Hello All, I saw a rather unsettling short clip on facebook the other day showing how many books aimed at children do not include strong female characters, female characters that speak, or female characters that are not waiting around hoping to be saved by a prince. Here are the statistics that accompany the clip: Male characters appear in up to 100% of books ( FSU study finds 100 years of gender bias in children’s books, 2011 ) In a study of over 5000 children’s books, 25% of them had zero female characters [ Gender in 20th Century Children’s Books, 2011 ) Time Magazine listed the 100 best children’s books of all time . Only 53 have female characters that speak Across children’s media, only 19.5% of female characters hold jobs or have career aspirations vs. 80.5% of male characters ( SeeJane.org Occupational Aspirations, 2013 (NB. The links to the studies mentioned were not provided in the clip, so the links I have given are to links I have found through google - I hope they are the right ones!) Role models in children's books are important: I'm sure that most parents would want their daughters to be able to identify with strong female characters that put them in charge of their own destiny and would not want their sons to grow up thinking that women are silent, thoughtless, inanimate prizes received as rewards for completing quests! I was hoping to get recommendations from everyone for any children's books that you remember from your own early days or any newer books that you are currently reading to your own children that stick in your mind as having good, positive female characters. Any recommendations for good books to look out for (or indeed any to avoid that place female characters in unhelpful non-speaking, non-thinking, no-action roles) would be sincerely appreciated. Thanks in advance for your suggestions! Best, Amber

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Children's book recommendations

Hello All,

I saw a rather unsettling short clip on facebook the other day showing how many books aimed at children do not include strong female characters, female characters that speak, or female characters that are not waiting around hoping to be saved by a prince.

Here are the statistics that accompany the clip:

Male characters appear in up to 100% of books (FSU study finds 100 years of gender bias in children’s books, 2011)

In a study of over 5000 children’s books, 25% of them had zero female characters [Gender in 20th Century Children’s Books, 2011)

Time Magazine listed the 100 best children’s books of all time. Only 53 have female characters that speak

Across children’s media, only 19.5% of female characters hold jobs or have career aspirations vs. 80.5% of male characters (SeeJane.org Occupational Aspirations, 2013 (NB. The links to the studies mentioned were not provided in the clip, so the links I have given are to links I have found through google - I hope they are the right ones!)

Role models in children's books are important: I'm sure that most parents would want their daughters to be able to identify with strong female characters that put them in charge of their own destiny and would not want their sons to grow up thinking that women are silent, thoughtless, inanimate prizes received as rewards for completing quests! I was hoping to get recommendations from everyone for any children's books that you remember from your own early days or any newer books that you are currently reading to your own children that stick in your mind as having good, positive female characters.

Any recommendations for good books to look out for (or indeed any to avoid that place female characters in unhelpful non-speaking, non-thinking, no-action roles) would be sincerely appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Best,

Amber

0 Former Community Member over 6 years ago

I confess to have spent most of my childhood reading 'boys' books, heavily featuring boys... it dosent seem to have affected me... I hope...!

I seem to remember in 'Flame-coloured Taffeta' by Rosemary Sutcliff that 'Damaris' took quite an active part. I think she did end up marrying in the end though...! Personally I would recomend all of Rosemary Sutcliffs childrens books - she is a very good writer of historical novels. I havent read any of her adults books but I still (at 25) enjoy reading some of her childrens books. For instance 'The rider of the white horse'. This is about General Fairfax in the Civil War. Looking back, his wife plays a strong part in that and it is told through her eyes. An interesting view point of a strong women who accompanied her husband to war (with her children) dispite the presures of the time that a womens place (especialy one of the nobility) was at the home. I particularaly like the chapter in which she is captured by the royalists, and takes their General to task over the treatment of prisoners! Another Rosmary Sutcliff novel in which a women plays a role that was against the social presures of the time is 'The sheild Ring'. All these books are enjoyable and well written adventures, with characters to which people these days can still relate althought they are set in scenes in history.

Grace.
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0 Kathryn Bain over 6 years ago

Matilda by Roald Dahl sticks out as a strong female character, although there are perhaps some other female characters that are not so pleasant in there too :)
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0 Amber Thomas over 6 years ago

Grace Munday:

I confess to have spent most of my childhood reading 'boys' books, heavily featuring boys... it dosent seem to have affected me... I hope...!

I seem to remember in 'Flame-coloured Taffeta' by Rosemary Sutcliff that 'Damaris' took quite an active part. I think she did end up marrying in the end though...! Personally I would recomend all of Rosemary Sutcliffs childrens books - she is a very good writer of historical novels. I havent read any of her adults books but I still (at 25) enjoy reading some of her childrens books. For instance 'The rider of the white horse'. This is about General Fairfax in the Civil War. Looking back, his wife plays a strong part in that and it is told through her eyes. An interesting view point of a strong women who accompanied her husband to war (with her children) dispite the presures of the time that a womens place (especialy one of the nobility) was at the home. I particularaly like the chapter in which she is captured by the royalists, and takes their General to task over the treatment of prisoners! Another Rosmary Sutcliff novel in which a women plays a role that was against the social presures of the time is 'The sheild Ring'. All these books are enjoyable and well written adventures, with characters to which people these days can still relate althought they are set in scenes in history.

Grace.

Fab - thanks for these suggestions. I haven't heard of this author before (or these books), but they are all now on my list! Thanks :)
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0 Amber Thomas over 6 years ago

Kathryn Bain:

Matilda by Roald Dahl sticks out as a strong female character, although there are perhaps some other female characters that are not so pleasant in there too :)

I love this book - definitely one of my faves as a child :)
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Children's book recommendations

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