can anyone recommend a book or film?

I've just remembered a book for younger children we used in playgroup and early years....The Paper Bag Princess.....excellent.

Grammy57 - she is nine years old! Let her develop her own personality and style with arms length guidance....you are asking the wrong age group about modern day heroines to foist upn her, our views are completely different to that of a 9 year old. You are over-reacting to her comments. Relax.

My GD loved the TV series Harriet's army, set in WW1 and is about a 14 year old girl.
Both GDs loved Brave and I bought the book with the story on CD so they could listen and follow in the book.

My daughter has bought books for her niece age 7 called rebel girls. Dont think its about rebels as such but about successful and inspiring women both past and present.

To be honest I think being able to present a good face to the world by being able to do your own hair well is a very useful accomplishment

when I was that age I love Pollyanna ,Anne of Green Gables came a very close second ,both lovely stories for girls ,and of course Little Women is a beautiful book.Theres a modern day follow up called March about the father while he was at war,it might be a little too old for her but worth a read for grans here who enjoyed the original

For teenage girls I think The Lovely Sergeant by Alan Burgess is worth looking for on ebay. I think it was written in the 60s but it tells the story of an English girl in the First World War. She volunteered as a nurse and ended up in Serbia where she fell in love with a Serbian Officer. She fought with him and his men and was badly wounded. Sadly he died, but it's an exciting story of the things an ordinary girl can do in extraordinary circumstances.

Ronald Dahl's Matilda, book and film; Jacqueline Wilson's Hetty Feather, books and touring play. Going back, you could add to Little Women (2 films) other classics, Little House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, most are films too or have been on tv.
Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter books and films is a feisty character, the earlier ones would be suitable.
Sure you and GD are going to enjoy together the books and films you choose for her, have fun!

Nina Bawden's Carrie's War perhaps.

OP, when she is a little older she might be inspired by Anne Frank, Malala Yousafzai and Ellie Simmonds the Paralympic swimmer.
Jacqueline Wilson's Hetty Feather books have a strong female protagonist as does Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. There's a touring play of HF and a film of PP's The Golden Compass.
Your GD might be amused by The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler, also a film.
If she likes horses there's Terence Blacker's Racing Manhattan, a bit too old as yet though.
I'm sure your local library or GD's school could supply plenty of ideas as could a Waterstones. Good luck!

OP Anne Frank;
Zlata's Diary, a Child's Life in Sarajevo;
I Am Malala;
Ellie Simmonds the Paralympic swimmer, I don't think she's had time to write a book yet but she persevered through pain and sacrifice to compete at 3 Paralympics.

The 'Rose' Series of Books and the 'Lily' Series of books by Holly Webb are lovely.
These are aimed at nine year olds but would also enthrall older readers.

ajanela you said what I was thinking. There is a lot more to hairdressing than 'operating a hairbrush' and it sounded really patronizing .

My daughter went to catering college to study hotel management, she then worked in hotels whilst studying hairdressing on her evenings off. She's a very good hairdresser, but she went on to study radiography and now works in the USA doing MRI's. She speaks three languages and is the most competent person I know, but even if she had decided to 'operate a hairbrush' on a permanent basis, I would still have been proud of her.

I live in an international community and my hairdresser speaks, at least 4 languages fluently, runs her own businessp, is a wonderful skilful hairdresser and beauty consultant with a great interest in good health as well as raising a family. She brings a great deal of pleasure to women's lives, raising their moral and confidence. She aceived all this as an expat. I think this us a great acheivement and if your granddaughter can achieve as much "operating a hairbrush " as you rather insultingly put it OP think yourself lucky.

Grammy

What about some of the classics - Little Women? Or maybe she has read that. I loved it when I was about her age and found it very inspiring.

Other books that have stayed with me from my childhood are Joy Adamson's book about Elsa the lioness and Jane Goodall's books about her life's work.

Thank you all so much, there are some great suggestions there, she's 9 years old by the way. Please don't stop suggesting and I'll take those suggestions to Amazon Sorry to those who think I am dismissive but I really would like her to admire and aspire to more - is this not a time for her to dream? She may well end up a hairdresser and if she's a happy one that will do me, but meantime I would like her to know there are truly extraordinary people out there.

Only ever yours (can't remember the author, sorry!). Wouldn't recommend it for younger readers, but my niece raved about this book so much that I read it myself. It's not necessarily inspirational, but more of a spotlight on sexism and the pressures that young girls are subjected to in today's Facebook age. Very good.

My niece is sixteen by the way.

This is a bit of an aside, but... in my extended family of aunts and uncles there are many academics all of whom have lots of letters behind their names, and they sort of looked down their nose at one of my uncles who was a ... diesel mechanic.

Over time, he worked himself up through the ranks in the company where he started as an apprentice, was promoted to various managerial positions, and eventually he left and bought his own business in the trade. His wife who had been a homemaker and stay-at-home mum joined him in the business and was excellent at running the financial side of things and in the end he was a wealthy man, had standing in the community and was more content than any of the others, successful in every aspect of his life.

Now there was a role model. And his wife too of course!

I bought Rose Under Fire (I think it's called) for my granddaughter at christmas and she said she enjoyed it - another WWII book. The other one had The Book Thief and absolutely loved it. I don't know how old yours is, but mine raved abour the hunger games series as well.

I bought my seven year old granddaughter 'Fantastically great women who changed the world' by Kate Pankhurst. It includes Anne Frank, Amelia Earhart and Rosa Parks amongst others. She has really enjoyed dipping into it. There are lots of books encouraging girl's aspirations (more than for boys, sadly) just look on Amazon. Serena Williams is a good role model too.

I too think Brave is a lovely film for younger girls. Also my daughter has recently seen Hidden Numbers and whilst it is not a subtle portrayal of race and sex discrimination it is suitable for younger teens. As to modern day real heroines, any of the amazing athletes in the last two Olympics are wonderful role models - Laura Trot, Ellie (cant remember her second name, the Paralympic swimmer, there are many more but brain not working today.
Living in the country I also have great admiration for the young female riders at pony club shows and Country Fairs....a day out watching them is inspirational. Also when The Young Farmers have their Tug of War competitions...the females are sometimes in mixed teams and are every bit as fierce and competitive as the boys.....and also many somehow manage to look very glamourous at the same time. One all female team of very powerful young ladies all sported matching plaits and looked amazing!!

Given how important my hairdresser is in my lifeI think you are being a bit dismissive!? But if she is old enough why not take her to Hidden Numbers. What role models those women were.

Apologies to the grammar police. I really should have read it through before posting.

Just wondering how old you granddaughter is Grammy57?

I have two aged (almost) 11 and 9. I think most little girls look up to a slightly older female relative and admires them for something that we might find pretty run of the mill. Mine are "hair mad" and watch all kinds of tutorials on doing hair braids, pony tails, plaiting etc. they have got a fascination for those crazy bows too, so probably perfectly normal. They are both very bright girls who are excel in sports too.

A film they particularly like (and the girls love) is Disney Pixar's Brave. This is a story about an empowered Scottish princess who is very much her own person and not one of those sickly sweet princesses like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty, who need a prince before they are fulfilled.

But as I said it depends on how old your DGD is.

The Nightingale is an amazing read. Not modern day but set during WW2. The main character is female and works for the French resistance helping people escape. One of the best books I have read. Has stayed with me a long time.