LAKEPORT — For as long as there”s been royalty, young maidens everywhere have dreamed of being princesses according to Foster City author Shirin Yim Bridges, who will read from her new series of books, “The Thinking Girl”s Treasury of Real Princesses,” 3 to 5 p.m. today at Catfish Books in Lakeport.
Bridges said that as a role model, however, princess-hood is a decidedly mixed bag. “Who doesn”t want their little girl to enjoy princess-league perks and privileges? On the other hand, who wants their daughters to think that the way to achieve this is by marrying into it or by inheriting it from your father?”
That”s the conundrum that Bridges said she navigates in her new series, “The Thinking Girl”s Treasury of Real Princesses.” “Most of my writing is about girls who manage to do what few people think is possible,” Bridges, the award-winning children”s author of “Ruby”s Wish” and “The Umbrella Queen,” said. “Now my focus is on real princesses throughout history who”ve accomplished incredible things in their own right. These stories blend messages of female empowerment with the romance and enchantment surrounding princesses.”
The series, aimed at girls ages 9 to 13, includes histories of six princesses: Hatshepsut of Egypt, Artemisia of Caria, Sorghaghtani of Mongolia, Qutlugh Terkan Khatun of Kirman, Isabella of Castile, and Nur Jahan of India. The books are illustrated with photographs and maps and pen-and-watercolor paintings by Albert Nguyen.
“The Thinking Girl”s Treasury of Real Princesses” series is the first offering from Goosebottom Books, Bridges” fledgling new press.
“I”m a big believer in fun non-fiction for girls of this age,” Bridges said. “These princesses are incredible role models of empowerment. Their stories are fascinating in their own right, but also hold powerful lessons for children ? lessons that we aim to sneak through in a fun and palatable way. We call it ?stealth education.””
Bridges has lived in many countries around the world ? Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and England. She was educated in the United States and now lives in California.
“The fascination with princesses seems innate in little girls,” Bridges said. “But when girls reach a certain age they want a little more meat. We believe this series is the perfect move on from Disney princesses and fairy tales.”
According to Bridges, “The Thinking Girl”s Treasury of Real Princesses” is designed to whet girls” appetites for learning through reading, well into the future. Work has already begun on Goosebottom”s second series, “The Thinking Girl”s Treasury of Dastardly Dames,” which will include volumes by six contributing authors.
For more information, visit www.goosebottombooks.com.
About the author
Shirin Yim Bridges comes from a family of writers and artists. Her first book, “Ruby”s Wish,” was named one of the Best Children”s Books of 2002 by Publishers Weekly and won the Ezra Jack Keats awards for Best Writer and Best Illustrator in 2003. It is on several state reading lists, has been translated into six languages and is now in its ninth edition.
