal for my dd.  She has already read the Little Women books, the Heidi books, Anne of Green Gables and such.  Those were around 7th grade, I believe.  I am looking for high school level books with, shockers, girls as main characters.  But not romance-heavy, particularly.  Do such classic books exist?  I am thinking that Jane Austen would bore her.  I think the Bronte sisters might bore her as well.  Suggestions?

 

Note: As a for instance, she has no interest in Treasure Island, further Jules Verne books (although she liked 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea but not Around the World in 80 Days or Journey to the Center of the Earth).  She loved Heidi.  She did not care for Alice in Wonderland.  She liked Little Women.  She refuses to read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  I am perplexed.  She tolerated Animal Farm.  She's not interested in 1984.

 

[Garga]

This is a good question. To Kill a Mockingbird comes to mind. I have lists of literature. When I'm at the laptop I'll look through them and see if I can find anything.

[Tanaqui]

Do they have to be "classics"? Or do other well-written books work as well?

[Garga]

This is a tall order. Until about 100 years ago women weren't allowed to do much of anything except get married. There's not a lot that an adult woman would be doing that doesn't involve romance. Why would authors write about women, unless they were romance stories? Women weren't doing anything interesting.

[hollyhock]

I don't have a ton of suggestions but I would probably try something by Jane Austen (maybe Persuasion; it's a bit shorter and my favourite one) and Jane Eyre (the romance is only a portion of the book). Another one to try would be The Scarlet Pimpernel. It has some romance but lots of action as well. What about books by James Herriot? They maybe aren't classics per se, but they are good reading.

 

I have also enjoyed Oliver Twist (so maybe other things by Dickens might be appealing) and The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes (I thought that one would be very boy-ish but I liked it).

[perky]

This is a good question. To Kill a Mockingbird comes to mind. I have lists of literature. When I'm at the laptop I'll look through them and see if I can find anything.

Ooh, that's a good thought.  I'll write that down.  

[perky]

Do they have to be "classics"? Or do other well-written books work as well?

Hmm.  No, they don't have to be "classics," necessarily.  

[perky]

I don't have a ton of suggestions but I would probably try something by Jane Austen (maybe Persuasion; it's a bit shorter and my favourite one) and Jane Eyre (the romance is only a portion of the book). Another one to try would be The Scarlet Pimpernel. It has some romance but lots of action as well. What about books by James Herriot? They maybe aren't classics per se, but they are good reading.

 

I have also enjoyed Oliver Twist (so maybe other things by Dickens might be appealing) and The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes (I thought that one would be very boy-ish but I liked it).

I will look into Persuasion.  Thanks.

 

I have Jane Eyre, I just checked, and she has not read it.  I will push that.

 

She has already read The Scarlet Pimpernel.

 

Aren't James Herriot's books about animals?  She's not a huge animal story fan.

 

She is currently reading Oliver Twist.  She's tolerating it, but doesn't really like it because "it's so sad."  She has read short versions of many Dickens, and by and large, they strike her as sad.  She has read A Christmas Carol several times.

 

I believe she has read every Sherlock Holmes story.  Thanks for the idea.  She really enjoys Sherlock Holmes, even though she claims not to like mysteries.

Edited May 6, 2016 by perkybunch

[Junie]

My Antonia -- Willa Cather

Christy -- Catherine Marshall

Murder on the Orient Express -- Agatha Christie

 

[Targhee]

It's near impossible because, classically, books were written for men to read. Also, much of what is considered truly classical (Great Books, vs good books) is not fiction but narrative history, philosophical, scientific, and other non-fiction writing. The novel didn't really gain respect as a genre until the late 18th century. (Tale of Genji is one exception). And women were not normally able to write about anything but romance (except perhaps propriety) until the 20th century.

 

Here are some ideas where there are strong female characters, but still your discussions would probably be about their strengths considering their place in society and the differences between then and now in terms of what it means to be a woman and to be educated.

 

- The Scarlet Letter

- Shakespeare comedies and tragedies (though my Dd liked Henry V she hasn't liked any other histories)

- Dickens - although his main protagonists are usually men he was surprisingly progressive in his views of women, their intelligence (and cunning), and their vital role in well-functioning society. Little Dorrit comes to mind for an obviously strong and level-headed female protagonist, but there's the element of romance in there too (not quite the Jane Austen level though). Even Tale of Two Cities has incredibly strong characters (and in the case of Mme Defarge startling). But here again there's romance.

 

Classics with female authors

- Tale of Genji (strong character, but still male dominated society)

- Uncle Tom's Cabin

- Frankenstein

- Death Comes to the Archbishop

- To Kill a Mockingbird

[Junie]

Silas Marner -- George Eliot/Mary Ann Evans

[kubiac]

 

 

* Onions in the Stew, The Plague and I or Anybody Can Do Anything by Betty MacDonald (adult books by Mrs Piggle-Wiggle writer)

* Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (probably has swear words)

* Helen Keller-Annie Sullivan stuff

 

 

 

 

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[vonfirmath]

My Antonia -- Willa Cather

Christy -- Catherine Marshall

Murder on the Orient Express -- Agatha Christie

 

We read My Antonia in HS.

