Uncovers and traces the development of the young female protagonist from the role of submissive fairy-tale maiden to the spunkier more independent girls who now appear with increasing frequency in young adult literature. Focuses on American titles written in a time when young adult fiction began to adapt to the post-modern directions already established in fiction for adults. It is a unique exploration of characters portrayed with wit, intelligence, and will, reinforcing attributes seldom seen in earlier works about females. This next generation of heroines is the model with which today's readers can readily identify. With an annotated list of titles for suggested reading following each chapter, Declarations of Independence is the ideal resource for parents, middle and high school teachers and librarians. It should be a fixture in every public and undergraduate school library.

Joanne Brown is Associate Professor of English at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. She is the author ofPresenting Kathryn Lasky in Twayne's United States Authors' series on writers for young adults, and has published short fiction, personal essays, and articles on young adult literature. Nancy St. Clair is an Associate Professor of English at Simpson College in Indiania, Iowa, where she also serves as Chair of the English department and as director of the Cornerstone and Senior Colloquium programs. She has published several articles on women's studies and young adult fiction.

Chapter 1 That Was Then Chapter 2 This Is Now Chapter 3 Empowered Girls in Historical Fiction Chapter 4 Empowered Girls in the Contemporary World Chapter 5 Empowered Girls in Literature of the Fantastic Chapter 6 Empowered Girls in Memoir Chapter 7 Conclusion