Gilman, Dorothy. A series of mystery novels about Mrs. Pollifax. I recommend starting with The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, 1966. Mrs. Pollifax's chidren have grown up and moved on. Her husband has died. In fighting off depression, she decides to take up a childhood dream by working as a spy. The stereotype of a cheerful, eager older woman doesn't include courage, adventuressness, and shrewd judgement. So no one suspects Mrs. Pollifax of being a spy, so she has an advantage not shared by some of her colleagues. She picks up information and makes allies via her natural friendliness and interest in other people, then moves into dangerous situations with a pluck suitable for her late-chosen profession. The story lines may not always be credible, but the books are entirely enjoyable--light-hearted, refreshing and uplifting. Filled with sympathetic characters of all ages and both sexes. Available new and in second hand stores.

White, E.B. Charlotte's Web. 1952. This old classic isn't particularly about girls or boys, but has an unusual mix of positive male and female roles among the animal and the human characters. And as anyone will remember who's read it recently, it's very well written.

Burnett, Frances (1849-1924). The Secret Garden. A 10 year old girl moves from India to Yorkshire, England when her parent die of the plague. She is sent to live with her uncle who has never recovered from the death of his wife. There she meets her invalid cousin. She gives her cousin courage to overcome negative images that have been projected onto him. He gives her the chance to connect socially as a caring, positive force. Together they liberate the house from its paul of death, into the natural power of youthful hope and optimism.

Smith, Betty (1896-1972). A Tree Grows In Brooklyn. 1947. A girl growing up in poverty with a loving alcoholic father and a hard-working mother learns to anchor herself in fundamental values while trying to understand the combination of weaknesses and strengths that characterize the human condition. A complex but sweet portrayal of the adult world as seen by a child growing into adulthood.

Giff, Patricia Reilly. Lily's Crossing. 1997. Lily's mother died a long time ago. Her father now has to go off to fight in the second world war. She breaks through her shyness to befriend a boy of her own age whose family has also suffered. Having broken through shyness to forge a friendship, they share their separate worlds over common ground. A sweet, quiet book written for young people but enjoyable for all ages. Winner of the Yearling Newbery Award. ISBN: 0-440-41453-9.

Jiang, Ji Li. Red Scarf Girl, A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution. 1997. Written by a Chinese woman about her adolescence in China during the Cultural Revolution. As an outstanding student, she is promoted by the Communist Party. But her family then becomes targetted for scorn and her father is detained for political reasons she can't understand. About her attempt to be useful and respected in a social world of ineffable values, and her struggle to be kind and loyal to her family while they are condemned by the society they live in.

Sand, George (1804-1876). La Petite Fadette. La Petite Fadette is being raised by a grandmother who's considered suspect by her neighbors because of her poverty and her knowledge of nature, herbs and healing. The girl, too, is shunned but grows up with a sense of pride and intense interest in the natural world that can't be quelled by social censure. When a boy befriends her at the risk of losing his own standing in the neighborhood, she has a chance to explain herself to one who is accepted by the neighbors. And he learns to demystify and respect her skills, practical understanding, and personal integrity. The book takes place in 19^th century rural France, the time and place of the author. So this small sentimental book provides a rich sense of another place and time than our own. [If you like this one, Sand's Francois Le Champi may also suit you. Francois Le Champi is about a woman's friendship with a foundling as he grows to manhood in her house.]

Huxley, Elspeth (born 1907). The Mottled Lizard (1962), and The Flame Trees of Thika. Autobiographical books about the author's childhood in Kenya around the time of the first world war. The book provides rich descriptions of the landscapes, the relationship between the British colonists and the native people, and the experience of a child growing up in an adult, cross-cultural world. Huxley doesn't paint herself as a remarkable child, but as a child of reasonable competency in a remarkable surrounding and circumstance. But the fact she was later able to write about it so vividly is an accomplishment, and her story, whether due to character or circumstance, is one full of adventure and pluck. The Mottled Lizard is out of print, but available second hand.

Cather, Willa (1873-1947). Oh Pioneers!. 1913. Set in the plains of Nebraska among the early settlers. The main character, a farmer, loves those around her, but is isolated from them by her quiet strength. Her only close friend that remains in the country is an old vet whose deep association with nature is viewed almost as a form of insanity by his neighbors. The author moved to Nebraska when she was ten years old and stayed in that state through college. A violent ending.

Curie, Eve. 1937. Madame Curie. The story of the life of the scientist who with her husband discovered radioactivity. Written by her daughter.

Conn, Peter. Pearl S. Buck; A Cultural Biography. 1996. Pearl Buck is most remembered for her novels set in China, but she was also a political activist influential in civil rights in the United States. She grew up under a missionary father in rural China and spent most of her first 40 years in China. Written by a man who adopted a child through an adoption agency run by Pearl Buck.

