Disney Princess Readalikes: Tiana’s Ambition
I am so excited to announce that I’ve got a guest blogger today! This is a little something new, so bear with me as I work out all the kinks. Meet Becky – a friend, colleague and a HUGE Disney fan. In fact, you should definitely take at least a few minutes checking out the amazing resources she’s curated on her own blog, Disney In Your Day: Putting a Little Bit of Pixie Dust Into Your Everyday Life. Tiana is one of Becky’s favorite princesses! So when I told her about my Disney Princess trait booklists, she wanted to be a part. She’s pulled together some really great titles that work so perfectly for Tiana’s trait: ambition. Take it away, Becky!
Tiana has a lot of wonderful qualities, but one that stands out the most is her ambition. She is hardworking and will do whatever it takes to achieve her dreams, despite the odds. These book titles all feature strong female characters who are ambitious and determined to succeed no matter what.
The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee
“A year after an accidentally whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school. However, her intellect and passion will never be enough in the eyes of the administrators, who see men as the sole guardians of science.
But then a window of opportunity opens—a doctor she idolizes is marrying an old friend of hers in Germany. Felicity believes if she could meet this man he could change her future, but she has no money of her own to make the trip. Luckily, a mysterious young woman is willing to pay Felicity’s way, so long as she’s allowed to travel with Felicity disguised as her maid.
In spite of her suspicions, Felicity agrees, but once the girl’s true motives are revealed, Felicity becomes part of a perilous quest that leads them from the German countryside to the promenades of Zurich to secrets lurking beneath the Atlantic.” (Taken from Goodreads)
Auma’s Long Run by Eucabeth A. Odhiambo
“In her small Kenyan village, she’s a track star with big dreams. A track scholarship could allow her to attend high school and maybe even become a doctor someday. But a strange new sickness called AIDS is ravaging the village, and when her father becomes ill, Auma’s family needs her help at home.
Soon more people are getting sick — even dying — and no one seems to know why. Now Auma faces a choice. She can either quit school and go to work to support her struggling family…or leave her loved ones behind to pursue her own future.
Auma knows her family is depending on her. But leaving might be the only way to find the answers to her questions about this new disease.” (Taken from Goodreads)
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
“It is no surprise that Little Women, the adored classic of four devoted sisters, was loosely based on Louisa May Alcott’s own life. In fact, Alcott drew from her own personality to create a heroine unlike any seen before: Jo, willful, headstrong, and undoubtedly the backbone of the March family. Follow the sisters from innocent adolescence to sage adulthood, with all the joy and sorrow of life in between, and fall in love with them and this endearing story. Praised by Madeleine Stern as “a book on the American home, and hence universal in its appeal,” Little Women has been an avidly read tale for generations.” (Taken from Amazon)
I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World by Malala Yousafzai
“When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.
On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.
Instead, Malala’s miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize.
I AM MALALA is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls’ education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.
I AM MALALA will make you believe in the power of one person’s voice to inspire change in the world.” (Taken from Goodreads)
What If… by Samantha Berger
“This girl is determined to express herself! If she can’t draw her dreams, she’ll sculpt or build, carve or collage. If she can’t do that, she’ll turn her world into a canvas. And if everything around her is taken away, she’ll sing, dance, and dream…
Stunning mixed media illustrations, lyrical text, and a breathtaking gatefold conjure powerful magic in this heartfelt affirmation of art, imagination, and the resilience of the human spirit.” (Taken from Goodreads)
Disney Princesses are always a popular subject in our library! Kids are clamoring for more and new titles featuring the princesses that they know and love. I don’t think the Disney princesses themselves need any more promotion. But I do think there are some amazing titles available that feature characters with similar traits as the Disney princesses. So, over the course of the next 13 weeks, I’ll be highlighting a princess. And offering a few titles from picture books to young adult titles that have a similar theme or characters that share the same traits as the featured princess.
