Fairy Gift (Tumble down Tom Book 5)

Since Violetta was smaller, she spends most of her childhood being bowled over, until, after years of training and learning to be smarter, more aware, and more clever than her siblings, Violetta starts to prove herself as a skilled fighter. If your daughter has ever picked up a lightsaber and showed her brother that girls can hit just as hard as boys, you need to pick up The Princess Knight.

Like many people here, I also have been drawn to atypical princesses in fairy tales both for myself and for my children. I have several favorites that were not mentioned here, perhaps because a few of them are more for older readers. She has also written the Princess Academy series, beginning with a princess who is used to living among commoners in a mountain village maybe grade and up? I have two favorite fairy tale books that should be mentioned, though adults should preread them before using as bedtime stories, as some may be considered more for young adults: I love that there are stories from each continent where people live, and that there is such variety in how women are portrayed, but they are never helpless.

Teens or young adults may enjoy the Bayern series by Shannon Hale based on the Goose Girl fairy tale and other characters she invents about a princess whose servant forces her to switch places for a time. She makes friends with commoners and royalty just by being herself, and has hidden talents that save the day.

I have not read a book by that author yet which dies not include a strong female role model. The 13 Clocks is mostly about the prince and a traveling companion of his, but has a beautiful princess who is imprisoned by a deliciously evil count and includes very smart protagonists including the princess who outwit him in surprising ways. Though I went a little crazy and am recommending I think the next one will be about fun alphabet books. In the meantime, happy reading!

I love the idea of providing alternates to the common princess trope! Princess Cimorene, is a strong character who is a very unprincess-like princess. I just finished reading it to my 6 year old daughter. Thank you so much for this! Many battles will be lost, but yes dammit, I am the library gatekeeper! Big thanks for this list. I HATE when they check out the princess books at the library and the ditzy females in the story do nothing but try to look good. These recommendations you made jumped right into my Holds at the library and I am so glad!

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Thanks for this list. Also, any ideas for books focusing on feminist minded princes would be appreciated. I absolutely adore this alternative princess story: A tale of a princess who does not accept that prince charming wants to keep her safe in a castle with pretty dresses and goes out to befriends a dragon and together they shake things up a bit.

I like to think my own anti Princess book adds something to the genre. So he sets a new test spoiler alert — frozen peas, shin splints from playing hockey! For 5 year olds or thereabouts , try Dr Dog by Babette Cole. Have you read Tumble Tower by Anne Tyler? But thanks for mentioning it! This comments section has become an amazing addendum to my original list. I think the book list is great — I will be sure to check these out — some I have seen, others I have not. But try to remain calm — princesses are not that bad. To get riled up to the point of saying you hate something is a little dramatic.

I am late to this post, but loved the suggestions as my daughters sound very similar to yours and my ideals for raising feminist daughters are strong. We liked A Gold Star for Zog http: A teacher friend of mine posted this link on facebook and I have you bookmarked and have for some time now. The princess is stuck in the purple tower. The wicked witch has cut off her long golden hair and is spinning it into gold.

Will a prince ever come by. Luckily the princess is an entrepreneurial girl. My one complaint is the covers. I wish someone would write a series of empowering princess books that have pink, sparkly covers. Great post, great list! This one is a good primer for little kids: Another book called CinderSilly is the anti Cinderella.

In other Cinderella stories, the main character is always a victim who is first rescued by magic, then by marriage. In CinderSilly, she is never a victim.

She is resourceful in solving problems, and is true to herself. Igraine the Brave—also by Cornelia Funke. However, she would prefer to be a knight albeit in pink armor than a magician, much less a princess. Thank you so much for this post and thanks too to all the commenters. I have never got so much useful information from one post in my life! It would take me all day to check out all of these recommendations, it is such a pleasure to have a new set of titles to go through and also a bit of a relief. My son likes princesses, and I want to encourage that without it being the problematic princess images, too.

My husband and I both read it, and I love it. Any parent of a girl who feels remotely uncomfortable with the overly pink and princessy girl culture of today should read it. Looking forward to reading it this weekend! Polly is practical and smart and willing to get her hands dirty to rescue her boyfriend, and the book definitely has strong feminist undertones. You may like Zog by Julia Donaldson. I am happy to encourage this as Kate Middleton is an educated, sporty and accomplished lady who married for love and my daughter could do a lot worse in terms of role models.

