Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/24680
books. An emerging feminist her- self—she once declared that she was no “fancy girl”—she nonetheless finds the graphic-novel format en- gaging enough to look past the ab- sence of female characters. She is drawn in by the lined pages that look like a real diary, the text that mimics handwriting and the cartoon draw- ings. Yet she wouldn’t want to en- counter Greg in her class at school, because “he never does anything and he doesn’t have any interest in any- thing.” Packaging Boyhood author Sharon Lamb points out that, in the face of Greg’s slacker stereotype, girls become “complaining, super-studious goody-goodies”—a set of female stereotypes that pose their own limi- tations and challenges for girls. Not every girl is as forgiving as my daughter in reviewing the Wimpy Kid series. On the PBS KIDS website, several comment on Greg’s “rude,” “mean” and “selfish” behavior as rea- sons for not liking the book. Some girls are savvy enough to read between the lines of Kinney’s books and find little to value. Plenty of others—like my daughter—will read them anyway. But when such blatant stereotypes and sexism go un- mentioned in the broader cultural re- sponse to Diary of a Wimpy Kid and its counterparts (such as Captain Under- pants and My Weird School ), it’s time for feminists to join the conversation. Talk to your tweens about how to read with a critical eye, and perhaps even demand from Kinney some changes to his next book. Greg may be a wimpy kid, but that doesn’t mean that we should wimp out ourselves. ALLISON KIMMICH, PH.D., is execu- tive director of the National Women’s Studies Association. www.msmagazine.com THE GOOD BOOKS Here are some traditional and graphic novels for tween (age 8 to 12) feminist readers; any one would make a great holiday or birthday gift. The View From Saturday By E.L. Konigsburg Aladdin The Newbery Medal-winning novel features sixth-grade Academic Bowl competitors and examines their friendship. This book celebrates academic achievement and gives voice to shy kids. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits and a Very Interesting Boy By Jeanne Birdsall Yearling Award-winning newcomer Birdsall will hopefully have a long career writing fun and funny tween literature. The Penderwicks tells the story of four very different sisters, their new male friend and his difficult mother. Note that the girls do the rescuing here! Rapunzel’s Revenge By Shannon Hale, Dean Hale and Nathan Hale Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books No damsels in distress in this graphic novel: Rapunzel uses her hair to escape from her prison tower, ignore the prince and team up with Jack—from the Beanstalk—to free her birth mother and the kingdom from the evil witch. And here are a couple of good books for adults: Packaging Boyhood: Saving Our Sons From Superheroes, Slackers, and Other Media Stereotypes By Lyn Mikel Brown, Sharon Lamb and Mark Tappan St. Martin’s Press, 2009 Drawing on interviews with 600 boys, this new release looks at labels that can limit boys’ ability to find an authentic sense of self, and offers tools to overcome such stereotypes. Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing Our Daughters From Marketers’ Schemes By Sharon Lamb and Lyn Mikel Brown St. Martin’s Press, 2006 The authors analyze the stereotypes bombarding girls, leaving readers with suggestions for navigating the potentially damaging media terrain. FALL 2009 | 51