Also Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Tale of Two Cities (which I would not have gotten through, left to my own devices. But discussing in a classroom setting, turned out to be VERY worth the time)

Several Shakespeare including Romeo and Juliet (of course), Midsummer's Night Dream, and the Taming of the Shrew

Uncle Tom's Cabin (A necessity, particularly combined with the year one teaches US History during the Civil war Period.)

 

I am quite pleased at how well my HS teachers did in finding books that appealed to a wide range of interests.

Edited May 6, 2016 by vonfirmath

[Amateur Actress]

I don't think "boring" fits with Jane Austen. You may not like the romance aspect, but she is very funny.

[lisabees]

DD is reading Pride and Prejudice and she is enjoying it. I wasn't sure if she would! Agree with the earlier suggestion of Scarlet Letter. How about A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Their Eyes Were Watching God, A Room of One's Own and some Mary Wollstonecraft? I am not sure if these are what you're looking for, but some were hits this year for DD.

[hornblower]

heavier: 
 

Dracula by Bram Stoker has 2 strong female characters, & one of them is actually considered a main character by some. 

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood 

Testament of Youth by Vera Britain 


less serious 


Tommy & Tuppence series by Agatha Christie 

Miss Silver mysteries by Patricia Wentworth are usually quite female centered 

Maisie Dobbs mysteries 

Phryne Fisher mysteries 

the list of recommendations on the Mighty Girls site

Edited May 6, 2016 by hornblower

[lisabees]

Thumbs up for The Handmaid's Tale. Light reading: I Capture the Castle. :)

[Ivey]

Antigone? 

 

African American literature is pretty balanced between male and female writers and characters. Uncle Tom's Cabin, Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Color Purple, A Raisin in the Sun, Beloved, etc. 

[Loesje22000]

Agnes Gray, Shirley, Tales of two cities

Might be an option

[Penguin]

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

 

Babette's Feast or Out of Africa by Karen Blixen / Isak Dinesen

 

God of All Small Things by Arundhati Roy

 

You may have to filter these for adult content - it depends on your comfort level with such matters.

 

 

[J-rap]

My girls read so many great books... wish I could remember them!  Here's a few:

 

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

 

Out of Africa

 

Little Dorrit

 

Mrs. Pollifax series

 

Betsy-Tacy series

 

*The Betsy-Tacy series begins as a very young child's book/young child reading level, but as the character of Betsy grows older, the reading level grows too.  The older ones when she is high school aged, college, and beyond are so much fun.  They are all based on the life of the author, growing up in the 1920's.  I didn't discover them until I was pregnant with my 3rd child, and adored them.  I'd probably begin with Heaven to Betsy (skip the first few), which is still on the young side but old enough to keep your interest and you get to know her character a bit before she's a teen.  

[Penelope]

Anna Karenina

 

Out of Africa

 

As You Like It

 

Madame Bovary is often studied in high school. Don't know how old your dd is, though (it sounds like she is younger?)

 

I would give Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte a try.

 

How about Edith Wharton or George Eliot?

 

How about short stories by women writers?

 

Edit: Maybe Rebecca? It might not be considered a classic, but a good book.

Edited May 7, 2016 by Penelope

[frogger]

I don't know if biographies or Christian books are what you are looking for but The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom or Gladys Aylward: The Little Woman. They have more action and no romance. Scott O'Dell's books aren't classics but there are a few that have female protagonists such as Zia, Carlota, and the Island of the Blue Dolphins. 

[AngieW in Texas]

I highly recommend reading an annotated version of Pride and Prejudice and watching the Colin Firth video version at the same time. I would watch the first segment and then read through the book with all the annotations and then move on to the next segment. It means a lot more when you get all the cultural pieces that are in the annotations.

 

What's really interesting is then watching Lizzie Bennet Diaries, a modern adaptation of the story that was told through youtube, twitter, and other social media: 

http://www.pemberleydigital.com/the-lizzie-bennet-diaries/

http://www.pemberleydigital.com/the-lizzie-bennet-diaries/story-lbd/

There are some parts at the beginning that are kind of painful to watch, but they are there intentionally and you will see the reasons for them when you get to the end.

 

We got into it the other way around by first discovering Lizzie Bennet Diaries and falling in love with the story while it was happening. About halfway through the story via LBD, we watched the Colin Firth version and loved it. Then we started read the book, but felt that we were still missing something and picked up an annotated version which really boosted our understanding of everything that was going on by giving us all the information that was common knowledge at the time.

 

[Vida Winter]

Adding to the list...

 

The Woman in White, The Moonstone - Wilkie Collins

Having Our Say - Sarah and Elizabeth Delaney

Katherine - Anya Seton

 

[regentrude]

Gone with the Wind

[Kendall]

The Moonstone,

 

Jane Austen-Strange for me to say this, but I don't view these as romances though I guess they are.  They are amusing and well written.  My daughter thinks Northanger Abbey is the funniest one.

