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10 of the Best Heroes from Children's Literature
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Elizabeth from The Paper Bag Princess
Anne Shirley
Hmmm... Gonna have to think on this some more.
Anne Shirley
Hmmm... Gonna have to think on this some more.
Agreeing with Pippi Longstocking and Sara Crewe. All young girls (at least) should get a chance to read those books.
Adding to that, Sophie from the BFG by Roald Dahl. She's quite admirable all throughout.
Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden would be a more complicated choice: she starts out horrible, but by the end of the book has grown to be heroic in her own way.
That's off the top of my head.
Adding to that, Sophie from the BFG by Roald Dahl. She's quite admirable all throughout.
Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden would be a more complicated choice: she starts out horrible, but by the end of the book has grown to be heroic in her own way.
That's off the top of my head.
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Anne Shirley is definitely one of my favorites. I love Mary Lennox despite her flaws--probably because of them, though she is complicated--as well as Sara Crewe. Claudia from Basil E Frankweiler and Wheeze from Jacob Have I Loved are two others I immediately think of. Maybe Wonapalei from Island of the Blue Dolphins and Meg Murray.
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Wow. Mostly girls.
But what about Dorothy, from the Wizard of Oz?
And the young King Arthur in "Sword and the Stone."
Mowgli.
The Wimpy Kid
And from my own childhood, The Hardy Boys and the Bobbsey Twins.
And what about non-human heroes?
Winnie the Pooh.
Stewart Little.
The mouse in The Mouse and the Motorcycle.
Soren, the barn owl in The Guardians of Ga'Hoole
But what about Dorothy, from the Wizard of Oz?
And the young King Arthur in "Sword and the Stone."
Mowgli.
The Wimpy Kid
And from my own childhood, The Hardy Boys and the Bobbsey Twins.
And what about non-human heroes?
Winnie the Pooh.
Stewart Little.
The mouse in The Mouse and the Motorcycle.
Soren, the barn owl in The Guardians of Ga'Hoole
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(And they didn't even name Alice!) Not to mention Carroll's White Knight, Fixer the Rabbit, Runaway Ralph--as you mention, Shadow--Mole and Badger from The Wind and the Willows, Timothy Brisby...
Are most of the best heroes girls, and if so why?
Are most of the best heroes girls, and if so why?
I've only read three of the books on that list...
Wilbur and Charlotte in Charlotte's Web
Bilbo Baggins
Stig - Stig of the Dump
Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - actually probably all of Roald Dahl's!
Wilbur and Charlotte in Charlotte's Web
Bilbo Baggins
Stig - Stig of the Dump
Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - actually probably all of Roald Dahl's!
Alice from Looking Glass and Wonderland
Tin Man from Wizard of Oz
Jim Wilkes from the Trixie Belden stories
Glorfindel from the Silmarilion and LotR
I didn't read a lot of 'children's literature' when I was younger. I started out with 'regular' books around the house.
Tin Man from Wizard of Oz
Jim Wilkes from the Trixie Belden stories
Glorfindel from the Silmarilion and LotR
I didn't read a lot of 'children's literature' when I was younger. I started out with 'regular' books around the house.
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What a largely old-fashioned list.
I agreed with the inclusion of Matilda and Lyra, but am surprised there's no Harry Potter mention, no Will Stanton from The Dark Is Rising, and no Hester Shaw from Mortal Engines.
MM
I agreed with the inclusion of Matilda and Lyra, but am surprised there's no Harry Potter mention, no Will Stanton from The Dark Is Rising, and no Hester Shaw from Mortal Engines.
MM
Given that I don't read modern children's literature, I have no heroes from newer books. I would imagine most of these are from individual writers' childhoods. At least mine were.
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... only read four from the list, and they are good choices, particularly Sara Crewe!
Pipi is cool, too. Great comical character :-D
I'd add Julia, from Julia of the Wolves and Brian, from Hatchet.
And also Karana from Island of the Blue Dolphins.
(All are heroes because they survived against tremendous odds.)
Pipi is cool, too. Great comical character :-D
I'd add Julia, from Julia of the Wolves and Brian, from Hatchet.
And also Karana from Island of the Blue Dolphins.
(All are heroes because they survived against tremendous odds.)
Oh dear, I forgot about Phantom Tollbooth.
Seconding Milo, for sure! That kid really knows how to confront his shortcomings.
Seconding Milo, for sure! That kid really knows how to confront his shortcomings.
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Come on.
What about:
Time Bandits
Explorers
Goonies
Stand By Me
hmmmm.... maybe the problem with those films is that they are more ensemble casts?
But I remember being a kid and watching Time Bandits and thinking it was the coolest movie ever!!!
And wasn't there a kung fu kid back in the 80s??? Can't think of any of his movies off the top of my head.
And what about Kermit the Frog??? He rocked!!!
Mel...
What about:
Time Bandits
Explorers
Goonies
Stand By Me
hmmmm.... maybe the problem with those films is that they are more ensemble casts?
But I remember being a kid and watching Time Bandits and thinking it was the coolest movie ever!!!
And wasn't there a kung fu kid back in the 80s??? Can't think of any of his movies off the top of my head.
And what about Kermit the Frog??? He rocked!!!
Mel...
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Some good choices in the article, and in the thread too.
Jinny from the Patricia Leitch series.
George and Julian from The Famous Five.
Jake (and all the others really) from Animorphs.
Alanna/Daine/Kel from Tamora Pierce's series. (I realize these last couple are verging on YA, but Animorphs isn't technically and I think a lot of us read Tamora Pierce as kids.)
Jinny from the Patricia Leitch series.
George and Julian from The Famous Five.
Jake (and all the others really) from Animorphs.
Alanna/Daine/Kel from Tamora Pierce's series. (I realize these last couple are verging on YA, but Animorphs isn't technically and I think a lot of us read Tamora Pierce as kids.)
George from the Famous Five was great, definitely one of my favourite ever characters from any fiction never mind just childrens. 
Kinda surprised no characters from Harry Potter made the list, not Harry since he was kinda bland but Luna Lovegood should have got a mention
Kinda surprised no characters from Harry Potter made the list, not Harry since he was kinda bland but Luna Lovegood should have got a mention
