A coworker was looking for novels for her 12-year-old daughter, so I reread The Willowmere Chronicles (The Witches of Willowmere, The Warding of Willowmere, and The Wyrd of Willowmere) by Alison Baird to make sure they'd be an appropriate recommendation.
Upon rereading, I concluded that they're definitely an appropriate choice for a young woman. There's no sex and no bad language, which was important to my coworker. And I think my coworker will approve of the main character, Claire. Claire is a strongly feminist 16 year-old girl who's very intelligent, courageous, a critical thinker, and someone who doesn't follow the crowd.
The books are filled with feminist messages and discussions. They're at a level that a younger girl could understand, but they even manage to provide food for thought for an old girl like me! Definitely worth passing on to the avid readers in your life who could benefit from reading books with feminist heroines. The books are smart, well-written, and fast-paced. Also, Baird's treatment of Wicca strikes me as sensitive and accurate, though I'm not Wiccan myself so take that with a grain of salt.
I should note that Claire isn't portrayed as being especially pretty. Occasionally this fact bothers her a little (though significantly less than it bothers the average 16 year-old), and a few people make an effort to change the way she looks, with a very small measure of success. Overall, though, Baird's message is that women should not feel compelled to play into the beauty myth and should focus more on other things, such as intellectual pursuits.
So, yes, definitely worth passing on!
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Anything by Deb Caletti is great. Also she is an amazingly nice lady.
I don't know the young ladies taste, but I positively loved China Miéville's UnLunDun.
Apart from a briliant female lead character (she takes responsibility, is funny and smart), it also deals with environmental issues.
Ooh, I love YA. I'll have to see if the local library carries Baird's stuff. Have you tried Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles? Excellent, age-appropriate feminist heroine who opts out of being rescued by a prince and finds a job working for some dragons. On top of that, the dragons choose their own sex/gender as they enter adulthood. Good stuff.
I second the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. Fantastic reads, even as adults.
Erm... the Alanna chronicles by Tamora Pierce are pretty good, if I remember correctly.
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. This was my introduction to feminism, one of my favorite childhood books, and it has stood up to time. Brilliant.
Anything by Jane Yolen, but Briar Rose is a really well-done story about World War II, told from the perspective of a wonderful girl trying to find her grandmother's history.
Carol Matas' Jasper and Lisa books are also really good takes on World War II - and as "feminist" as you can get while still taking into account some sort of historical reality. I loved those as a teenager...
Oh, and there's a series of 7 books that starts with "Tomorrow, When the War Began" - told from the perspective of a teenager, it's basically the story of a group of kids trying to survive/fight back (as what seems to be the equivalent of WWIII explodes in Australia). Violent, but super-strong female characters, and an actually well-written plot. Good stuff, in terms of adventure novels with strong teenaged girls!
And for crying out loud, whatever you do, avoid Twilight and the like. *shudders*
Jane Yolen is fantastic. So is the woman who writes the "Alanna" series, anything by Madeleine L'Engle (although some of the books have sexual themes), the Illyrian Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander (about a kick-ass archeology-obsessed teen girl who is calm and logical as the adults around her freak out), the Golden Compass series by Philip Pullman (and Ruby in the Smoke when she gets older).
I still love (and highly recommend) Tamora Pierce's books. The Alanna books (Song of the Lioness Quartet) are great, but they are followed by even better series. The books are not sexless, however, just to warn you. Following Alanna (which begins with a young girl wanting to be a knight, so she disguises her true gender for 8 years), there's a series about a girl who discovers she has magic with animals (Daine), then a series about the first known female page (Keladry), who idolizes Alanna and is the first to take advantage of the new proclamation that women CAN be knights (although none have tried in the years following the new law). Those last (the Protector of the Small quartet) are probably my favorites. Kel has to deal with a sexist trainer who unfairly puts her on probation so she has to prove she can keep up with the boys (and ends up best in her class at many things), not to mention hazing by many of the boys she trains with. She has many male and female friends, but is definitely her own person, as are all of Tamora's characters. I own all of the Tortall books by Tamora Pierce; I wish her editors were a little more on the ball, but I LOVE her books and her writing. I want more people to discover these wonderful books; I still read them from time to time as an adult, and still love them, plus I've bought her newer books as they've arrived (Beka Cooper is the newest character, and the first Tortall book to be written in first-person format).
Wow, that got long. In summary, if you know a young person who likes fantasy, show them the Tortall books!
I third the Enchanted Forest books.
Also, not fantasy, but more mystery - the Enola Holmes books by... I think Nancy Springer. Enola is Sherlock's younger sister - very smart, very brave, totally kickass - and you get to learn a little about how women empowered themselves in the days of corsets and horse carriages. Best of all (from my point of view), it meshes very well with the Sherlock Holmes stories, and creates a believable - even sympathetic - portrait of the detective as struggling with his misogynistic beliefs.
From my exstensive younger reading I would recommend:
- The Tomorrow Series by John Marsden. Although like Ros said it does contain sex, violence and strong female characters.
- The Protector of the Small and Son of the Lioness Quartets by Tamora Pierce. Both protagonists are strong female characters who fight for equality for women and people in some shape or form.
- The Blue Sword and Sunshine by Robin McKinley. Again, both female protagonists, with one becoming a warrior and the other an unwilling hero. Although Sunshine does contain violence and sexual content.
- The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix. Strong female protagonists (sensing a theme here yet?) who fight and magic things up with the best of them.
Sidenote, just becuase my summaries are bad, doesn't mean the books are.