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Original poster

Book for a 4 yo which shows that girls are just as good as boys

35 replies

SeaEagleFeather · 01/11/2018 14:59

He keeps coming out with 'girls are weak' and "boys win more" and he's only four! God knows where he's getting it from. It certainly isn't home since I'm the one who gets on rooves to shingle them, saws the firewood and rides the motorbike.

Any recommendations for books for a 4 yo with great female models?

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Original poster
SeaEagleFeather · 05/01/2019 11:48

angryprincess recommended that too, ill take a look

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Yolande7 · 04/01/2019 21:54

Have a look at amightygirl.com. It is a website with resources for girls about strong girls/women. I got lots of good recommendations from there.

www.amightygirl.com/books/mighty-girls-women/mighty-girls?age_range_filter=8

BikeRunSki · 02/01/2019 20:18

The “Sophie” books by Dick King-Smith are short chapter books with a female lead, with twin older brothers a cracking great aunt and ambitions to be a farmer.

Original poster
SeaEagleFeather · 02/01/2019 20:04

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls is going down a treat, at least with Mama, and he's not objecting to them so far.

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AngryPrincess · 23/12/2018 20:01

There’s a great website called A Mighty Girl, and it has terrific book lists chock full of independent, feisty girls.

Original poster
SeaEagleFeather · 18/12/2018 08:07

thanks for the suggestions, a couple are under the tree already

agreed with the slightly mocking tone in some books. Or ... well, I think the over-effort or axe-grinding comes over. I like the idea of the main protagonist just happening to be female. Hoping that Rosie Revere is like that!

When I was a young teen with a very Victorian father in a world where a woman couldn't sign for a mortgage on her own and my Mum had given up work when she got me, I had a book called "The Girl Book of Adventurers" - very patronizing title, but actually packed full of people like Gertrude Bell, Amelia Earheart, iirc even Artemisia of Caria and others. I loved reading about these strong, adventurous women and the can-do attitude. The world's hugely improved in terms of women's presence in all fields (except housework) but there are still much too strong subtler streams of putting women down. I hope these books will help establish an instinct that it's normal to have men and women doing the same jobs and doing the same exiting sports.

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SusieFlo · 17/12/2018 15:14

I'm always on the lookout for thrilling stories for my son in which the main protagonist just happens to be female, rather than it being 'a thing' that she is female. A good example that I read to him when he was 6 (I think) was 'Tilly and The Time Machine' by Ade Edmondson. A time-travelling adventure that he loved, in which the lead character just happened to be female. Will try to remember some others.

As for my daughter - she's only 3 but already showing signs of being a very girly girl who loves all things 'princess' (which in no way hinders her from kicking her brother's behind - lol).

I find that a lot of kids' books with a well-meaning feminist slant come with a mocking tone for girliness and often portray the heroine as being far too clever to bother with "silly dresses" etc. I can't see my daughter really going for that - her ideal heroine would be both girly and clever.

Leeds2 · 10/12/2018 19:03

Sophie and the Shadow Woods series, by Linda Chapman. Sophie has a brother who assumes that, because he is male, he will inherit his father's (?) super powers. He doesn't!

CountFosco · 08/12/2018 16:08

Little House in the Big Woods might be a good one in a couple of years. DS loves Mrs Pepperpot (although there's some dodgy statements about gender roles Mrs P herself is very rebellious).

Jen69 · 06/12/2018 00:01

The Princess Knight

PoesyCherish · 04/11/2018 22:26

Very interested in this. We're keen to push that girls can be anything they want.

How long are the stories in Goodnight stories for rebel girls?

Original poster
SeaEagleFeather · 02/11/2018 15:08

great, thanks!

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BlueChampagne · 02/11/2018 14:40

Katie Morag has a tractor-driving Granny ...

SmallAndFarAway · 02/11/2018 12:23

Pippi Longstocking is great - if he says 'girls are weak' you can ask who is the strongest in the world... Also recommend switching sex when reading books with boy protagonists, girls can have short hair too, you know...

Screaminginsidemeagain · 02/11/2018 11:35

Have a look at a mighty girl website. They have loads of great book suggestions and lots over blogs about empowering girls

Minimonkeysmum · 02/11/2018 11:27

Any of the little people big dreams series - real women who did amazing things. Or rosie revere engineer/ada twist scientist - or paperbag princess.

slappinthebass · 02/11/2018 10:52

Popping Longstocking, The Night Pirates.

movehimintothesun · 02/11/2018 10:21

I love 'He Bear, She Bear' by Stan and Jan Berenstain. It's an old one (written in the 70's) but a total classic in my opinion. (If it's still in print of course; the copy I have is from the 70's itself!)

JanetLovesJason · 02/11/2018 10:07

Another vote for the Paperbag Princess

alexpolistigers · 02/11/2018 10:07

Not sure what I am doing wrong with the links. But anyway. Sparky, by Millie Slavidou.

ItchySeveredFoot · 02/11/2018 10:05

The Paperbag Princess is a favourite in our house. I read it when I was little.

alexpolistigers · 02/11/2018 10:01

book [[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sparky-Millie-Slavidou/dp/1726752062/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&tag=mumsnetforum-21&qid&sr=]] has an adventurous girl heroine having fun with a dragon.

StillRunningWithScissors · 01/11/2018 22:49

Th Paperback Princess by Robert munsch.

I loved it when I was little, and my daughter does as well.

Beamur · 01/11/2018 20:57

Princess Smartypants is funny too.
pippi Longstocking?

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