Childrens books with day-dreamy heroine, anyone?

[onesandwichshort]

DD has just read Anne of Green Gables; it's a harder book than she'd normally try, but I think one of the reasons she ploughed on through was because it described her world - a girl who can get into trouble for disappearing off into her own private daydreams. I re-read it too, and that side of it feels like observational documentary for us.

I know there are more in the series, but can anyone recommend anything else that she might like along those lines?

Pippi Longstocking

A Little Princess the main character invents a whole alternative reality / imaginative world.

Oh gosh there are loads and loads more and my mind won't think of them!

Lizzie Dripping

Lois Lowry's Anastasia Krupnik series, if memory serves...

Alice in Wonderland

Ooo Hating Alison Ashley by Robin Klein is another one. The main character is a hypochondriac but she also makes stuff up generally.

How old is your DD?

Thanks for all of these - I will go and see what I can find in our lovely library. A particular thanks for reminding me about Lizzie Dripping - I remember really emjoying those when I was a child and am so old that I can also remember it being on television.

DD has the reading age of an 8/9 year old, so I was a bit surprised that she got to the end of Anne.

heidi

the pendlewicks

I loved (still do) Anne. Also loved Little Women & Jane Eyre - the abridged versions are a good starting place.

There is a Canadian series about Amelia Bedelia which would fit the bill perfectly as AB is always in her own quirky world. The illustrations are brilliant too. You can get them on Amazon.

If she likes Anne, has she read Emily of New Moon, also by LM Montgomery?

And of course all the other Anne books - I don't know how old your dd is, but at least Anne of Avonlea should be suitable I'd think.

Eva Ibbotson has some lovely, dreamy heroines

I second Eva Ibbotson. Also consider Pollyanna.

It's no coincidence that we're mostly suggesting classics. Most contemporary kids lit is more action focussed, bit of a shame for girls like yours. Wracking my brain for something published in the last few years, the dreamy quality (and beautiful writing) of the Ingo books by Helen Dunmore might fit the bill, or the Clarice Bean books.

The other Anne books are about her as an adult (teacher, wife, Mother) and are suitable for teens but not children, BTW.

I second Emily of New Moon- for an Anne of Green Gables it's just magical

The Cat Who Said Dance!, on Amazon. The main character is a little girl who always gets into trouble for being in her own world and forgetting to do her homework etc. It's magical too, so may appeal.
When she's older, she'd probably love I Capture the Castle. I remember being really moved by that in my teens.

"What Katie Did" etc?
"The Children of Green Knowe" series perhaps?