I think it’s been established that this is a sliding scale.

Yes, and I’ve read the C&K series and Mairelon, but I still think I like the Dealing with Dragons series best. I really can’t think of anyone better than Cimorene as a protagonist (I also like Morwen, but my primary allegiance is to Cimorene and Kazul). This is in part based in my general dislike of Victorian-era kids’ lit, which seems to be increasing for some reason. It’s not straight fantasy, but kind of “period fantasy” that’s borrowing a bit from the Harry Potter popularity, in my opinion.

I love love love the Abhorsen/Old Kingdom series. It’s one of the darkest and best written “new” young adult series that’s been released in the last 10 years. This is probably one of the best parts about more recent lit — the increasing portrayal of “sheroes.” I don’t think all of Tamora Pierce’s works are the best thing ever when it comes to this, but I do like her most recent series (Trickster..) for both the originality and the the personality of her heroines.

The themes tackled in these books are not light subjects: death of family, coping with living by oneself in a strange and distant land, away from all that is familiar, the discovery of one’s power, coming to terms with bad decisions and personal faults, the gifts of friendship, and the power of sacrifice. To boot, these books raise the issues of equality for all, and carry a feminist undercurrent.

They’re great books, and people should not let either the hype or the movies dissuade them from picking them up. Honestly, you have nothing to lose from exposing yourself to some more culture. The first two books only take about 3 days to read in total.

Give them a try.

I also, for the record, really like the Dealing with Dragons series, which is really witty and has excellent female main characters. I don’t know if it’s lit in the same umbrella as Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, etc., but it is funny contemporary young adult lit.

Written by Patricia Wrede, weren’t they, Camille? Her books do tend to feature strong female protagonists. A slightly more adult series by her and Caroline Stevermer is the Cecelia and Kate series, which features the adventures of the protagonists with sorcery and polite society in a Regency-era world, and is written in the form of epistolary novels/letter games. I believe she also had another pair of pseudo-Regency romances featuring Mairleon the Magician.

Re: 99

Urmila, I think you’ve pretty much hit the nail on the head. While there were books with female protagonists in our childhood, after all was said and done, there was still that unspoken double standard: only boys could be allowed to be total rebels, girls were still expected to be young ladies. Fortunately, that seems to have changed in the current crop of children’s literature: Cimorene in the Dealing with Dragons series, Lyra in the His Dark Materials trilogy, Hester Shaw in the Hungry City Chronicles, Sabriel in the Old Kingdom trilogy, etc.

By the way, I’m using the Sepoy Mutiny “definition” of 1.5 gen: went to high school in the homeland (Bangladesh) and college in the States. And yes, we had Wren and Martin too. What was interesting and appealing about the Fundamental English series though, was seeing the day-to-day life of the fictional Bargery family, their challenges, small victories, trials and tribulations: dealing with school, then careers and romance, deaths in the family, etc. With hindsight, I realize that there was even a cliched gay friend of the family, portrayed of course as a very proper bachelor “uncle”, but one who knew people in the art world and was able to enroll the youngest Bargery sibling in an Art academy, when he showed a talent for painting.

Urmila, I believe that was me. As for female madcap characters, the two school series by Blyton, Malory Towers and St. Clare’s, featured a decent number of arguably madcap protagonists in girls’ boarding schools.

and Runa

To add to # 94 Enid Blyton also wrote the “naughtiest girl ” series with quite the madcap heroine. Also I know EB is outdated and very un- PC by today’s standards but George( Georgina) of the Famous Five was the one character that I identified with so much when growing up ( maybe because I was a bit of a tom-boy myself!)

Well, I meant more the William type character, who really doesn’t give a fig for authority and if he could get away with it, would never ever go to school! As for Jennings, while he has admirable motives, all his endeavors end badly (for him, for us it is lots of laughs). None of EB’s characters except maybe Mr. Muddle have any of that kind of zaniness. Most of EB’s females are really into school, want to do well and to have fun … pretty much in that order. Since that was a good description of me (when I didn’t have my nose buried in a book!) I really identified! But underneath all the fun – they were all girls who respected authority and had fun in pretty much the ‘approved’ manner (barring the occasional midnight school feasts) except for Elizabeth (the Naughtiest Girl) and even she held out only for 1 term.

