She suggests Famous Five but I would like something with a bit more modern "mindset" than the girls always helping in the kitchen and the boys in the barn.
Ideas?
Also, thanks for boosts as my bubble is German speaking.
Also, wow! boost some of those good answers from the #Fediverse community... wow! ⬇️⬇️⬇️
@samsteiner depending on her reading age. Anything scholastic is fun! I loved Tamora Pierce (knights in fantasy) but it might be a bit to YA for middle grade...
@samsteiner iirc, the Famous Five literally have a girl called George, so maybe the gender roles aren’t quite as rigid as all that. (Disclaimer: it’s been 50 years since I last read them.)
@samsteiner “A Series of Unfortunate Events” by “Lemony Snicket” (pseudonym of Daniel Handler) is amazing. 13 books in the original series plus spin-offs.
@samsteiner This Is Not a Werewolf Story by Sandra Evans.
I think that was far and away the book I most enjoyed reading to my (bilingual DE/EN) children. The kids loved it, and I enjoyed it so much that I've given copies to adult friends as Christmas presents.
@samsteiner Oh! Ones I forgot! The Wizard of Oz for a read-the-book-and watch-the film time. If you can find any of Margaret Mahy's short story collections, they are very funny. Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr (spooky); Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy; Helen Cresswell- the Bagthorpe saga are funny family adventures, Moondial is a slightly creepy ghost story; Understood Betsey by Dorothy Fisher (a girl is sent to country relatives, becomes more capable)
@samsteiner If the fantastical is an option: I quite enjoyed CLive Barker's Arabat series, and The Thief of Midnight. Also: Terry Pratchett's Nome Trilogy and Tiffy Aching novels
@samsteiner And for more modern ones (1980s- now): Tamora Pierce, Alanna (girl who wants to be a knight); Ursula Vernon, Castle Hangnail (young witch finds a castle that needs an owner); Eva Ibbotson, Journey to the River Sea/ Which Witch; Grace Lin, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (girl tries to find the Old Man in the Moon); Anna Meriano, Love Sugar Magic, Geraldine McCaughrean- the Death-Defying Pepper Roux.
@samsteiner my Scarlet and Ivy books have a bit of a modern day Enid Blyton vibe I would say! Mystery adventures set in 1930s boarding school. The first two and my other series are available in German as well if she'd like to compare 😁
@samsteiner Ahh what a lovely question! Some classics that aren't so much of that mindset: E Nesbit (1910s)- The Story of the Treasure Seekers is realistic, most of her others are fantasy. Sydney Taylor, The All-Of-A-Kind Family (1950s), an all-girl family in New York. Elizabeth Enright (1940s-50s), The Saturdays/ Gone-Away Lake (quiet family adventures) Noel Streatfield (1940s-50s) Ballet Shoes (girls at a theatre school). Carbonel by Barbara Sleigh, girl helps magical cat prince.
the Tiffany Aching series of Discworld books! they're about a young witch learning what it means to be A Witch, in the Discworld sense. that is to say, Do No Harm, Take No Shit, and always Help.
It has several sequels, but from what I understand none of them have been translated from Japanese to English yet. :(
Based on the plot points described in the wiki article there seem to be quite some differences with the animated film, so I'm not sure how appropriate it is to what you are looking for.
What I liked of the anime though, and hope to find in the books as well, is that it isn't just magical adventures; it also explores adolescent struggles such as independence, self-doubt, maturity, vulnerability and isolation.
The girl in the film/books is around 13 years old, rather than 9, so whether its themes are a good fit for your daughter is something you can better judge than me. (Though I do think that exploring themes of coming of age explored through the safe environment of a story isn't a bad thing to start with at a younger age. :))
@samsteiner May be a bit far off, but I can recommend an English translation of The Pillow Book by Meredith McKinney.
I'd say the writing style is not for everyone, and since it's almost a thousand years old, there's bound to be some questionable stuff in there by our standards, but it does show a more nuanced view of femininity than the "stay in the kitchen" bullcrap.
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