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Strong Female Characters for the Month of June!

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Strong Female Characters for the Month of June!

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I just finished reading Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, and I was struck by the emotional strength of a female character who was constantly being told how weak she was.  Whether your toughness is internal like Violet, or external like Arya in A Game of Thrones, you'll find something to admire in all of the women featured in this month's books! Give them a rating and some comments when you're done - remember, keep them school appropriate, please!

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Rebecca Yarros on The Shelved Books Podcast

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Rebecca Yarros on The Shelved Books Podcast

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Short video
• Title: Author Rebecca Yarros – The Surprising Submission Story for “Fourth Wing”
• Entity: Shelved Books Podcast - via YouTube

Justification:  In this short video, the author of “Fourth Wing,” Rebecca Yarros, is interviewed about the funny story behind her submission of the idea for the “Fourth Wing.”  In the comments, there is a link to click on the entire interview, which I do recommend.  She talks about how connective tissue disorder affects her life (it was also a disorder that afflicts Violet, the main character in Fourth Wing) where the idea for the book came from, why she didn’t write the story for so long after the conceived it, and much more. Ms. Yarros must be a strong female herself to be able to overcome a physical disability and create a whole new world in Fourth Wing!

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Author Rebecca Yarros | The Surprising Submission Story for "Fourth Wing" -Part 2 #shorts

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Dragons: A brief history of the mythical, fire-breathing beasts By Callum McKelvie, Benjamin Radford

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Dragons: A brief history of the mythical, fire-breathing beasts By Callum McKelvie, Benjamin Radford

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Website

• Title: Dragons: A brief history of the mythical, fire-breathing beasts

• Entity: Live Science

Justification: Live Science features an article on the history of the mythology of dragons.  It discusses where people in different cultures “got” the idea of dragons for their own culture and what the myths have in common overall.  The article discusses the influence that Christianity had on the belief in dragons and dragons’ association with Satan in the Christian belief.  Finally, they discuss any “proof” of the existence of dragons and where you can find a real-life dragon today!  While this website may not feature any strong female character, it features dragons, which, let's face it, are just cool, and which also show up in Fourth Wing and A Game of Thrones.

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Dragons: A Brief History of the Mythical, Fire-Breathing Beasts

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Dragons have appeared in numerous fantasy stories from The Hobbit to Game of Thrones, but just where do these mythical monsters come from?

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Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes

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Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes

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Informational Book #1

• Title: Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person

• Author: Shonda Rhimes

Justification: In the book, Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person, Shonda Rhimes, the creator of many hit television shows, such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “How to Get Away with Murder,” discusses how a throw-away line by her sister at a dinner party caused her to change her perspective.  Her sister said she never said “yes,” to anything, and it inspired Shonda to experience the “Year of Yes,” in which she stopped saying no and learned to say yes.  In this informational text, Shonda tells how saying yes to things opened up doors, opportunities, and experiences to which she had been closed off as an introvert, and she talks about all of the inspiring people and things she accomplished that year.  While the text can be a little repetitive, if you love her shows and you love strong females, you’ll love Rimes’ “can-do” attitude and her spunky writing style in Year of Yes.

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Informational Book #2
• Title: Just As I Am
• Author: Cicely Tyson

Justification: Cicely Tyson was a groundbreaking Black actress who brought style, poise, and grace to movies and the stage for decades.  In her autobiography, Just As I Am, Ms. Tyson talks about her life growing up with immigrant parents, her early marriage and childbearing, her roles on the stage and in film.  She discusses her emotional and difficult relationship and marriage to jazz musician Miles Davis, and how her faith influenced her throughout her life.  Ms. Tyson admits to “faking” her age for years to seem younger than she was when she really started out in film at nearly forty.  She finished writing the book in 2020 and it was published in 2021.  Ms. Tyson passed away in early 2021 at the age of 96.  Her book, Just As I Am, and her films leave a legacy of a strong Black woman who stood up against racial prejudice and made a name for herself against all odds.  She is a truly fierce character in her own right, and she certainly qualifies as a strong female!

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Fiction Book

• Title: The Falconer

• Author: Elizabeth May

Justification: The Falconer by Elizabeth May is a YA Fantasy novel with a great romance and a behind-kicking main female character.  Aileana is an aristocratic lady in high society with all of the expectations that brings.  But, secretly, she is a falconer and is tasked with killing the fae that threaten her land.  She is forced to train with one of the fae, Kiaran, to learn how to kill the fae, and as you can imagine, that is one tense situation.  Aileana and her friends fight battles and traverse worlds in their fantasy YA trilogy.  It’s a wild ride, and it’s always fun to read a strong female lead, as in Fourth Wing.

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Fiction Book #2
• Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
• Author: Sarah J. Maas

Justification: A Court of Thorns and Roses introduces Sarah J. Maas readers to Feyre, a young woman who has been taking care of her family nearly single-handedly, despite being the youngest of three girls.  She bravely hunts in the woods in order to sustain her father and siblings, but while there, inadvertently kills a wolf who turns out to be Fae.  Feyre is taken to Prythian by Tamlin – the Fae in charge of the spring realm – and sparks fly.  But, there is so, so much more to this series than meets the eye!  Feyre is another strong female character, but she has a lot to learn about the Fae realm. You can follow her adventures through four books, and soon, a Hulu television series!

A Court of Thorns & Roses is a YA novel, but it does contain some mature themes like sexual relations and violence.  If your account is restricted, talk to me about alternatives!

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A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

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A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

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Classic Book

• Title: A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire

• Author: George R.R. Martin

Justification: A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin is definitely not a YA book, but if you love dragons, strong characters, and world-building like you’ll find in Fourth Wing, you’ll love A Game of Thrones.  You will step into a world with Ned Stark and his family in the North of Westeros.  Ned is volun-told that he will be the Hand to the King, and this decision sets off a chain of events you cannot believe.  This book series is a classic, but comes with a handful of trigger-warnings about violence, alcohol, sex & incest, and, did I say violence?  With supernatural elements thrown in, Westeros is all you can ask for in a fantasyland.

(Just a reminder - this is an adult book and contains adult themes - while many of our high school readers are already reading adult books, if your account is restricted, then this will be off-limits, but I can help you find another classic fantasy if you're interested!)

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Primary Read:  Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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Primary Read:  Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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Title: Fourth Wing
• Author: Rebecca Yarros
• Publication date: 2023
• Category/genre: Fantasy / YA

Fourth Wing is the first installment of a duology (part 2 this fall) in which Violet, a girl with a connective tissue disorder, is forced into a school for dragon riders by an overbearing mother.  The book follows Violet as she decides what course she wants to take and becomes her own woman.