She has a nice souvenir book of the day, and the fact that this is a real life princess makes her very appealing! Julia Donaldson has a princess book? We have to get a copy of that. Fabulous stereotype busting story from Hiawyn Oram. We loved those books. Both books are great fun too. I really like this collection of princess stories drawn from folklore and literature around the world. A review of the book can be found at littlefoureyes. Princess Sonora is a know-it-all and nobody can stand her…until after the years she gets awakened by a Prince of Insatiable Curiosity whom nobody can stand either.

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I was pleased to read this to my girls. Plus it made me think happily of my own love life, where my partner and I are like the two geeks in the The Far Side cartoon: My girls are having fun being glam — and who am I to deny a girl her glam — but they also seem more than happy to compete with boys. I have 2 girls, ages 12 and 8 now. Both went through big princess phases between ages 2 and 6. Both are also strong-willed and athletic too. I love that my 12 year old wears pink shinguards when she plays soccer. We feminists have made it okay for girls to play sports and be tough, but in order to have true equality it needs to be just as acceptable for boys to like pink and dress up!

Anyway, I have another princess book recommendation for you: It is very sly and fun. I found you post via Pinterest, and I love it! Ogburn to the list. In it, the princess has to rescue the prince from his enchanted sleep, and the artwork is stunning! And of course the marvelous Oz series, which is full of wonderful female characters, including the courageous, high minded Princess Ozma.

Edna and her prince are much happier than Ella, because they wind up a team who works together.

Also, Edna wears loafers. May I add one? Definitely worth checking out. If you would be willing to chat about this with me or if any of your commenters might , please drop me a note at princessresearch AT gmail. My daughter 5 and I 30 are totally in love with 2 and 3 though conventional princesses are definitely a plague in my house too. I will have to check out the others on your list. Though not princess-related, we also love the Ladybug Girl series. I find the heroine refreshing in the same kind of way. Good for 5 and older kids. I read it as a teenager and loved it.

Thanks for this list! Sometimes, I change the endings of the princess books that I read to her to make them more credible to me.

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Keep up the good work, Tom. So glad to read some fun princess recommendations. Happily, it has worked — despite two grandmothers many attempts to thwart it. Our daughter 6 has never seen the princess movies and owns no princess pink things — gifts in this genre are put away and replaced…by now with no questions.

I mostly object to the cheapness of the toys and replace them with sturdier toys that she enjoys — -her choice. A crown and wand here or there, but not a princess dress or high heels. And now we are heading to Disney and I find that we may be beaten at our own game…while my kids — we also have a son 3 — know Toy Story and Cars and some other Disney movies, they do not really understand Disney the Magic Kingdom et al. They make her far more tough and the prince a little more interesting. The princess thing was a little overblown and now the pendulum is swinging the other way.

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But the book is about a very resourceful, skillful, and funny young lady rescuing herself from really crappy circumstances. Oh, thank you so much for this! Just found your site through Kids Woot…this is very timely information for me given that I just got rid of all of the Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony, and Barbie paperbacks my 3 yr old inherited from her cousins…ick. Now I have something to distract her with when she notices they are gone! I was also wondering how I could possibly wean her off of the traditional princess stories — sorry now that I ever read them to her.

I will definitely be checking out your suggestions! So much so that they regularly argue over which it belongs to, and maintain a thin promise that the first granddaughter gets it. Hard to find now, but the original version had a few really lovely illustrations. A little frilly but the message is fantastic. It was a childhood favorite, sadly out of print now, but available on Amazon.

There are some great titles for young adult readers as well!! I would recommend these titles to a high school age reader. I loved them when I was a kid. Lindsey Heaven, Editorial Director, recommends these wonderful titles. Taken from the classic Magic Faraway Tree series, these charmingly illustrated, full-colour young readers are perfect for curling up and reading together at bedtime or a special festive gift to be treasured by newly-confident readers.

Just add lashings of ginger beer and a warm mince pie, of course. This funny and heartwarming rhyming romp is perfect for reading aloud and getting everyone in the festive spirit.

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Plus, it is bursting with Christmas spirit, ideal for reading cuddled up with your Thomas fan. Last but very definitely not least is Winnie-the-Pooh: A Tree for Christmas. Browse them today to find the perfect Christmas book for children. December 11, Features , Gift Guides Gift ideas: Our website uses cookies in order to give you the best customer experience and to help us make our site work effectively.