Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Mongomery
I just love Anne Shirley, she is an absolute riot. One of the most lovable female protagonists ever, Anne story begins when she is adopted by brother and sister Mr and Mrs Cuthbert. Her antics include accidently getting her 'bosom friend' Diana drunk, dying her hair green and obsessing over 'puffed sleeves' (yes, I think she paved the way for all of us here) Anne of Green Gables is timeless and heartwarming and a definite must for any young girl
Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder
Giving any young girl a crash course in philosophy, Sophie's World is not for the light hearted. The book's plot basically revolves around the packages Sophie receives each day from Alberto, a strange teacher that Sophie learns from via this bizarre and seemingly random correspondence. There are some very warped and sometimes confusing events that ensue but all together, Sophie's World is not your typical narrative fiction and very deep indeed, a great book for the young budding philosopher to tackle
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Bloom
Religious or not, every girl in my generation knows this book, it is like the teenage girl version of 'Where did I come from?' in the way it just explains everything. Based around Margaret, a very vulnerable girl going through puberty, she talks to God about her plumbing, her desires and her fears. It's a great book to realise you're pretty normal as a teenage girl and that periods, masturbation, envy and desire are just the everyday norm when your hormones are pumping through you like nobody's business. This is made of the stuff that sometimes you didn't want to ask your mum about and it makes you feel alright about it. Having said all that Judy Bloom is a fantastic writer and very well known for this particular novel
National Velvet by Enid Bagnold
Who could pass up a classic love story of a girl and her horse (and come on ladies, who doesn't want a horse?) This is the story of Velvet Brown and her horse Pie, as she wins him in a raffle and trains him to ride in the National. The outstanding thing about this novel is the strong female characters and the theme of women achieving whatever they set their mind to. This book is an absolute must for any young girl starting out on classic chicklit
The Diary of Anne Frank
Although this is not fiction, this will be absolutely compulsory for my kids. It teaches us so much about hate, love, fear and hope and if you are yet to read it I suggest you make a date with your local library first thing tomorrow morning! Anne Frank truly is one of the most inspiring stories any young girl could read
