Baum’s extended series of books set in Oz don’t always feature Dorothy, but she’s an enjoyable character when she does appear. Then realize that unlike the movie, Dorothy’s journey was no dream, and she’ll return to Oz many more times throughout her life on other adventures. Think about how rare this was at the time to have a girl in that role (and not a princess). Farm girl Dorothy mostly takes things in stride–from her quest to find the wizard, to her show down with the witch, and to her final journey home again. It’s easy to forget, given it’s age and weight as a classic that this story contains one of the more forthright and impressive adventurers who’s ever crossed into a fairyland.

Check out the rest of the series if you enjoy this one! Lots of fun with fairytales turned on their heads. I added the Trina Schart Hyman cover here because it so beautifully captures the Cimorene (not sweet or elegant) and her relationship with the dragon. She’ll be the dragon’s princess if the dragon will keep away the princes and let her do all the unproper stuff she wants. So Cimorene runs away and makes a deal with a dragon. But her parents simply want her to marry a very dull prince as a proper princess should. She wants to learn how to cook, and do magic, and fight with a sword. Wrede (HMH, c1990)Ĭimorene is anything but a proper princess. Re-reading this book with my son, as a parent I find myself wincing at many things in this story–but those are some of the very things that make the story so magical and delightful for children.ĭealing With Dragonsby Patricia C. She really is one of the first female superheroes of literature. Watching Pippi interact with the more staid society around her leads to hilarious results. This super-strong little girl is not only capable of living on her own with her horse and monkey, she insists on it. Pippi is outrageous, wildly nonconformist and an affront to right thinking adults everywhere. I’ll kick the list off with this red-haired gal from Sweden. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, translated by Florence Lamborn (Puffin, c1945) But I thought it’d be fun to introduce some of my favorite female protagonists over the years. I invite all my readers to add their own titles to this list.

This list is purely subjective of course.

Experiment in Terror by Bernal C. Payne