Welcome to post no. 4 in my miniseries "The Book Club." Today, we're talking about the most feisty girls in literature (that I've actually read.) As a bonus, I'll introduce you to the heroine of my current WIP (work-in-progress), Aspen Jevensy.
First, when I say "girls," I mean 18 and under, which means no Lizzie Bennett or Scarlett O'Hara or Eliza Doolittle or Mary Poppins. They're feisty...and adults. On this list are the little girls/amazing teenagers that readers admire and enjoy reading. The ones who, if they really lived, could change the world.
I marked the redheads because there's something to be said for redheads that get out of control. Some feistiness can lead to craziness, and redheads are no exception. They're well known for losing their tempers or living on the wild side.
1. Liesel Meminger ~ a.k.a. The Book Thief, from the book of the same name. Liesel is a tomboy who learns a lot about the world and people during WWII Germany. She loves to read, which often automatically makes a girl feisty.
2. Pippi Longstocking (redhead) ~ Well known for her fun life, Pippi stars in her very own Pippi Longstocking books. Her outfits are bizarre, and she can spontaneously set out on adventures--as in South Seas adventures! She often enjoys down-the-street adventures too. Pippi wows her neighbors with her feats of strength and crazy antics.
3. Jo March ~ Jo is bad-tempered often, but she is also protective of her sisters. She grows through unsettling situations and sacrifices little comforts for others. She has ambitious plans to be a writer...like another girl I know. Little Women is the story of her tomboyish life and her sisters' not-so-tomboyish lives.
4. Kate Wetherall ~ One of my favorite characters in The Mysterious Benedict Society, Kate is always prepared and eager to face adventure alongside her friends. She is practical but unafraid, a good leader and a true friend.
5. Truly Lovejoy ~ Absolutely Truly tells of Truly's search for the truth and her own place in a new town while she solves a long-buried mystery. She's that girl you wish you could hang out with all day long. Note: also loves to read.
6. America Singer (redhead) ~ The star of The Selection series is America Singer, a girl whose life is thrown into chaos when she is chosen as a prospective bride for the prince. But she was already in love, and the books tell the story or her struggle between two loves, one new and strange and one long-standing. She's also a fan of pants over dresses (i.e. a tomboy.)
7. Scarlet Benoit (redhead) ~ She is title character of the second book in The Lunar Chronicles, Scarlet, who is loosely based on Little Red Riding Hood. She befriends Wolf and chooses not to judge him based on appearances. She searches long and hard with him for her grandmother who has been kidnapped.
8. Scout Finch ~ Scout is the classic feisty small town girl. Her clever narrative in To Kill a Mockingbird has fascinated generations. A sequel is coming, people! A sequel is coming from her creator, Harper Lee.
9. Anne Shirley (redhead) ~ Anne of Green Gables is the first of many books about the poetic, predicament-prone Anne Shirley. Although her personality gets her into trouble, it also wins her a family, a true friend, and an adorable guy.
10. Laura Ingalls ~ Laura encounters a lot of change when her family moves west. This is the only heroine from real life. The Little House on the Prairie series details many years of her life, from half-pint to married woman. She is a hard-worker, a good student, and loves her family.
I believe feisty can mean a lot of different things for different characters and people, but for these girls it means they love passionately, defend fiercely, and live on the wild side. They have adventures every girl envies, and they have big plans they dream of achieving.
Enter Aspen Jevensy, the main character in my unpublished book, The Blue Sky and the Yellow Sun. She could be described the same way as several of the above girls, for they inspired her. She is a combination in my mind of Susan Pevensie, Sybil Crawley, Danielle DeBarbarac, and Hodel from Fiddler on the Roof.
Aspen Jevensy ~ Aspen is a free spirit. Thrown unsuspectingly into a romance with a man she does not love, Aspen finds courage to face the facts. She knows how to win friends and love people. She is independent but secretly longs to be dependent on someone. She begins the book with a heart of fear which gradually shifts to one of courage. She’s feisty at times, brutal at others, but all round the relatable heroine. Through her many heartbreaks and sorrows, she finds in herself a resolute young woman, ready for whatever adventures come her way. If she can get over her past, she will find true love, life, and her purpose.