Elder, Lauren. I Alone Survived. 1978. The author's plane crashes into a mountainside in California, and the two other occupants die. She survives the night by splashing the plane's fuel in small doses on a rock to burn, then huddling into the plane next to the pilot while he dies. The next day she scales the face of the mountain and survives to stumble, delirious from fatigue, thirst, hunger, sun and hallucinations, into a small town, where no one at first will let her in. The writing is unremarkable, and the character of the author is difficult to approach given her need to find fault with the pilot as he dies. Nevertheless, it is a haunting tale of what a person can accomplish when pushed to do so.

Meir, Golda. My Life,1975. Meir rises from pogroms in Russia, and childhood in Milwaukee to become the prime minister of Israel. Her story is filled with affection and the details of everyday life, from the resistance of her parents to her training as a teacher, to her troubled marriage. Not only does this book teach us something about tenacity, focus, courage, and dedication. It also teaches us a great deal about the history of Isreal and the relationship between individual identity and history in the making.

In these books, the sense of a role model emerges not out of the story itself, but out of the author's identity as a powerful writer.

Yourcenar, Marguerite (born 1903). Memoires d'Hadrien. 1951. The life of Roman Emperor Hadrien, written in the first person. That the author could transport herself across the boundaries of time, culture, place and gender with such skill fills the reader with a sense of the possible. Struck me as a piece of genius.

A.S. Byatt (born 1907). Possession. A novel in which the relationship that evolves between two scholars is paralleled by events in the life of the poet they are both studying. The long text encompasses poems and diaries of a multitude of characters spanning various historical periods. The diversity and the sheer number of different voices in this work is astounding, as though the author could write a normal book in her sleep. It's also an immensely readable work, with mystery that unfolds through innumerable layers.

The Corn is Green. Based on an autobiographical stage play (1945) by Emlyn Williams. One version of the movie stars Katherine Hepburn. A teacher goes into a Welsh mining town at the turn of the century to begin educating the miners' children. One excels beyond expectation.

Ivanhoe. The movie is a high quality 1997 BBC production by Jeremy Gwilt that runs for about 5 hours. The story looks at the challenges to personal integrity among English aristoctrats in 12^th century England, when the loyalty to their exiled king is tested by foreign domination. The costumes, castles, jousting matches, and scenes among Robin-Hood-like men in the woods are as fantastic as one might expect, but in this case these are matched by excellent acting and complex development of character and plot. The most impressive is a Jewess whose intelligence, courage, and personal integrity become a lesson to powerful players on both sides of the conflict over loyalty to the king. The secular role of the Christian church in the politics of the times presents an interesting contrast between institutional and personal holiness. Based on Sir Walter Scott's (1771-1832) book, but the movie is far better.

Song of Bernadette. Based on a novel by Franz Werfel (1890-1945). About a simple French girl who sees images of the Virgin Mary near her village of Lourdes in 1858. She manages to maintain her centered understanding of her experience in spite of attacks from the Church and constant public attention. A story that may seem dated to modern viewers, but is interesting as a parallel to similar patterns that occur today in different contexts. First made into a movie in 1943.

Anne of Green Gables. An eleven year old orphan is sent to live on a farm, where she becomes widely loved. Based on a book by L. M. Montgomery (1874-1942). A PBS production.

The Official Story. In Spanish with English subtitles. An Argentinian housewife is visited by a close childhood friend she hasn't seen in years. The friend returns from a life of political activism, leading the housewife into conversations about a political underworld of violence by their own government against the Argentinian people. As the housewife begins to learn about the larger picture, she discovers strands of it within her own home, creating a terrifying gestalt. I would not recommend this movie for young people. For adults it provides valid window into realities that are not only historically real, but part of US foreign policy in our lifetimes. As a side-theme, the movie puts forth an example of how women, though not invited to participate in major political decisionmaking, do nevertheless have the option of supporting one side or the other, often in a context where support for the right side requires sacrifice of material comforts and social acceptance among the powerful. Set in the mid-seventies.

The Music Box. A confident lawyer defends her loving father against accusations of horrific Nazi war crimes. Not recommended for children.

Theory of Flight. A woman with Lou Gerhig's disease makes friends with an alienated artist assigned to her care as part of a community service sentence he incurred by jumping off a roof. The two prickly curmudgeons end up with a friendship in spite of themselves, and through that friendship face their respective challenges. The surface plot is about her intense effort to experience sexual intercourse before she dies. Based on a true story, but at times seemingly implausible. Nevertheless, a humorous, uplifting, and original story immaculately executed by excellent performances. Tests destructive stereotypes about handicapped people.

Many public libraries can now help you find books and movies on this list. They have on-line catalogues, the ability to reserve books and videos on line, willingness to transport books to your branch from other branches, and a service that automatically leaves a message at your phone when the materials arrive. So the library is a good place to start if you live near one. Being old classics, some of the books and movies listed here may be difficult to find at a standard video or book store. By borrowing the books and videos you use, and donating the money you save to a public library, you may save money, reduce environmental impact, and make materials more available to other people.