Madame President

Yesterday, I wrote a newsletter about the new woman President of Harvard University. I'll post the newsletter in the Living-Textbook in a few weeks. But, I wanted to post a response from a reader today.

For an appealing story about girls seeking their own identity read To Know the Sea, by Frances Gilbert.

The little princess in the high mountain kingdom wants desperately to know the sea, to go to sea, nonsense they tell her, but she won't give up her longing and eventually tiring of her tantrums the king turns the problem over to the queen who advertises for someone to bring the sea to the princess - the traditional three young men try and fail - eventually an old sailor brings the sea to the princess in an unusual way - she sells her tiara buys a ship and sails off into an independent future.

Great for 6-10 year olds, beautifully written and illustrated.

Gillian Collings
Trumbull, Connecticut