 

To Say Nothing of the Dog

 

Mrs. Pollifax

 

I have assigned the first 3 as high school literature (though To Say Nothing of the Dog is probably not going to be on anyone else's list).  Mrs. Pollifax I have just offered as free reading and they get devoured by males and females alike.   

 

If you are going to do Moonstone save To Say Nothing of the Dog until afterwards or it might give the Moonstone away to a sharp reader with a very good memory who reads the Moonstone in close proximity to it.

 

[Sarah L.]

For my women's lit class in college, we used The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women. That might be a good place to look as a starting point. The nice thing about these anthologies is that they track with history, and each time period is accompanied by an historical overview. Also, each author has a brief biographical snapshot. Both features help to give context to the writing.

 

The first volume begins with Marie de France (~1170) and ends with Pauline Johnson (1861-1913). 

 

Volume 2 picks up with early 20th-century literature (Edith Wharton 1862-1937) and concludes with modern pieces by a range of authors. 

 

I'm sure you can check online for a complete list of all of the authors and works.

 

Not all of the content is necessarily appropriate for high-school readers, though it depends on your comfort zone as a parent and your daughter's maturity. Not a bad idea to discuss some of these topics within the safety of your home before she goes to college!

 

My daughter is starting 10th grade in the fall, and we'll be exploring these books over the next couple years.

 

Hope this helps!

Sarah 

Edited May 9, 2016 by Sarah L.

[Paige]

Are romance themed books excluded, or just not particularly required? There are many classics with women featured, but whether you like them or not is subjective. What I hate, others love, so ymmv.

 

To Kill a Mockingbird

 

Tess of the D'Urbervilles

 

Sister Carrie

 

A Raisin in the Sun

 

The Cherry Orchard

 

Many of Shakespeare's plays

 

Tale of Two Cities- the women are featured heavily even if they aren't the main characters

 

The Importance of Being Earnest

 

Vanity Fair

 

Night and Day

 

Middlemarch

 

Scarlet Letter

 

My Antonia

 

 

 

 

 

[Bluegoat]

Mrs Dalloway

The Good Earth

The Shipping News - this is a bit lighter and not really a classic but a nice book

The Diviners - one of my favorites, and classic Canadian lit - I named my eldest after the main character

Middlemarch

Breakfast at Tiffany's

 

 

For genre fiction you might try P.D. James - she has some with female main charachters though I prefer her Deglishe novels.  Or, Children of Men which is an amazing book.

Ursula LeGuin - maybe The Dispossessed or The Left Hand of Darkness.

 

 

 

[tuesdayschild]

Some good suggestions here and I'll try not to repeat titles!

Not classic lit but great reading:

Gene Stratton Porter (Girl of the Limberlost in particular)

 

And if you're not adverse to Christian themed books:

Stepping Heavenward ~ Prentiss

Evidence Not Seen ~ Darlene D. Rose

 

(Just have to say though ;)  .... my Dd (14)  really enjoyed immersing in Jane Austen titles this year; and, though it has a man as the protagonist John Buchan's Richard Hannah series was really enjoyed too.)

 

ETA:  Lorna Doone ~ Blackmore    (recommending a content check on this one)

Shadow Spinner ~ Fletcher  (easier reading.  Fun summer time read)

Edited May 11, 2016 by Tuesdays Child

[hornblower]

The Moonstone,

 

Jane Austen-Strange for me to say this, but I don't view these as romances though I guess they are. They are amusing and well written. My daughter thinks Northanger Abbey is the funniest one.

 

To Say Nothing of the Dog

 

Mrs. Pollifax

 

I have assigned the first 3 as high school literature (though To Say Nothing of the Dog is probably not going to be on anyone else's list). Mrs. Pollifax I have just offered as free reading and they get devoured by males and females alike.

 

 

My dd liked To Say Nothing of the Dog a lot so it would definitely make her lists.

It's fun. She read it after 3 Men :)

 

Dd also thinks Northanger is very funny.

 

And Mrs. Pollifax is well liked here too. Sounds like literary kindred spirits :)

 

 

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[Kendall]

My dd liked To Say Nothing of the Dog a lot so it would definitely make her lists.

It's fun. She read it after 3 Men :)

 

Dd also thinks Northanger is very funny.

 

And Mrs. Pollifax is well liked here too. Sounds like literary kindred spirits :)

 

 

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When I typed that I knew in the back of my mind that there were other books that are fun to read before To Say Nothing of the Dog.  You have reminded me that in the modern era year I have them read Three Men in a Boat, some Jeeves stories by Wodehouse, the Moonstone, and then To Say Nothing of the Dog.  My daughter would love it now, but I jealously want to save it for that year and won't let her read it until she reads the Moonstone.  The modern era can be so dark otherwise.