Boys and girls

[ladyofastolat]

Ordering books today, I find these two books:

Illustrated Classics for Girls. Pink cover, edged with flowers, with Heidi frollicking with goats. "A collection of stories of adventure and magic suitable for girls. This delightful collection contains six timeless classic stories to enchant and delight." Contents are abridged versions of Heidi, Little Women, The Railway Children, Black Beauty, The Secret Garden, and The Wizard of Oz.

Illustrated Classics for Boys. Blue-ish cover, edged with black trees, showing a moonlit forest scene, with someone (a highwayman?) galloping through it. "A collection of stories of action, adventure and daring-do suitable for boys. This lively collection contains six thrilling classic stories of action and adventure." Contents are abridged versions of Moonfleet, Around the World in 80 Days, Gulliver's Travels, Robin Hood, The Canterville Ghost, and Robinson Crusoe.

Yes, yes, I know I'm ranted about this before. I know that children are usually the first to announce that something is "for boys" or "for girls." But... But...

I think it's the word "suitable" that particularly grates.

Comments

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

I can't think of many exciting adventures featuring girls for that age group, no. Novels for slightly older children, though, tend to be ruthlessly equal opportunity about things, and usually offer a matched pair of main characters. It's strange that there isn't more exciting female adventure for young children, since there's plenty of it in adult fantasy writing. (I speak as someone with a ridiculous aversion to female main characters in adventure stories, who abandons many a book after just the blurb.)

[purplecat]

I recently brought back "Lucy and the Sea Monster to the Rescue" from Blackwells in Edinburgh and it was a great success. Female protagonist, adventure, G. could read it herself and PUZZLES!!! The back suggests there are several others in the series which also have girls in them so we've got them all lined up for Christmas.