Annotated Bibliography

Fantasy has long been appreciated by readers of all ages. It is a genre in which young adults can allow their imaginations free reign and anything is possible. This bibliography is focused on the genre of Fantasy with an emphasis on women writers within this genre. Fantasy is a popular genre with young adults, but there is seldom a focus on those that are written from the female perspective. I believe this annotated bibliography will allow anyone interested in recommending these books the opportunity to reach out to the female readership. This could allow female young adults to feel more connected to the work and also relate to the characters more. We all like characters when we can put ourselves in their shoes or feel a kinship with. These following authors and books are a jumping off point into the vast world of Fantasy written by female writers.

Bradley, Marion Zimmer. The Mists of Avalon. New York: Ballantine Books, 1982.

This is the first book in a series of the same name. Bradley tells the story of King

Arthur through the eyes of the important women who surround this story. It is lengthy, but well worth the read. Bradley is well known for her many fantasy books, but this one holds a special place in many women�s hearts. Her characters are strong and multi-faceted. The story has stood the test of time, both as the Legend of King Arthur, and as Bradley�s The Mists of Avalon.

Bray, Libba. A Great and Terrible Beauty. New York: Bantam Doubleday, 2003.

�After the suspicious death of her mother in 1895, sixteen-year-old Gemma returns to England, after many years in India, to attend a finishing school where she becomes aware of her magical powers and ability to see into the spirit world.� This is what BN.com says about this book. The storyline is interesting and is a perfect age heroine for many teen fantasy readers to relate to. Valerie O. Patterson of Children�s Literature says, �A well written page turner, with strong characterization and dialogue, this Victorian-era gothic novel will find many readers unable to put it down until the very last page.�

Esquivel, Laura. Like Water For Chocolate. New York: Anchor Books, 1995.

This book, originally written in Spanish, was a wild hit here in America. The heroine of this book tells of her family and her joys and sorrows with the frame of her cooking. The amazing thing about this is that she has the ability to put her emotions into her cooking and pass it on to the people who eat her food. It is a beautifully written book that is not written for young adults, but would be perfect for older young adults nonetheless. This is still one of my favorite books of all time.

Ewing, Lynn. The Talisman. New York: Hyperion Books For Children, 2003.

This book is the first in the Daughters of the Moon series. It has been quite popular and already has several books in the series. This first one is explained in the annotation at BN.com, �As Maggie reflects on the difficulty she will have with her final duty as mentor to the daughters of Moon Goddess Selene, she recalls her first battles with the evil Atrox, two thousand years earlier when she was a youth in Athens.� This book takes place both in the present day and far in the past, making for an interesting read. A strong central female character makes the story worth looking into.

L�Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell

Publishing Group, Inc., 1962.

Meg Murray is the quirky main character in this well loved classic. She is a young adult who doesn�t fit in at school and is deeply missing the absence of her father. She is drawn into a fantastic story of travels through space and time with the help of her brother and a friend. Meg provides a character that many girls could put on for size and find quite comfortable. L�Engle has a great talent for making even the most complex fantasy novels accessible and applicable to our daily lives. This book is better for the younger end of the spectrum of young adults.

Le Guin, Ursula K. Gifts. San Diego: Harcourt Brace, 2004.

Le Guin is known as one of the greats of fantasy writing. This book is new and may spark an interest in young adults for its deep message and powerful characters. BN.com�s description of the story from the publisher says, �Scattered among poor, desolate farms, the clans of the Uplands possess gifts. Wondrous gifts: the ability�with a glance, a gesture, a word�to summon animals, bring forth fire, move the land. Fearsome gifts: They can twist a limb, chain a mind, inflict a wasting illness. The Uplanders live in constant fear that one family might unleash its gift against another. Two young people, friends since childhood, decide not to use their gifts. One, a girl, refuses to bring animals to their death in the hunt. The other, a boy, wears a blindfold lest his eyes and his anger kill.� Judy Silverman from Children�s Literature says, �What a pleasure it is to read a well-crafted story told by a master!

McCaffrey, Anne. Dragonflight. New York: Random House, 1971.

BN.com�s synopsis reads, �After ten long turns, Lessa was ready to come out of hiding, to reclaim her birthright...and to Impress the young dragon queen and become Weyrwoman of Benden. Suddenly the deadly silver Thread once again threatened all Pern with destruction. But the mighty telepathic dragons that for centuries had defended Pern were now few in number, not nearly enough to protect the planet in its hour of greatest peril. So Lessa hatched a daring and dangerous scheme: Rally support from people who had long ago ceased to exist...�. McCaffrey is an accomplished writer who has received many awards and has been one of the most prolific writers of fantasy for young adult readers.

McKinley, Robin. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast. New

York: Harper Collins, 1993.

According to Harpercollins.com, this book is an ALA Best of the Best Book for Young Adults and the 2000 list of popular paperbacks. We all know the story of Beauty and the Beast, yet McKinley retells it in a way that is new and fresh. She is portrayed as a strong woman with a good head on her shoulders, which should appeal to many young adult women.

Pierce, Tamora. Alanna: The First Adventure. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1997.

The annotation from BN.com of this book reads, �Eleven-year-old Alanna, who aspires to be a knight even though she is a girl, disguises herself as a boy to become a royal page, a learning many hard lessons along her path to high adventure.� This is the first in a successful series of books about this character. Pierce has taken a job that was taboo for women to have, being a knight, and let a girl break into the field. This is a great lesson at any age.

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer�s Stone. New York: Scholastic Inc.,

1997.

Who can deny that Rowling has become one of the most famous fantasy writers of our time? Her series of books have attracted a whole new group of young adults to fantasy. The story is centered on Harry Potter, a boy, but his best friend Hermione is a wonderful role model for girls in this story and the following volumes in the series. This is a great story to start someone who is generally disinterested in fantasy, as I once was. Rowling changed my feelings about fantasy and I am sure she will do the same for you.

Works Cited

�Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness Series #1). � Barnes and Noble

Online. 30 November 2004 http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=UG0vgjXAPd&isbn=0679801146&itm=19.

�Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast.� Harper Collins Online.

30 November 2004 http://www.harpercollins.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0064404773&tc=bd.

�A Great and Terrible Beauty.� Barnes and Noble Online. 30 November 2004

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=UG0vgjXAPd&isbn=0385730284&itm=20.

Nilsen, Alleen Pace and Kenneth L. Donelson. Literature for Today�s Young Adults:

Sixth Edition. San Francisco: Longman, 2001.

Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell. The Pocket Handbook: Second Edition.

New York: Thomson Wadsworth, 2003.

�The Talisman (Daughters of the Moon Series).� Barnes and Noble Online. 30 November

2004http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=UG0vgjXAPd&isbn=0786818786&itm=31.