NON-princess books for little girls? Strong female heroines

[PoppyC]

Looking for books for my step daughter that do not pander to the current princess craze- although I think its fine in moderation, she's really quite obsessed with it and I don't think it's doing much for her self esteem.

I don't want anything too preachy or with a specifically feminist agenda. Any 'classics' with strong female heroines?

Any help very much appreciated! (She's just turned five)

Princess Smartypants is cool - single girl who spurns prince suitors and wants to live with her pets, drive motorbikes etc. Very amusing - not preachy!

Actually, the Guardian covered a few books on this subject... Hope this link works: www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/dec/04/feminist-books-five-year-olds

Not a classic at all, but the Animal Ark books are very inoffensive & the heroine is an everyday sort of girl who does stuff with animals. Definitely not great literature, but my dd loved them when she was younger.

Classics - what about Little House in the Big Woods - the others are for an older audience I'd say, but in the first one Laura is only 4 or 5, and my dd certainly enjoyed listening to it at that age.

Rumer Godden (Gooden?)'s books might be for a slightly older age group, but would probably be fine for bedtime stories.
Not featuring strong role models as such, just real children and very touching.
Likewise the Milly Molly Mandy series.
And I remember DD being enchanted by Little House on the Prairie.
Oh, and Mrs Pepperpot of course.

The Paperbag Princess. She rescues the Prince then decides she doesn't want to marry him because he's not very nice.

DS aged 4 likes The Princess Knight by Cordelia Funke

something non-fiction? i loved arthur c clarkes mysterious worlds books and ghost stories

pippi longstocking

Clarice Bean? (Lauren CHild)

The Ultimate anti-Heroine!

See
here for anti-princess reading list

I loved the Sophie books by Dick King-Smith when I was younger, just normal kid sort of stuff.

EduStudent. My DD really liked the Sophie books too.

the mermaid books by sue mongredian (sp?)
if she likes listening to chapter stories
mrs pepperpot
the borrowers

not milly molly mandy...she's a drip!

The Katie Morag storybook is lovely.
The Wild Washerwomen
Emily Brown

I loved my naughty little sister when I was little but I havent read it recently... so reserve the right to be very wrong about it!

Message withdrawn

Pocahontas?

At the picture book end (DS is the same age and still likes picture books) The Night Pirates is good.

DS likes My Naughty Little Sister too.

Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf? I loved that when I was younger.

how old?

Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf [seconded]

Don't remember much about Madeleine?

Mary Mary by Joan G Robinson - I absolutely loved these as a child. Especially her older brothers and sisters Miriam, Martyn, Mervyn and Meg .

Mrs Pepperpot stories are fantastic. And great for under fives at bedtime. The perfect length of story!