Fierce, Fearless and Free: Girls in myths and legends from around the world

Fierce, Fearless and Free is the exciting new book by Lari Don. This inclusive collection of traditional tales from around the world features amazing women and their gifts. The empowering tales feature myths and legends from Scotland to the distant shores of the Solomon Islands. To select a few, the heroic characters in these stories defeat monsters, take on battles with Mother Nature and out-smart witches. Each tale takes us on a captivating adventure that shows the heroines strengths and how they overcome the most troublesome situations. What I find amazing about each of these tales, is that the endings are different from what you would expect from a traditional tale about girls. The heroines do not find love and live happily ever after; most are accepted for who they are, but still carry on with their arduous lives, learning from their mistakes and showing the ability to solve problems. This book would make a wonderful contribution to the curriculum. The story about Inanna - The Goddess of War and Love - would be a brilliant story to use along side Misty Mountain or I am Warrior. It has a brilliant underlying theme of strength and commitment and shows the characters determination to succeed against one of Mother Nature's most unforgiving natural beauties. The story Medea and the Metal Man would be a good alternative tale for those teaching Mighty Metals, but also could be used when teaching about Greek Mythology as this tale is a new revelation that supports legends about Jason and the Argonauts. There are some many wonderful tales that you could use to support the curriculum in Lower and Upper Key Stage 2. Furthermore, Lari Don has given details about the origins from where the stories originated, which is useful if you wanted to delve further into the tale. I would highly recommend that this book be used to highlight the plight of heroic girls from the past and endeavor to retell their stories that have been in existence for thousands of years. 154 pages / Ages 7+ / Reviewed by Hayley Summerfield, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 7+