Strong minds equal strong women, and strong minds come from reading great books. For young women, reading can provide insight into growing up, introduce them to new cultures, and improve their reasoning and critical thinking skills. But in this age of constant activity, how do you get your daughter to sit down and read just for the pleasure of it? By giving her fantastic books! It's up to you to show your daughter that reading is more than just another assignment to get out of the way before she can instant message with her friends on the internet.

I'll admit, I'm a bookworm and read everything in sight, including cereal boxes and obituaries, and I know it's not realistic to expect every girl to love reading, but, by providing your daughter with the best books, it is possible to help her enjoy it. It's easy to expose your daughter to great literature when she's young: you read it aloud to her at bedtime. But keeping her interested in books when she decides she's too old for bedtime stories is a little more challenging. The old classics are still wonderful books, but many young women find them too boring, didactic, syrupy, or moralistic to be enjoyable. Today’s young women want books that are exciting, honest, stimulating, and relevant to their lives.

As the parent of a pre-teen, I spend many hours reading books for young adults and weeding out the ones I think my daughter will devour from the ones I know she will never finish reading. In the process, I try to maintain my own high standards for literature: I want my daughter to be challenged, motivated, inspired, and perhaps, even disturbed, by what she reads. Hopefully, my list of the ten great modern novels that no girl should miss will help you in your struggle to keep your daughter reading.

Becoming Naomi Leon, by Pam Munoz Ryan

For ages 9 to 12

This story about a young girl’s search for her father has all the elements young women are looking for: an alcoholic mother, a loving grandmother, exotic cultures, and a strong, triumphant main character.

When Naomi’s mother returns to claim her, Gram takes her to Mexico to search for father. The annual radish-carving festival in Oaxaca City is the perfect setting for Naomi’s coming-of-age revelation of “who I was meant to be.”

Before We Were Free, by Julia Alvarez

For ages 12 and up

Set in the 1960s Dominican Republic, this is the story of one girl’s feelings of loneliness and terror as most of her family moves to the United States to escape the power of an evil dictator. Anita suspects her father of wanting to assassinate the dictator, and when her aunt disappears without a trace, Anita fears for her father’s and uncle’s lives. Diary entries written after Anita and her mother are forced into hiding are reminiscent of Anne Frank.

The Crow-Girl, by Bodil Bredsdorff

For ages 8-12

This story of a young orphan girl surviving on her own will appeal to young women who are testing the waters of independence.

After the death of her grandmother, the young girl leaves her home and follows a pair of crows as they fly along the coast of Denmark. Her search for a new home leads her to a new family and a new life. Bredsdorff’s understated style makes this fairy-tale of a story believable.

Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke

For ages 10 and up

This is a story in which the characters come alive—literally! Twelve-year-old Meggie lives with her father, a bookbinder, whose magical talent is bringing characters to life. Unfortunately, he can’t control who comes to life, and Meggie’s mother is kidnapped by an evil villain and disappears into a story. After Meggie and her father are kidnapped by the villain’s henchmen, they rush to find the author of the story in the hope that he will re-write the ending of the story.

The larger-than-life characters, intricate plot, suspense, and drama are sure to keep any reader engrossed.

Kira-Kira, by Cynthia Kadohata

For ages 10-14

This 2005 Newbery Medal winning story about a Japanese-American family living in rural Georgia explores the heavy themes of racial prejudice, poverty, family relationships, and death with humor and sensitivity. Some adult readers may find the story predictable, but young women will love the drama, and the prejudice faced by Japanese-Americans after World War II may come as a surprise to this generation.

Olive’s Ocean, by Kevin Henkes

For ages 10 and up

Who knew the author of Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse could write one of the best coming-of-age novels ever written?

After 12-year-old Martha Boyle reads a page from the diary of a quiet, little-known classmate who was killed in an accident, she is haunted by thoughts of what could have been if Olive hadn’t died. During her family’s vacation on Cape Cod, Martha experiences her first kiss, her first betrayal, and her own brush with death. The sensitivity and insight of Henkes’ characters will appeal to any girl who is just beginning to face the uncertainties of growing up.

Peter and the Starcatchers, by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

For ages 9 and up

Barry and Pearson have written the perfect prequel to J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. This hilarious, action-packed adventure filled with pirates, cannibals, mermaids, and dolphins explains how Peter learned to fly, why the crocodile ate Hook’s hand, and how Peter and the Lost Boys found Neverland. To top it off, one of the main characters is a brave, strong, smart, and pretty 14-year-old named Molly. It’s a thick book, but it’s so exciting, you’ll wish it were twice as long.

The Shadows of Ghadames, by Joelle Stolz

For ages 11-14

This short, but beautifully written, novel explores the life of an adolescent girl in late-nineteenth-century Libya, where women were confined to their homes and rooftops. Malika longs to travel, like her father, but when her father’s two wives take in a wounded stranger, she realizes there is more to a woman’s life than she previously realized.

The themes of questioning authority and looking beyond one’s own family are universal, but this intimate picture of a traditional Muslim family is especially poignant in light of current world events and the increasing liberation of Muslim women.

The Star of Kazan, by Eva Ibbotson

For ages 9 and up

This historical novel, set in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is filled with suspense, danger, eccentric professors, beautiful horses, and great food. What else could a young reader want? How about an abandoned baby, an evil mother, stolen jewels, and characters who face great peril to rescue their friend? In short, this novel has everything that appeals readers and non-readers alike.

When My Name Was Keoko, by Linda Sue Park

For ages 12 and up

Set in Japanese-occupied Korea, this novel is an unforgettable portrait of a little-studied event world history. When the Japanese took control of Korea, they attempted to eradicate the Korean culture—going so far as to outlaw Korean names and uprooting all of the Rose of Sharon trees (the national tree).

When her brother is forced into the Japanese Imperial Air Force during World War II and her uncle, a resistance fighter, is forced into hiding, Sun-hee (Keoko) struggles to hold onto her Korean culture and her divided family. Although the setting is far removed from young American readers, the feelings of humiliation, rebellion, love of family, and love of country are universal. This easy-to-read novel is a great introduction to imperialism and cultural diversity.