Boyish girls and girlish boys in 20th century children's literature

[SaltPorridge]

George in "The Famous Five", Enid Blyton

Peter in Malcolm Saville's books set in Shropshire

Nancy and Peggy in Swallows and Amazons, Arthur Ransome

Petrova in "Ballet Shoes", Noel Streatfield

Please add more/ discuss/ disagree etc.

I was a ponymad but ponyless child, so got my horse fix through pony books. Leisure riding in the UK is female dominated now, but in the classic era pony books from the 40s-50s, there are loads of boy characters, with a full range of personalities. The girls and boys ride together, share ponies in families and win/lose together. Unsporting behaviour, arrogance and snobbishness is frowned upon, horse welfare is paramount, and time/patience/learning is valued. I particularly enjoyed Josephine Pullein-Thompson's Woodbury Pony Club series in which the importance of everyone contributing what they can to the team effort is emphasised. The character of Hanif (Indian, but has his name anglicised to Harry by others) has an over-enthusiastic competitive stepdad, who buys him an expensive and very hot pony that he can't handle. Rupert is a disorganised daydreamer struggling with a young green pony whilst his younger siblings shout at him he's letting the side down. Lynne has an ex-harness pony that isn't fast and can't jump. But it all works out in the end....

KM Peyton wrote briliantly about teenagers (not all of them horsey); Who Sir, Me Sir? is another great story about a bunch of (male and female) misfits uniting in an unlikely sporting team effort.

Dick Callum is a very recognisable male character type to me - not an obvious brash brave risk-taking action type, but reveals quieter qualities and skills that make him useful to the team - the ability to focus and think through a problem, specific knowledge areas, courage when needed, has physical skill in skating.
Love S&A, its been such a pleasure rediscovering with my kids. When DS was 7 he dressed up as Nancy for book day. I had suggested Roger or John, but he was set on Nancy - she's such a great character, he didn't care she was a girl.

Interesting thinking where the more sensitive male characters are - I've come across them in childrens books more often as non human characters - I'm thinking Piglet, Eeyore, Mole from Wind in the Willows and his relationship with Ratty, Babe in the sheep pig. They seem to be allowed to have more feelings and sentimentality than human male characters?
Thinking about it I've come across those characters more in their later adolescence/early adulthood, usually in all male settings - often the young men who do their duty and go to a war they have no skills to deal with and quickly get wiped out or mentally destroyed by it, or Sebastian Flyte types.

A Proper Little Nooryeff by Jean Ure - a teenage boy becomes a ballet dancer.

Also Billy Elliot -although obviously originally a film not a book. Billy pursues ballet despite his father's disgust. And Billy's friend Michael clearly gender non-conforming, wearing dresses, lipstick etc.

I agree.
I think Nina Bawden has lots of soft and gentle boy characters in her novels. Thinking about it, the children she writes about are all loners, through circumstance or temperament. There's no wanting to be "one of the boys" for anyone of either sex.
She was the first author I discovered on my own, rather than being introduced by parents or older siblings. I picked up Peppermint Pig up at the library one day on a whim and went on to devour all her books.
Lots of memories roused by this thread.

I didn't read Swallows and Amazons growing up, but I'm loving hearing about it and will line it up for after I finish the Famous Five with the kids.

I have just remembered 'Lucy Brown's Schooldays' by Dorothy Vicary (I have a copy - alas did not take up late DH's offer to buy a whole box of Dimsie at an auction so afraid was I they might disappoint - lack of confidence being my besetting sin). Lucy is a lumpish girl who likes sitting in the library reading and eating sweets and is at a sporty girls's school. Nan Page (shades of Shakespeare throughout) becomes her unlikely friend and gets her into sports and healthy eating (no sweets) but also dance shoes and stockings (the girls' have a monthly dance but Lucy has previously thought herself too lumpish to join in - no boys btw). Nan endorses working hard at sports and academic work, but also loyalty, trust in friends and honesty, also an eye for fashion. It's not bad.
A number of writers had female protagonists in their novels who are all not exactly boyish but break gender norms. Examples are Georffrey Trease (particularly The Hills of Varna, but also Crown of Violet and Thunder of Valmy, which has a female painter) and to some extent Henry Treece (mostly Vikings and Saxons with tough girls). Violet Needham wrote good heroines, too, as did Eloise Jarvis McGraw (Mara Daughter of the Nile for example - Mara is not boyish except that she is both brave, clever and ingenious, if those are boyish characteristics - she also likes nice clothes and falls in love with the hero).

