I adore the Tiffany Aching books. They are fantasy, yes, but they demnostrate real and valuable life lessons. Things like doing what needs to be done, not letting down the people who count on you, understanding that life is unfair sometimes, but you still need to do your work. My daughters didn't love these books - I think they were a little too young when we first read them. But now that they are a little older, I want these books in my library. Things don't resolve neatly, things can be unfair, and hard, and that is just the way it is. And still, there is a reasonably happy ending. I just love these books for adolescent girls.