~Madeline
I marked the redheads because there's something to be said for redheads that get out of control. Some feistiness can lead to craziness, and redheads are no exception. They're well known for losing their tempers or living on the wild side.
1. Liesel Meminger ~ a.k.a. The Book Thief, from the book of the same name. Liesel is a tomboy who learns a lot about the world and people during WWII Germany. She loves to read, which often automatically makes a girl feisty.
2. Pippi Longstocking (redhead) ~ Well known for her fun life, Pippi stars in her very own Pippi Longstocking books. Her outfits are bizarre, and she can spontaneously set out on adventures--as in South Seas adventures! She often enjoys down-the-street adventures too. Pippi wows her neighbors with her feats of strength and crazy antics.
3. Jo March ~ Jo is bad-tempered often, but she is also protective of her sisters. She grows through unsettling situations and sacrifices little comforts for others. She has ambitious plans to be a writer...like another girl I know. Little Women is the story of her tomboyish life and her sisters' not-so-tomboyish lives.
4. Kate Wetherall ~ One of my favorite characters in The Mysterious Benedict Society, Kate is always prepared and eager to face adventure alongside her friends. She is practical but unafraid, a good leader and a true friend.
5. Truly Lovejoy ~ Absolutely Truly tells of Truly's search for the truth and her own place in a new town while she solves a long-buried mystery. She's that girl you wish you could hang out with all day long. Note: also loves to read.
6. America Singer (redhead) ~ The star of The Selection series is America Singer, a girl whose life is thrown into chaos when she is chosen as a prospective bride for the prince. But she was already in love, and the books tell the story or her struggle between two loves, one new and strange and one long-standing. She's also a fan of pants over dresses (i.e. a tomboy.)
7. Scarlet Benoit (redhead) ~ She is title character of the second book in The Lunar Chronicles, Scarlet, who is loosely based on Little Red Riding Hood. She befriends Wolf and chooses not to judge him based on appearances. She searches long and hard with him for her grandmother who has been kidnapped.
8. Scout Finch ~ Scout is the classic feisty small town girl. Her clever narrative in To Kill a Mockingbird has fascinated generations. A sequel is coming, people! A sequel is coming from her creator, Harper Lee.
9. Anne Shirley (redhead) ~ Anne of Green Gables is the first of many books about the poetic, predicament-prone Anne Shirley. Although her personality gets her into trouble, it also wins her a family, a true friend, and an adorable guy.
10. Laura Ingalls ~ Laura encounters a lot of change when her family moves west. This is the only heroine from real life. The Little House on the Prairie series details many years of her life, from half-pint to married woman. She is a hard-worker, a good student, and loves her family.
I believe feisty can mean a lot of different things for different characters and people, but for these girls it means they love passionately, defend fiercely, and live on the wild side. They have adventures every girl envies, and they have big plans they dream of achieving.
Enter Aspen Jevensy, the main character in my unpublished book, The Blue Sky and the Yellow Sun. She could be described the same way as several of the above girls, for they inspired her. She is a combination in my mind of Susan Pevensie, Sybil Crawley, Danielle DeBarbarac, and Hodel from Fiddler on the Roof.
Aspen Jevensy ~ Aspen is a free spirit. Thrown unsuspectingly into a romance with a man she does not love, Aspen finds courage to face the facts. She knows how to win friends and love people. She is independent but secretly longs to be dependent on someone. She begins the book with a heart of fear which gradually shifts to one of courage. She’s feisty at times, brutal at others, but all round the relatable heroine. Through her many heartbreaks and sorrows, she finds in herself a resolute young woman, ready for whatever adventures come her way. If she can get over her past, she will find true love, life, and her purpose.
~Madeline
I am LOVING this miniseries, especially since Jo March is highlighted in so many of them and it's opening weekend for "Little Women: The Broadway Musical" at Theatre Coppell this weekend (sorry for the shameful plug.) But I wanted to let you know I've been sharing these posts with the cast of LW and they love it! We can't wait to see what's next. Excellent job, Little Decorator!
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