Monday, January 25, 2010

Fifty-five books every girl should read

I seem to be in the mood for compiling book lists at the moment. I felt inspired to make a list of the books that were my "best friends" as a very young girl. Okay, I'm still young, but I've got the 8-14 age bracket in mind here. These are books that I would love to share with my daughter/s one day, if I ever have any. . . I've been trying to get my younger sisters to read some of these books, but I guess they have other interests and hobbies right now. Hopefully I'll be blessed with at least one bookworm daughter someday. :-)

~L.M. Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables books and others~

Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Avonlea
Anne of the Island
Anne of Windy Willows
Anne's House of Dreams
Anne of Ingleside
Rainbow Valley
Rilla of Ingleside
Emily of New Moon
Emily Climbs
Emily's Quest
Jane of Lantern Hill

~Laura Ingalls Wilder - Little House on the Prairie series~

Little House in the Big Woods
Little House on the Prairie
On the Banks of Plum Creek
By the Shores of Silver Lake
The Long Winter
Little Town on the Prairie
These Happy Golden Years

~C.S. Lewis - The Chronicles of Narnia~

The Magician's Nephew
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Horse and His Boy
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Last Battle


~L.M. Alcott - Little Women books and others~

Little Women
Good Wives
Little Men
Jo's Boys
Eight Cousins
Rose in Bloom
An Old-Fashioned Girl
The Inheritance

~Arleta Richardson - Grandma's Attic novels~

Away from Home
A School of Her Own
Wedding Bells Ahead
At Home in North Branch
New Faces, New Friends

~Johanna Spyri and Charles Tritten - Heidi books~

Heidi
Heidi Grows Up
Heidi's Children

~Ethel Turner - Seven Little Australians series~

Seven Little Australians
The Family at Misrule
Little Mother Meg

~Frances Hodgson Burnett~

The Secret Garden
A Little Princess 

~Patricia St John~

The Tanglewood's Secret
Treasures of the Snow
Rainbow Garden

~Miscellaneous~

Mara, Daughter of the Nile - Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm - Kate Douglas Wiggin
The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie - May Gibbs
A Girl of the Limberlost - Gene Stratton-Porter
Pollyanna - Eleanor H. Porter

~~~~~

What are some of the books that you loved as a young girl? Are there any classics for girls that I have apparently missed out on, and should read ASAP? :P

18 comments:

Annette Piper said...

At this age (by say age 13) I read and enjoyed:

Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen
My Family and Other Animals - Gerald Durrell (and his other stories!)
The Hobbit - Tolkien
Finn Family Moomintroll - Tove Jansson (and the rest of the series)
David Copperfield, The Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
Famous Five and Secret Seven series - Enid Blyton
Biggles books - Capt. W E Johns
The Call of the Wild - Jack London
Watership Down - Richard Adams
Ivanhoe - Sir Walter Scott
Black Beauty - Anna Sewell
What Katy Did - Susan Coolidge

and from the more modern genre, the Harry Potter books and Golden Compass series by Philip Pullman.

Unknown said...

Oh, I keep meaning to re-read the Anne books. I have such wonderful memories of first discovering them as a kid. :)

Vellvin said...

It's very intersting Elise but on my rading list I'm going to read some of the books you have on that list such as: all the Narnia's, Emily of new Moon, Emily Climbs, Emily's Quest, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. And I have listened to some of the Laura books on cd. Have you ever read The Betsy-Tacy series?
Love,
Vellvin.

Tracie Nall said...

This list reads like a compilation of all of my childhood best friends (when you are an only child, books are your best friends!)

My daughter is a little bookworm, and right now we are reading The Secret Garden together. She is also loving the Nancy Drew books (which were some of my favorites)

Brittany November said...

I must say, you have pretty good taste in books ;)

Miss Laurie said...

You have such a wonderful list here! I'm so glad my sister (age 13) has been able to read most of these in the past few years.
The Elsie Dinsmore books are another wonderful series she enjoyed and there's also Millie Keith books and the rest of the Life of Faith series (see: alof.com).

The American Girl books though not classics are also a great series to enjoy. Also Nancy Drew, Bobbsey Twins, Boxcar Children and The Happy Hollisters books are fun series.

At the age of 12-13 I was also reading Northanger Abbey, Jeannette Oke's books, some Lori Wick, and a few Grace Livingston Hill (Brentwood and The Mystery of Mary are wonderful).

Other good books:
The Railway Children, The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nebit,
The Mandie Books,
Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix,
Tales From Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb (a great way to learn about Shakespeare)

Just makes me want to read all the good old books again! :)

Marian said...

Ditto Boxcar Children, Narnia, The Little Princess, Little House series, and The Railway Children!

I would also add the Caroline series (about Laura Ingalls's mother), which I really really liked; the Trixie Belden mysteries; and some "boy's books" such as Treasure Island.

Anonymous said...

You have constructed a beautiful list, Elise! The Anne books, as well as The Secret Garden and The Little Princess, are my personal favorites. Great work!

You might also like Caddie Woodlawn, by Carol Ryrie Brink. It is a coming-of-age story on the American fronteir (similar to the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, but even better in my opinion). There is even a delicious plot twist regarding a great English inheritance!

Blessings ~ Lex Anne

Rebekah said...

I loved Pollyanna, Treasures of the Snow and Heidi! :D

I can't think of any you missed - if I do, I'll let you know! :p

To the KING be all the glory!
Rebekah

BLOG: http://www.donotgrowweary.com/blog

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15

Unknown said...

Hi Elise,
Is the House at Misrule, the same or a different book from The Family at Misrule? As I don't have that one.

Nat at RA FanBlog said...

Hi Elise!
I just discovered and love your blog! We share a lot of the same interests in movies/books. I LOVE period films and have seen nearly all that you have listed on your sidebar. I plan to visit often and have linked your blog on my sidebar- I hope you don't mind. :)
~Natalie

The Editrix said...

Vellvin - no, I haven't read that series. I'll have to check it out.

Guitargirl - why, thank you! :-)

Annette, Laurie, Lex Anne - thanks for the recommendations!

Marian - yes, the Caroline books are good! We read the Martha/Charlotte/Caroline books as a family a few years ago.

Deanne - oops, my mistake. Yes, I meant "The Family at Misrule".

Natalie - aw, thanks so much! :-) I'll have to check out your site, too - I'm bit of RA fan. . .

FelicityKing said...

This is why I love your blog so much because you celebrate the power of books like no other blog does.

You listed most of my childhood favorites on it too!

By any chance, could I link your blog to my site?

The Editrix said...

Thank you, Felicity! And please, link to my blog if you want to! I'd be honoured. :-)

Enbrethiliel said...

+JMJ+

What a great book list!

Until today, I hadn't heard of Arleta Richardson and Patricia St. John or known that there were sequels to Heidi. How lovely just to know!

Thanks, Elise. =)

The Editrix said...

Your welcome! Thank you! :-)

Annie said...

I have read little women!

Love, Annie.

Unknown said...

I realise this is a ridiculously old post, but I just wanted to say that despite being into my twenties, about half of these are still among my favourites - and now I feel like I should go read the ones I haven't read since you clearly have excellent taste :P
Amelia