Princesses v. Irregulars

So I'll be posting in this space as an official part of the Daring Book for Girls blogtour on Sunday, but I've been thinking a lot, as I read the book and saw Enchanted this weekend and subsequently checked out Disney's new site for the movie, about the digital playground available to girls. For an astounding contrast, check this out:

Kikistrike and the Irregulars v. Princess Nation.

The Kiki Strike site is based on a book series created by Kirsten Miller. In the series (according to the LJ review), Ananka Fishbein, a seventh grader at an expensive New York City school, wakes up one Saturday morning and finds that the small park across the street has become a sinkhole, and her decision to explore it transforms her existence. She meets the mysterious Kiki Strike, and subsequently the group of girls (each with a particular talent) who call themselves the Irregulars, and they embark on an adventure that involves exploring the Shadow City, a series of tunnels under Manhattan. The series is filled with international politics and intrigue, and chapter endings are punctuated with selections from Ananka's guidebook on essential skills. Says LJ, "Kiki Strike celebrates the courage and daring of seemingly ordinary girls, and it will thrill those who long for adventure and excitement while they impatiently await the next installment."

And then there's Princess Nation, sponsored by wedding dress designer site Vera Wang. And a sponsor, in turn, of Disney's Enchanted. I'll leave it to you to explore, but I'm sure you can guess what the site's goal is. Sigh.

(Thanks to Marco for the heads up on Kiki.)