The first reference of its kind, Great Books for Girls is an invaluable
list of more than six hundred titles--picture books, novels, mysteries,
biographies, folktales, sports books, and more--that will encourage,
challenge, and ultimately nurture in girls the strong qualities our culture
so often suppresses.  



Kathleen Odean, a librarian and former member of the
prestigious Caldecott and Newbery Award committees, has gathered and
annotated a list of books starring bold, confident heroines for children
from toddlers to age fourteen.  Here are old favorites such as Eloise,
Harriet the Spy, Mrs.  Basil E. Frankweiler, and Ramona the Pest; new
inspirations such as Cinder Edna, Sheila Rae the Brave, Herculeah Jones,
and Princess Smartypants; and real-life admirable women such as Eleanor of
Aquitaine, Jane Goodall, Toni Morrison, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Helen
Keller.



In these books, girls and women are creative, capable, articulate, and
intelligent, solving problems, facing challenges, resolving conflicts, and
going on quests.  They are not sidekicks or tokens, waiting to be rescued;
they are doing the rescuing.  Nor are they waiting for a male to provide a
happy ending; they are fashioning their own stories and their own endings.  
Packed with expert guidance,Great Books for Girls is an essential volume
that will give girls of all ages the power of hope.