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Health & Fitness

Can Kids Enjoy a Story Where the Main Character is a Girl?

Does it matter if the main character is a girl or a boy?  All too often we say that "boy" books can be read by girls and boys alike, but "girl" books are only for a female audience.  I understand this on some level.  There aren't too many boys who are drawn into a book called "Puppy Place,"  it just doesn't interest them.  

However, a great story is a great story and the books I have chosen this week are just that.  The main characters may be girls, but the stories are adventurous, the heroines are strong and skillful, and they are supported by a cast of interesting characters.

Although I didn't realize it until I had compiled the books, they are all historical novels and this may be why, despite female leads, they work so well for either sex.  Their challenges and adventures mirror the struggles of the time and not the gender of the character.  Whether you have a boy or a girl, I hope they have the chance to enjoy these thoroughly engaging books, although I understand if it is a stretch for your sons!

To see all my choices this week, visit my blog at a www.onegreatbook.com

Title:          The Diamond of Drury Lane

Author:      Julia Golding

Target:       Grades 4-7

Series:        Yes

What this book is about:
This is a period book, set in the 1790’s.  It tells the tale of “Cat” Royal, an orphan who is raised in a London theater.  A diamond is hidden in the theater which Cat takes the responsibility of protecting.  It is her interactions with street gangs, performers and high society, as she protects the diamond, that lead to an action packed adventure!

Why I love it:
I read this book a few years ago and loved it.  I picked it up again a few weeks ago, and was thrilled to find I enjoyed it just as much the second time around.  The author really gives you sense of life in London in the 1790’s with enough action and suspense that makes the book hard to put down.  

I have the version with the original cover.  I was very disheartened to learn that they changed the cover to show a girl representing Cat on the front.  The new cover really makes this look like a girls book, which it is NOT!  The main character is a girl, yes, but there are some terrific male supporting characters and the story is not gender specific in the slightest.  My 12 year old son got so caught up in the story he started taking the book in the car with him.

This book  did win the Gold Nestle Children’s Book Prize in the UK.  I find this prize represents books that are both note worthy and that kids actually enjoy reading!

Who this book is for:
Anyone interested in historical fiction with a huge dose of action and adventure.

Final thoughts: 
The secondary characters are what make this book a gem.  From street thugs and aristocrats who sneak off to box, a political cartoonist named Captain Sparkle, to a former African slave who is a violin prodigy, they elevate the story to a delightful level.

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