GOOD BOOKS FOR TEEN GIRLS

You may have to encourage your teenage daughters to search a bit for the books I'm highlighting today, because sadly they won't find them on the "YOUNG ADULT" shelves in retail bookstores or the "Teen Section" of your local library (I've looked)!

Contemporary teen books being published today are labeled "YA" - a genre in itself: fiction for 13-18 year olds.   My recommendations are classic books from all genres that deal with many of the same trials and feelings experienced by teenage girls today, minus the explicit sex, graphic violence, harsh language, and dark topics so prevalent in many YA books, which most parents I know don't think are necessarily suitable for young teens.

NOTE to parents: I'm aware that there are some good YA books out there, but please help your teen choose carefully (click here for a helpful link). If you're not up on what's on the YA shelves, read THIS ARTICLE from the Wall Street Journal and go check them out for yourselves. I have to say, my own kids didn't read much contemporary YA fiction and they don't feel like they missed much!  But on the other hand, they can't imagine missing out on the classics they read, which made a lasting impression on their young minds, imaginations, and souls! So many books, so little time. Here's a start...

Yesterday I blogged about a novel I'm reading, EVELINA, by Frances Burney. It's the story of a 17-year old eighteenth century girl, told through letters exchanged between her and her guardian, Mr. Villars.

Today, I came across another epistolary style novel, this one involving a modern-day teenage girl. It's LETTERS TO ST. LYDIA, by Melinda Johnson.  I hope you'll take time to listen to Jane Meyer's excellent review on Ancient Faith Radio - which can be found HERE.

Lydia’s life is turning upside down, and soon she’ll be facing all the trials and temptations encountered by every young adult who’s on her own for the first time. Lydia needs a friend badly—and she finds one in the most unexpected place: an icon of St. Lydia. Young Lydia pours out her troubles in letters to St. Lydia, who (invisibly to Lydia) answers, guiding her through her time of troubles with deep love and compassion. (Conciliar Press)

If you have a daughter who is a fan of the ANNE OF GREEN GABLES books, you might have her try L.M. Montgomery's EMILY OF NEW MOON trilogy.  The series, set in 19th-Century America,  is more realistic and less romanticized then the Anne books and many L.M. Montgomery fans consider these novels her best.  They are partly autobiographical in nature.  Montgomery considered Emily much closer to her own personality than Anne; and indeed, some of the events that her spirited heroine (a writer who is struggling to gain literary recognition) goes through were experienced by Montgomery herself.
 

A GIRL OF LIMBERLOST by Gene Stratton-Porter. Elnora lives by the Limberlost, a great swamp in Indiana, neglected by her depressed widowed mother. Her high school days are a trial, as the other girls make fun of her rustic clothes and apparent poverty. But her love of the great outdoors comes to her aid, as she manages to make money by collecting and selling butterflies and moths. Her life becomes more interesting when a young man comes to lodge with them, however he is already engaged.  A moving story about the transforming power of love and reconciliation.

JANE EYRE by Charlotte Bronte.  This is my all-time favorite novel, which led me (as a sophomore in high school) to fall in love with classic English literature.  It is considered to be one of the greatest Romantic novels to come out of 19th-Century England. Written in first-person narrative, Bronte's epic story follows the plain but intelligent Jane Eyre in her development as an individual, starting with her traumatic childhood.  It is a thriller/mystery/love story, all rolled into one compelling book that relates how a lonely, brooding man of wealth - Mr. Rochester - is transformed by a young orphaned governess's courage and steadfast love.  I have never seen a film that could do justice to this engrossing story.  Encourage your daughter to READ. THE. BOOK.

Anything by Jane Austen!  EMMA, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, and SENSE AND SENSIBLITY are my favorites...
  
and these movie versions aren't bad, either:
    

TRUE GRIT by Charles Portis.  The Telegraph's "100 Books Every Child Should Read" lists this book and notes: "It should be given to every girl turning 16".  Portis' Western novel is the story of 14-year old Mattie Ross, a spirited and witty young girl who is out to avenge her "father's blood" and honor his memory. With one-eyed Rooster Cogburn, the meanest available U.S. Marshal, by her side, she pursues her father's killer into Indian Territory.  Told in first person by Mattie, now an old woman, it reads like a memoir as she describes her youthful adventures.  My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the recent movie, directed by the Coen brothers.  Actress Hailee Steinfeld did an impressive job of portraying fast talking Mattie Ross!
 

