5 BFFs You Want Your Daughter To Have

Do you ever read a book and feel like you're bff's with the protagonist? I have many childhood besties that reside between the dog-eared and tattered pages of my favorite books. Oh, my beloved books.

My mom is responsible for passing passed down this obsessive love for reading. We've always loved discussing books and sharing the thrill of an excellent plot and a beloved character. Mom is the number-one person I go to for book recommendations. I want to be the number one book recommender for my daughter, too.

Formulating a list of favorite books is like drafting a list of my favorite people. These are my BFFs we're talking about--my Best Fictional Friends. Isn't that cute? And a tad cheesy? Yes. But I don't care.

I cannot wait to introduce my BFFs to my daughter. I hope she loves them as much as I do! I want to share five of my favorites and tell you why we're friends.

1. Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene



 The summer before sixth grade I pretty much devoured the entire series of Nancy Drew. I dodged phonecalls and invitations to friends' houses. My best friends were in those yellow hardback books.

 I connected with Bess, Nancy's "pleasantly plump" side-kick because she was funny and always in the mood for sweets (kind of like me). While Nancy was awesome, she kind of annoyed me because she was so perfect. I like George, too, but she was always so intense and serious.


 Even though Bess was my unsung favorite, I loved the dynamic between these gals. They found clues, solved mysteries and caught bad guys together. They taught me to look for adventure and be a go-to-gal for problem solving. Also, always carry a bobby-pin.



2. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott



Little Women is somehow embedded in my sentiments on siblings, Christmas, weddings, and definitely writing.

Of course I loved Jo. I never forgave her for bypassing Laurie, but look at me--I'm married to a professor, too. Jo was my friend because she made mistakes but figured out a way to laugh about them. She was not the prettiest or even the nicest sister, but she had the most fun. Jo taught me to be creative and gutsy. Oh, and she was a writer. Duh.

3. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell





Island of the Blue Dolphins? Well, Karana (the protagonist) made being stranded on an island seem like so much fun. Karana was my friend because she didn't sit around and feel sorry for herself. Even though her brother was eaten by wolves she found a way to keep moving and even tame one of those animals! She was resourceful--I've always wanted a house made out of whalebones because of her. Karana taught me to be clever with what I have. If it means making a house out of whalebones, so be it.

4. The Betsy Tacy Series by Maud Hart Lovelace

Have you heard about Betsy Tacy? They were written in the 1940's but are set in the midwest at the turn of the century. The fabulous feature of this series is that these books GROW WITH the reader! I started with Betsy Tacy when I was maybe five or six years old. This introductory book is about how Betsy meets her best friend, Tacy, and the adventures they have as little girls.

I followed Betsy through childhood, high school, young adulthood and marriage. Betsy was my best friend because she never stopped using her imagination, she valued her friendships, and she was dedicated to writing. That's right, another writer! I journeyed with her in her journals, her drafts, her rejections, and her first publication. You could say she influenced me a lot.



I'm the same little book-worm today that I was back then. I do not just read my books. I live them until they are over, and I stop dreaming about them. No joke, I hung out in the arena during my REM cycles for like two months after reading the Hunger Games.

5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins



And that brings me to the Hunger Games. Oh wait, I was already there. So obviously I didn't read these books when I was a child or teen (because they weren't yet written). But Katniss and I are friends now. My only negative feeling towards this series is that I didn't get into it sooner. I had to wait until two-hundred and forty-two people told me to read it, before I actually did.

As a character and a friend, Katniss rocks. She has the resourcefulness of Karana, the sarcastic wit of Jo, the cunning of Nancy, and the awkward foibles of Betsy. She gets into some really tricky situations but somehow manages to remain moral throughout. She's got it all. I loved reading this series and I think I'll read it aloud to my kids just so we can get to it a little faster.


Well, there you have it. That went by way too fast and there are so many other friends that are now left out. Boo. Guess we'll just have to make another list! By the way, I am sorry that I did not specify the age to read the above books. To be quite honest, and with the exception of the last book, everything sort of blends together as my favorites from middle school to high school. I'd be curious to know when people usually introduce books like Little Women and Hunger Games

Do you have some BFFs {Best Fictional Friends}? I would love to know who they are and what you love about them. Use the comments below to dsiscover some potential BFF candidates. I can't wait to see what you all say.

Just putting this out there--I need some book recommendations for ME. This weekend is just begging to have a lazy book day. The weather's getting cool, and not to rub it in or anything but I'm gonna drink a pumpkin lattee. So. Yes. I need a really phenomenal book to do it justice!!