Michael would be up for gender re-assignment now - and cross-dressing is never a thing that girls find attractive. Presume Michael is supposed to be gay? Haven't read the book or seen the film.
But if you want gender bending characters what about Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet - who even in the original script is neither really 'one of the boys' nor entirely masculine despite dying in a sword fight.

Yes, it’s not unusual in books of this period for there to be friendships between children and (usually male) adults. Think for example of Captain Flint in S & A, or Albert’s Uncle in Treasure Seekers . It’s a pity that we sometimes feel now that these friendships may be sinister or creepy when that’s absolutely not what the authors intended.

I’ve only seen the film, but near the end Michael is seen in women’s clothes with a bloke who very much appears to be his boyfriend & I don’t remember any suggestion that he’d become Michelle.

Noel Streatfield wrote boyish girls - Petrova in Ballet Shoes - but also some sensitive boys e.g. in Tennis Shoes and Applegarth (male prodigy is very nerdy). Her girls are frequently adventurous and forceful (Posy, in Ballet Shoes, is stridently ambitious, too).

I know what you mean, but in S&A Capt Flint is Nancy and Peggy's uncle (and good childhood friend of their deceased father), so is partly a father figure and also fulfils the role a number of the adult characters have of keeping an eye on the children in case their adventures get out of hand, even though he doesn't let on thats what he's doing.

Ironically I think Toseland in Children of Green Knowe is not a stereotyped boy. Nor is Tom in Tom's Midnight Garden. Both great characters.

Another formidable girl was Marion, the one with the dogs in "A Hundred Million Francs". Very much her own person.

Sabriel by Garth Nix, and the follow ups Lireal and Abhorsen. Fab female lead and books where soldiers, crafts people, fishermen and whatever else are as likely to be female as male. Young adult fantasy that trounces Philip Pullman by miles.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2020/apr/15/my-favourite-book-as-a-kid-sabriel-by-garth-nix-samantha-shannon

Sophie in BFG is brave and clever and still very much a child. I don’t remember her behaviour as particularly male or female. She was just likeable and admirable.

Really loving all the swallows and amazons appreciation. Loved the books as a child, backed up by going to the lakes a lot (albeit absolutely no clue about sailing!). But it was when I re read them as an adult to my kids that I really properly appreciated just why they’re so good. The characters are so excellent, different personalities rather than “the boy ones” and “the girl ones”. It hadn’t struck me that this was an adventure story with 4 girls and 2 boys, and they were all just people. And I think I loved dick and Dorothea more second time round, the whole range of emotions, skills, anxieties. And they’re so perfectly written, they’ve barely aged. Time for another reread!

I'm enjoying the Dorothea and Dick love, they've always been my favourites in AR.
They are individuals with, as you say, personalities rather than identities, and they don't need to force themselves into physical conformity with an image, though they are keen to learn new skills and explore ways of being.

No, it's heavily implied that he was romantically involved with one of the vicarage girls. They weren't formally engaged so he couldn't write to her, but his last letter is written to both his sister and her. He may still have been gay and courting her though!

I agree - but he would be pushed that way now.

What about Wilmouse(?) in The Greengage Summer? Wasn't he seriously into dress design - even dressing dolls?

Paul Irving in the Anne of Green Gables books was very similar to Anne, but sweeter, gentler and less impulsive. And a role model for the equally non-macho Walter Blythe.

I remember thinking that if Paul Irving said ‘You know, teacher’ just once more, I’d scream.

Oh good, I'm glad it's not just me with the unwholesome urge to throttle dear Paul Irving.