The Quest

By now you are well aware that my daughter is obsessed with all things princess. She likes to dress like them, read books about them and watch movies about them. I have no problem with this other than the fact that the only princesses that seem to be out there are the stupid Disney princesses. It seems like every one of them goes something like this: beautiful girl loves her daddy, daddy marries a horrible woman after the death of his perfect wife (usually in childbirth), stepmother treats beautiful girl horribly, prince rescues and marries beautiful girl (usually a kiss is involved). There are variations on the theme, but in general, all of the stories end in a happily ever after of marriage.

I've been attempting to expose her to stronger, more independent princesses/fairies. So far she loves the"Alice the Fairy" book she got for her birthday last year. I've also started buying some princess books for her Christmas gifts.

"Cinderedna" is about Cinderella and her sister, Cinderedna. Instead of relying on a fairy godmother to fix things for her, Cinderedna takes matters into her own hands and fixes her life by herself. She also attends the ball, but in more practical loafers instead of glass slippers. It's pretty cute.

"The Paperbag Princess" is about a princess named Elizabeth who rescues the prince instead of the other way around. She fights a dragon and her clothes become burned and tattered so she changes into a paperbag before rescuing the clueless prince. When the prince tells Elizabeth that he'd be happy to marry her once she takes a bath and puts on some proper clothes, she tells him to go jump off a bridge and lives happily ever after in her own way. It is awesome.

So I'm open to recommendations for more "strong princess" books. Is there a book you remember from your childhood that you think she (and I) might like?