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I highly recommend Jodi Picoult. The two books I've read by her are both about young girls and their mothers ("Keeping Faith" and "My Sister's Keeper")---they are wonderfully insightful and exraordinarily good writing. They both explore very controversial social issues.
I just read "The Mysterious Private Thompson", a true story about a young lady who lived as a man (a very good traveling salesman) before joining a Michigan regiment to fight in the Civil War. I think it's a good read for anyone but especially for teenagers.
Amazingly there were between 250 and 500 women who served in uniform in the Civil War, generally when found out they were sent home to their parents. This lady, Sarah Emma Edmonds, revealed herself to at least one, and probably more fellow soldiers.
She was so well respected that years after the war she petitioned to have her status (she was listed as a deserter) changed and for a pension based on her injuries (a horse fell on her while she was delivering mail to her regiment). Amazingly the petition for the pension went through Congress without any difficulty but the one changing her status took longer so she was actually receiving a pension while still listed as a deserter.
She is the only femal soldier of that era to have her service acknowledged and to receive a pension.
I will add a little known but terrific book for pre-teen and young teen girls. . . Wisechild by Monica Furlong. This is an entertaining "page turner" that deals with real life situations of dysfunctional families, not looking like a "superstar'", etc. At it's worst it is well written and entertaining, at it's best it is inspirational and instructive.
I just read "The Mysterious Private Thompson", a true story about a young lady who lived as a man (a very good traveling salesman) before joining a Michigan regiment to fight in the Civil War. I think it's a good read for anyone but especially for teenagers.
Amazingly there were between 250 and 500 women who served in uniform in the Civil War, generally when found out they were sent home to their parents. This lady, Sarah Emma Edmonds, revealed herself to at least one, and probably more fellow soldiers.
She was so well respected that years after the war she petitioned to have her status (she was listed as a deserter) changed and for a pension based on her injuries (a horse fell on her while she was delivering mail to her regiment). Amazingly the petition for the pension went through Congress without any difficulty but the one changing her status took longer so she was actually receiving a pension while still listed as a deserter.
She is the only femal soldier of that era to have her service acknowledged and to receive a pension.
Though I have never read it, one of my daughter's favorite books of all time is A Little Princess.
Good read.
golfgod
A Soldier's Secret is along the same vein. Deborah Sampson posed as a man to fight in the Revolutionary War. It is a quick read about an extraordinary woman who went to great lengths to hide her gender. (including removing a musket ball from her own leg) It is believed that General John Patterson was aware of the truth, but did not reveal her secret, and she was granted an honorable discharge from the Army.
I read a few books in a series by this author called Cynthia Voight. One is called Dicey's Song.. There are a few books in what they call The Tillerman Series.
Google her or go to where they sell books online. Very interesting books. I'd recommend them.
A beautiful series that both my son and daughter loves and I really enjoyed too was the trilogy :Dragon Keeper by Calore Wilkinson.
I can also recommend for pre-teens the series : The Companions Quartet. by Julia Golding. Four very good books
and my daughter is really enjoying the Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke.
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