I am a strong, proud feminist. I pray that if I have a daughter, she too will be a strong, proud feminist. One of the things that turned me into a feminist, besides my mother, were books. I will forever be indebted to the strong female book characters who shaped me as a person. I know for sure that I will be asking my daughter to read these and soak in the sheer brilliance of these iconic women.
1. "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
Scout, the main character, will forever have a place in my heart. Despite being young, she is feisty and curious, knowing that she is meant for more than she knows. She understands justice and has more empathy than you could expect out of such a young girl. Scout taught me that you are never too young to be intelligent.
2. The "Harry Potter" Series by J. K. Rowling
Almost all of the females characters in "Harry Potter" are totally badass. Hermione Granger instantly becomes the brightest witch of her age, always on top of her game. Luna Lovegood doesn't care what people think about her and lives her life proudly and happily. Ginny Weasley knows what she wants and will take out anyone who stands in her way. Professor McGonagall is in charge of everything and will not let anyone overpower her. Molly Weasley, even though she's a stay at home mother, works so hard to keep her children and family thriving, and killed one of the most feared death eaters to save her daughter.
3. The "Hunger Games" Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Katniss Everdeen is your quintessential feminist. She does everything a man can do and about 10 times better than anyone else. While she does let herself love others, she doesn't let it keep her from being incredible.
4. The "Mortal Instruments" Series by Cassandra Clare
Clary may not be the biggest feminist, but Isabelle takes on any man who stands in her way. And she's not afraid to take them down a few pegs while she's at it.
5. "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" Series by Rick Riordan
Percy may be the focus of this series, but Annabeth steals the show. She's strong, powerful, intelligent, and incredibly good at fighting. With her Yankees invisibility hat and a sharp wit, this feminist is a force to be reckoned with.
6. "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker
Celie and Shug Avery truly defined feminism in the iconic "push the button" scene in the novel where Shug teaches Celie how to take her pleasure into her own hands. This book is certainly for an older reader, but it's incredibly important to show that a woman can and will rise up against her abuser, especially when she has another woman by her side.
7. "The White Giraffe" by Lauren St. John
This is a book for young readers, but its feminist message stands by itself. Martine is forced into an undesirable situation, but she conquers it with pride and ends up taming a white giraffe and making a new friend while standing up for herself and making her grandmother proud. She is strong and independent, despite being a young child.
8. "Divergent" Trilogy by Veronica Roth
Tris is different, but she takes it in stride. She falls in love but doesn't let it carry her away. Her head is always on straight, and she is a phenomenal fighter who won't let anyone take advantage of her.
9. The "Twilight" Saga by Stephanie Meyer
"Twilight" is a series that doesn't feel incredibly feminist. But I'm not here to look at Bella. I'm here to look at Alice, one of Edward's sisters. She is very flouncy and girly, but that doesn't stop her from kicking ass when she wants to.
10. "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
"Speak" is all about standing up for yourself. Despite Melinda initially being a silent character, she is eventually encouraged to speak up (hence the title) and take control of her past, present, and future and get away from her trauma.
11. "Hang A Thousand Trees With Ribbons" by Ann Rinaldi
Phyllis Wheatley, America's first African American poet, has an incredible story. She's made it through slavery and suffering and became a feminist icon. She rose up to prove she was worth more than people anticipated of her.
12. "Riding Freedom" by Pam Munoz Ryan
Another children's book, another awesome message. Charlotte disguises herself as a boy to go live her dream and ends up becoming the first woman in her state (despite being in disguise) to vote. Wow.
13. "Cinder" by Marissa Meyer
"Cinder" is a different take on our classic Cinderella story where our princess is a cyborg from another planet who turns out to be a lost princess. Even the iconic scene where she's running from the ball is filled with dirt and grease and a ripped ballgown. The whole series is incredible, but "Cinder" is the most feminist of all of the characters.
14. "The Penderwicks" by Jeanne Birdsall
The Penderwick Sisters are probably some of the craziest book characters I've ever run into. They all exemplify a different feminist trait as their main personality trait and it creates this incredible character dynamic.
15. "Paper Towns" by John Green
Margo is an eccentric character who takes feminism to a different level, deciding that she does not answer to anyone and can do whatever she needs to do to make herself happy, which is something I aspire to. Maybe not to the same level as her, but the same sentiment applies.
16. "Charlotte's Web" by E. B. White
Fern and Charlotte are both incredibly headstrong and independent, Fern for protecting Wilbur no matter what and Charlotte for deciding the take fate into her own hands to save a friend. Feminism isn't always about the individual, sometimes it's about helping those who feel voiceless.
17. "Maximum Ride" Series by James Patterson
Max is large and in charge, taking care of her eclectic little family. She is a mother and a badass in the same person and takes both roles in stride. She doesn't let anything slow her down, except for her love for the people who care about her.
To my future daughter, I hope you enjoy these books and talk to me about them. I can't wait to nerd out with you.
