Judging from the heated discussions about 'appropriate books', I am guessing that some parents are having a time tough picking the right book for their young girls. While there are a number of varying reasons why certain books have been dumped in the blacklist, I notice that there is one recurring complaint amongst most parents - that some books aimed at younger females lack substance or depth. This could very well be a misconception held by these parents. It could also be a valid argument after being disappointed by modern novels. Whatever the case, I decided to list five of my favorite classic novels that I read as a little kid. These were books that made a strong impression on me.

 

1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

 

In my opinion, this is an absolute must for every teenage girl. I suppose the abridged version would be good for younger readers; one of my friends was quite disturbed by Eyre's upbringing and domestic situation and leads me to think that the shorter version with less details might have suited her best.

 

This classic by Charlotte Bronte tells the tale of a lonely orphan girl who overcomes all adversity to lead a fulfilling life as an independent woman. Having said that, I must point out that she does have a rather harsh life, first with her guardians and later on in her boarding school. What impresses you the most is her feisty spirit, her will power and conviction in her belief in her self. To this effect, Jane Eyre is introspective and always fighting to be a self-sufficient woman. The concept in this book is ever more amazing when you realize that the book was written in a time when women didn't have much rights or were not acknowledged to be as intelligent as men. Perhaps the best example is Jane Eyre's treatment of her fiance, Mr. Rochester; unlike the typical fluttering eye-lashed damsel, Jane Eyre leaves him upon discovering he is already married. They reconcile matters only when he has repented for his actions and his previous marriage is dissolved (in that tragic, rather dreadful way as you will discover).

 

 

2. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

 

This is another fantastic classic. This particular book covers the life of four sisters with a particular focus on Jo. At least that is how I remember it; it could very well be that I am biased towards my favorite character.

In a nutshell, the story is of four sisters being brought up just by their mother. This being the time of the American Civil War, the father has joined the army and is off to his do his duties. The overall plot focuses on the basic characteristics of each girl through various incidents before fleshing out their futures and grown-up personalities. In this way, it was interesting to see Alcott making a social commentary about the expectations imposed on a young woman of that time. Each girl is used to depict one or more of the norms; Jo is the feminist in the

group, wanting to be an independent career woman who is also headstrong as opposed to her more complacent sisters. On the other hand, her quieter, artistic sister shows the patience that is lacking in Jo and is sometimes shown as an alternative way to dealing with a situation.

 

 

3. Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott

 

Alcott wrote quite a few great books and this is definitely one of them. The main protagonist, Rose, in this story is less fiery and less impulsive than Jo but is nonetheless equally likable. On that note, Rose also displays more old-school feminine mannerisms whilst still maintaining typical Alcott feminist ideals.

 

This book tells the story of a young orphan girl who ends up with a rather unconventional uncle. As if that does not shock her out of her comfort zone, she is also now surrounded by seven male cousi ns. That is not a negative point; rather, it makes her a stronger willed person as she has to find out who she really is as opposed to adhering to social norms set by other women. Throughout the novel, Alcott uses various personalities to flesh out the feminist ideals which is in turn adopted by Rose. These ideals are either brought up by various events or through norms forwarded or disproved by certain folks (e.g. by Uncle Alec).

 

 

 

4. Five Children and It by Edith Nesbit

You can bundle this one along with all the other novels with feel-good plot-lines. It combines a bit of fantasy and adventure to awaken the imagination of the young reader. This is a great read for some pre-teens as well as teenagers.

 

Here is the basic gist of the story. Five children find this strange magical creature that grants them wishes everyday. The wish is always reversed at the end of the day and thus, the children can indulge in a fantastical adventure from sunrise to sunset. Most of the wishes resulted the weirdest occurrences and most of the time you ended up fretting about how it would end. This in itself was one of the reasons why I loved the book. The wishes never occurred the way you expected them to and at the same time, it played on the vices or weaknesses of humans (e.g. greed). For instance, I remember the chapter where the kids wished to be beautiful. This was all good and well until they found out that no one knew who they were anymore. Which is especially worrying when you want to go back home. Didn't see that coming, did we?

 

 

5. The Secret Garden by F. H Burnett

 

It is sad to note that this book is no longer as popular amongst younger readers. Well, some shops don't stock this book and quite a few of my younger family members and their friends have not heard of it. That is a shame given that this classic story was perfect for teenage readers.

 

 

Like Five Children and It, this is another good story with a happy ending. There are no elements of fantasy but the readers

will still end up using their imagination to envision various aspects of the story. The main character is called Mary and she has recently moved to live with hernew guardian. He is a rather grumpy person and she is quite miserable. Then she finds a hidden garden which she cultivates with the end result that the home has a beautiful, blooming garden. The actual emphasis is on Mary putting a lot of herself into something fruitful to make herself. To this effect, she is also instrumental in encouraging her sickly cousin, Colin, to embrace life and become more positive. In the end, the moody uncle also comes around and changes his outlook.