To start from the most popular, the quintessentially ENGLISH girl, Alice, is immortalized in "Alice in Wonderland" & "Through the Looking Glass." Countless children of all races & times have followed her adventures as she follows the white rabbit in a hurry.
The CANADIAN orphan, "Anne of the Green Gables" ends up with the Cuthbert siblings, Matthew & Marilla, after untold sufferings. Though a fiery redhead, she has oodles of imagination & brains enough to top her class. Her supreme sacrifice of her career to care for an aging, lonely Marilla is exemplary.
The SWISS orphan Heidi, dumped unceremoniously on her grouchy grandfather by her selfish aunt, quickly wins not only his heart but the heart of another poor unrelated Granny in the bargain. She also sacrifices a luxurious life in a city to be with her beloved grandfather.
The SWEDISH orphan, Pippi Longstocking, inhabits a "Magic Realistic" world of Villa Villekulla. Her gravity defying pigtails, different coloured stockings on each leg & superhuman strength on occasion, make her a memorable character.
The FRENCH Madeline, living in a "little old house in Paris, making up twelve little girls (going out) in two straight lines" is an exemplary character, who loves the other eleven girls & her dog Genevieve. Her remarkable bravery in undergoing an appendectomy cheerfully is commendable.
The AMERICAN orphan, Jerusha Abbott, features in "Daddy Longlegs" written by Jean Webster, a grand niece of Mark Twain. Her desire for knowledge is recognised by a mysterious man, who sponsors her College education. Her letters to her patron, mainly dealing with her acquistion of a liberal education, are fascinating.
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