Just want to say I am having so much fun discussing these books, they were my staple for so many years!

Shaad, I never read ‘Fundamental English’ but then I am not a 1.5 gen … is it something you studied in the US? In India, Bombay (SSC) we used Wren and Martin for Grammar and a state textbook for English (apart from the books for the book report of course).

For me the test is of a ‘good’ or gripping book is how many times I want to read it. My favourites have been read over and over again, even though I get into the book each time, I feel like I discover new layers when I reread.

Urmila, I totally agree. I was just talking to a friend about this, but I still have all my favorite children’s book series, and I used to reread all of them throughout college.

I also, for the record, really like the Dealing with Dragons series, which is really witty and has excellent female main characters. I don’t know if it’s lit in the same umbrella as Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, etc., but it is funny contemporary young adult lit.

HMF, is it any coincidence that both Malcolm X and Harry Potter feature “pure blood” adherents who push a policy of eugenics? Hmmm…

Shaad, I have to tell you, having called the HP ending two years ago when I finished Book 6, I felt entirely vindicated and self-satisfied/smarmy. Still do, actually What was remarkable to me was that, having called it, I didn’t feel disheartened like I normally do. I felt pretty satisfied/content.

Nothing wrong with the statement in itself, however it’s used as a passive-aggressive way of saying her overall product is sub-par. In my post, I mention JKR isn’t the best technical writer out there, but using that as a knock against the complete finished product of fantasy fiction she’s presented tends come off as weak.

Or do we all have to publish and sell more books than author X in order to critique X’s work?

No, not at all, nor was that my point. Everyone has an opinion, I was just saying that many who say she isn’t the best techinical writer out there, don’t admit that her other abilities as a writer setting the plot, character development, the flow, etc (which counts) is good.

I don’t believe most of the “critics” here are such elitist prigs that they would suggest that an artist/writer/talent is less talented simply because of the popularity of her work. However, you might want to be slightly cautious about the converse — equating great popularity with great art. Unless, of course, you want to suggest that Dallas or Baywatch are examples of great art in television.

I did not specifically say most or all, or how many. My post was in response to certain observations I’ve noted through the Harry Potter series in the time (since 2001) that I’ve been following. There is a segment that are elitist pigs, who were far more vocal before, though you’ll see a glint of it here and there now. Like I said – this isn’t directed at anyone here particular, just something I’ve noted. And no, Baywatch isn’t great art. Unless you take the skill of plastic surgeons into account who should get royalties for that show. I’m definitely not arguing an absolute position here. More popular does not equal artistically better. Less popular does not equal artistically better, either.

A little too soap opera-esque for me, but enjoyable nevertheless.

I’ve heard this and it’s fine by me. I can see how it is soap opera-esque. It’s hard to avoid any ‘drama’ when you’re talking about middle school-highschool aged kids.

What matters, to me at least, is that a series of rather enjoyable books were available for reading, by me and by many children who generally tend to prefer movies, television, and video games to books.

Agreed 110%. The books are entertaining, accessible, and something that can be discussed by children and their parents together in an enviroment that has far more options for their limited attention/time.

Also I know EB is outdated and very un- PC by today’s standards but George( Georgina) of the Famous Five was the one character that I identified with so much when growing up ( maybe because I was a bit of a tom-boy myself!)

Someone mentioned Richmal Crompton & Anthony Buckeridge, I loved and still love William and Jennings, wish there were more female madcap characters!

Urmila, I believe that was me. As for female madcap characters, the two school series by Blyton, Malory Towers and St. Clare’s, featured a decent number of arguably madcap protagonists in girls’ boarding schools.