Think for yourself. Ask questions. Have an opinion.

These girls don't let others tell them how they should think.

Brashares, Ann. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Delacorte Press, 2001.

4 best friends, magic jeans, hot destinations, love, friendship....a perfect summer read. 

• Brashares, Ann. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood. Delacorte Press, 2003.
• Brashares, Ann. Girls in Pants : the Third Summer of the Sisterhood. Delacorte Press, 2005.

Cabot, Meg. The Princess Diaries. Harper Collins Publishers, 2000.

One day Mia is a spirited 14-year-old living with her artist mother in a loft in New York's Greenwich Village. The Next day she finds out that she is a princess and her father is the Prince of Genovia, a small European nation.

• Cabot, Meg. Perfect princess. Ill. by Chesley MacLaren. Harper Collins, c2004.
• Cabot, Meg. Princess in Love. Harper Collins Publishers, 2002.
• Cabot, Meg. Princess in Pink. Harper Collins Publishers, 2004.
• Cabot, Meg. Princess in the Spotlight. Harper Collins Publishers, 2001.
• Cabot, Meg. Princess in Waiting. Harper Collins Publishers, 2003.
• Cabot, Meg. Princess Lessons. Harper Collins Publishers, 2003.

Cooney, Caroline B. Tune in Anytime. Delacorte Press, 1999.

Sophie's life has turned into a soap opera. Her parents are getting divorced and SHE is the only one acting like an adult in her whole family! Someone is planning to take revenge with a bulldozer. Read Tune in Anytime to find out who.

Hiaasen, Carl. Hoot. Alfred A. Knopf, 2002.

Who gives a hoot about tiny burrowing owls in Florida? Find out in this fast paced story about Roy, Beatrice, and a boy with no name. Check out Beatrice. She is strong.

Ihimaera, Witi. The Whale Rider. Orlando, Fla. : Harcourt, c1987, 2003.

Can a girl be a Maori leader? I didn't know about the incredible Maori author Witi Ihimaera until I saw the movie. After seeing it, I had to read the book. Don't expect it to be just like the movie, but I highly recommend both the book and the movie. The basic question is can a girl be a Maori leader? I really enjoyed learning more about Maori traditions and beliefs as well as the wisdom of the elder characters. For example, I thought the custom of burying the birth cord was fascinating.

The book had additional levels of folklore and mythology. I don't want to get into details as not to spoil the story, but I have a few general comments. I especially found the mother wise in naming the child and the play or power play between man and woman is a recurring theme.

Miyazaki, Hayao. Spirited Away. Vol. 1-5. Viz Comics, 2002, 2003.

Spirits, gods, and a Japanese bathhouse. Chihiro finds herself in this strange world. Worse, her parents have been changed into pigs. How will she ever get everyone back to the "real" world. A totally original tale.

Spinelli, Jerry. Stargirl. Alfred A. Knopf, 2000.

Stargirl, with a name like that, she would have to be an original and she is. No one at Mica High has ever met anyone so non-conformist. Stargirl sings happy birthday to students in the cafeteria while playing her ukulele. She drops money on the sidewalk for little kids to find. She cheers for BOTH teams at school sports tournaments. Can anyone so selfless and caring survive the pressure to conform? Will her individuality be squashed or will the town of Mica, Arizona never be the same?

Voigt, Cynthia. Homecoming. Atheneum, 1981.

Mom's run off and Dicey is in charge of her three siblings as they walk the east coast in search of some relatives.

• Voigt, Cynthia. Dicey's Song. Atheneum, 1982. Read what comes next.

Wolff, Virginia Euwer. Make Lemonade. Scholastic, 1994, c1993.

What is it like to be an inner-city single mother? What's it like to babysit for that mother so you can earn money for college. A quick read that gives you a lot to think about.

• Wolff, Virginia Euwer. True Believer, 2001. See what happens next.

Yee, Lisa. Millicent Min, girl genius / by Lisa Yee. New York : Arthur A. Levine Books, 2003. 0439425190 (Ages 10+)

It's the summer before Millicent's Senior year of high school. She has a hard time making friends and fitting in because she is ELEVEN years old. Millicent is a genius, but there's a lot that she needs to learn about living. Life is going to get a little crazy, for order-loving Millicent. This is a quick read that is hard to put down. It is perfect pool side reading.