Did your daughter read Maud Hart Lovelace's BETSY TACY books with you when she was little?  The series of books was among my daughter's favorites and we decided to wait until she was a teen herself to read Lovelace's later books about Betsy's high school days (HEAVEN TO BETSY, BETSY IN SPITE OF HERSELF, BETSY WAS A JUNIOR, BETSY AND JOE), Betsy's travels to Europe (BETSY AND THE GREAT WORLD), and her eventual marriage to Joe (BETSY'S WEDDING).
  
Another good book by Maud Hart Lovelace that teen girls will enjoy is EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY. Emily Webster, an orphan living with her grandfather, is not like the other girls her age in Deep Valley, Minnesota. After graduation, she longs to join the Crowd and go off to college—but she can't leave her grandfather alone at home. Resigning herself to a "lost winter," Emily nonetheless throws herself into a new program of study and a growing interest in the local Syrian community, and when she meets a handsome new teacher at the high school, Emily gains more than she ever dreamed possible.


THE STORY OF MY LIFE, by Helen Keller. This inspiring autobiography of Helen Keller and her triumph over blindness and deafness, was written when she was a sophomore in college, and first published in 1903.  Though her story is familiar to all, it is even more poignant and compelling as described in her own words.  (Because this was written in an age that was more literate than ours, the text might be challenging for young teens.)

FRANKENSTEIN, by Mary Shelley. Okay, I know you might be thinking this is a strange book choice for teen girls!  But did you know that Mary Shelley began this deeply profound work when she was only 18??  When I read it, I was blown away, knowing it was penned by a young woman, and told so chillingly through the first person of Dr. Frankenstein.  In this classic novel (considered to be one of the first science fiction books), readers "encounter the reality of evil, and the danger of untempered common sense and moral restraints... At the heart of this myth is the pride of the scientist who would take God's place and become a Creator in his own right...Frankenstein is a tragic story, a cautionary tale...what story could be more relevant to our society, given the increasing power wielded by scientists and businessmen over genetics and human life?  Mary Shelley, with an artist's prophetic imagination, reminded us what it is like to be human - and less than human". (quote from BOOKS THAT BUILD CHARACTER, by William Kilpatrick).

Things to remember when selecting "good" books for children of any age (from Books that Build Character):

1. Try to recall stories that had a positive impact on you growing up.
2. Choose books that are in keeping with your own values.
3. Try to distinguish between issues and virtues.  Many contemporary children's books focus on trendy issues rather than character development.  You want your child to develop strength of character before she acquires a lot of secondhand opinions. The author should have a story to tell, not a message to convey.
4. Remember that good books are people centered, not problem centered.  Issues dealt with should be integrated with the characters, setting and plot.  Look for books where the main character grows.
5. Context is crucial.  Character-building books are not simply about good people doing good things.  Moral books may deal with immoral behavior.  The question is not whether unethical behavior is present, but how it is presented. The hero or heroine may give way to temptation, but a good book will show the real costs of such a choice.


OTHER POSTS I'VE DONE ON TEEN BOOKS:
Good Books for Teen Boys (girls will enjoy many of these as well!)
Renee Riva's fiction
Royal Monastic, by Bev Cook

SUMMER READING FOR GROWN-UPS!

Wish there was an ocean off my patio! (photo by Barry Winiker)

Where I live in Southern California, it's been in the mid-to-high 90's the past few days - the perfect excuse to lounge around with a good book and a glass of iced tea.  After spending so much time exploring the world of children's books, I try leave time for some grown-up reading.  And a friend recommended a gem (thanks, Monika!)...

Frances Burney's EVELINA, OR, THE HISTORY OF A YOUNG LADY'S ENTRANCE INTO THE WORLD, was the chick-lit novel of 1778 and I'm loving it in 2011!  "Fanny" Burney was a predecessor and influence of Jane Austen, and was described by Virginia Woolf as "the Mother of English Fiction".

EVELINA, Burney's first novel, was penned in secret and published anonymously, since women writers in the eighteenth century risked disapproval for displaying a worldly understanding of things that might be considered inappropriate for a well-bred young ladies.  (Unless she wrote out of financial need, a woman's literary endeavors were usually viewed as merely frivolous labor and a blight upon her character.)

