TIME MAGAZINE August 13, 2007

Another interesting piece from the same issue of Time referred to in my last posting was this one on naughty girls in Children's-Lit:

READING
Children's-Lit Girls Gone Wild

Barbara Park's series about impish first-grader Junie B. Jones has caught some criticism from parents for the heroine's lazy syntax and defiant antics (she once played a head-butting game), but controversy over high-energy female protagonists is nothing new in the world of children's literature. Here are a few young ladies who have been winning over children while bucking the grownups in the past 50 years:

PIPPI LONGSTOCKING Pippi's life alone in a mansion with a monkey might have been questionable to parents, but the beloved redhead has been the doyen of this group since her 1945 debut.

RAMONA QUIMBY She hit bookshelves 37 years before Junie. Ramona drew some raised eyebrows for calling a school friend "Yard Ape" while also misreciting the national anthem.

THE PAPER BAG PRINCESS Elizabeth's sin? Not only does she wear a paper bag instead of a dress, but she also rescued the prince from a dragon--and then ditched him.

JUNIE B. JONES She loves the word stupid, and her grammar isn't stellar, but her unique brand of chaos has helped sell more than 43 million copies since the 27-volume book series debuted in 1992.