Being a young girl is hard. You feel this immense pressure to fit in, to be like everybody else, to belong. I particularly had a problem with this concept called "conformity". I felt out of place when I was being myself and felt out of place when I tried to be everyone else. But, I always had my books. In these books I found girls who had no problem being themselves. In fact, they took pride in who they were and wouldn't change them. These 5 women became my role models and taught me that, above everything else, I needed to be me.

5. Jo March

I know, Little Women is not exactly a children's book, but I was an advanced reader. Anyway, I loved Jo March so much because she never let anyone put restrictions on her. She would not accept that being a female was a limitation. She decided to follow her passion, writing, despite the fact that people continuously told her that wasn't acceptable. She taught me that following my dreams is important and that if someone doesn't support my dreams, they're not worth it.

4. Luna Lovegood

Oh Luna... Luna was always my favorite character in the Harry Potter series because she was so odd. Not only was she so odd, but she was proud of her oddness. She never changed herself for anyone or anything. I admired her for that. She taught me that I don't need to care about what other people think. I am free to be myself and other's opinions should not affect me.

3. Sam (from Perks of Being a Wallflower)

If you haven't read Perks of Being a Wallflower yet, you have to go read it right now. I would include Charlie in this list but honestly if it weren't for Sam, Charlie would have remained a wallflower. What I love most about Sam is that she doesn't let her past define her. There was a point of her life where she tried really hard to fit in and made poor decisions but she got to a point where she found people who loved her for who she was and didn't have to care about other people anymore. She gives me hope. She showed me that even if I was a victim of conformity at some point in my life, I could decide to be me and improve my life whenever I wanted. She empowered me.

2. Hermione Granger

I know I just said Luna was my favorite Harry Potter character but Hermione holds a special place in my heart. Hermione taught me a lesson that I believe is important for all girls to learn: it is okay to be smart. I was always so self-conscious about raising my hand in class and getting high grades on papers. But when I read about Hermione's hand always being up in the air and always answering because she knew the answer, I learned to be proud of my intelligence.

1. Stargirl

Lastly is my favorite character of all time from Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl. Again, if you've never read the book before please go out and read it, you won't regret it. Anyway, Stargirl is the definition of nonconformity. The story is about her entering a high school full of people who are all the same. Stargirl didn't care about them. She wore what she wanted, set up her desk the way she wanted, and just gave no concern to anyone else. Until she did. That's right, she changed herself completely to fit in and you know what it got her? Nothing. So she went back to being herself. If I had to pick one girl from this list to be my role model it would be Stargirl. I admire how she could be so content with not fitting in. I love that she knows exactly who she is and is proud of it. I love that she's human and did have a moment where she cared about what other people think but she took that moment and learned that they are not worth her time. I strive every day to be more like her, not in her mannerisms, but in her spirit. Because of her, I know that I should be proud of who I am. Because of her, I know that being like everyone else won't bring me happiness. Most importantly, because of her, it's easier for me to be myself.