Written as a series of letters, EVELINA follows the experiences of this naive heroine during her stay in London, as she communicates back and forth with Mr. Villars, a kind country clergyman who has been her guardian since the death of her mother (and rejection of her father). Having been raised in rural seclusion and sheltered from the ways of society until the age of seventeen, Evelina is now reluctantly allowed by Mr. Villars to travel to London, where she is introduced to society by Mr. Villar's trusted friends, Captain and Mrs. Mirvan and their daughter (who is Evelina's age). But while in London, her sensibilities are attacked and questioned by her vulgar grandmother - who has suddenly found interest in meeting her - and her pretentious and ill-bred cousins. After many adventures, her poise and beauty (despite her innocent and often humorous faux pas) earn her the attention of a distinguished nobleman, Lord Orville.  And finally, pained by the fact that she has no "name" in the eyes of society because of her father's disownment, she finds herself in a search for her lone parent, Lord Belmont.

Frances Burney's novel was an instant success, praised not only for its moral tone, but for its unique narrative and lively dialogue. Part of the charm of EVELINA is that it exposes and satirizes the social mores of the very society in which it is set.  I'm enjoying every bit of it and have found myself not wanting to put it down!

Are you engrossed in a good book? Please leave a comment and let me know what you're reading (or are planning to read) this summer. You can read my post from last year, listing good "Summer Reading Choices for Adults", HERE.

WHAT MY HUSBAND IS READING:
UNBROKEN: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, by Laura Hillenbrand.  This book was no small undertaking - it took seven years of research and interviews by the competent author of another book about a forgotten hero, Seabiscuit.  


UNBROKEN is true story of Louie Zamperini, a juvenile delinquent-turned-Olympic runner-turned Army hero.  His plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean during a routine search mission.  Over the next three years of his life he not only survived the horrors and degradations of life in a Japanese POW camp, but somehow maintained his selfhood and humanity in the process.


From the author:
"Eight years ago, an old man told me a story that took my breath away. His name was Louie Zamperini, and from the day I first spoke to him, his almost incomprehensibly dramatic life was my obsession.


It was a horse--the subject of my first book, Seabiscuit: An American Legend--who led me to Louie. As I researched the Depression-era racehorse, I kept coming across stories about Louie, a 1930s track star who endured an amazing odyssey in World War II. I knew only a little about him then, but I couldn’t shake him from my mind. After I finished Seabiscuit, I tracked Louie down, called him and asked about his life. For the next hour, he had me transfixed.


Growing up in California in the 1920s, Louie was a hellraiser, stealing everything edible that he could carry, staging elaborate pranks, getting in fistfights, and bedeviling the local police. But as a teenager, he emerged as one of the greatest runners America had ever seen, competing at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he put on a sensational performance, crossed paths with Hitler, and stole a German flag right off the Reich Chancellery. He was preparing for the 1940 Olympics, and closing in on the fabled four-minute mile, when World War II began. Louie joined the Army Air Corps, becoming a bombardier. Stationed on Oahu, he survived harrowing combat, including an epic air battle that ended when his plane crash-landed, some six hundred holes in its fuselage and half the crew seriously wounded.


On a May afternoon in 1943, Louie took off on a search mission for a lost plane. Somewhere over the Pacific, the engines on his bomber failed. The plane plummeted into the sea, leaving Louie and two other men stranded on a tiny raft. Drifting for weeks and thousands of miles, they endured starvation and desperate thirst, sharks that leapt aboard the raft, trying to drag them off, a machine-gun attack from a Japanese bomber, and a typhoon with waves some forty feet high. At last, they spotted an island. As they rowed toward it, unbeknownst to them, a Japanese military boat was lurking nearby. Louie’s journey had only just begun.


That first conversation with Louie was a pivot point in my life. Fascinated by his experiences, and the mystery of how a man could overcome so much, I began a seven-year journey through his story. I found it in diaries, letters and unpublished memoirs; in the memories of his family and friends, fellow Olympians, former American airmen and Japanese veterans; in forgotten papers in archives as far-flung as Oslo and Canberra. Along the way, there were staggering surprises, and Louie’s unlikely, inspiring story came alive for me. It is a tale of daring, defiance, persistence, ingenuity, and the ferocious will of a man who refused to be broken.


The culmination of my journey is my new book, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. I hope you are as spellbound by Louie’s life as I am." - Laura Hillenbrand