Pippi Långstrump

Astrid Lindgren's tale about the free-spirited, self-regulating Pippi Longstocking—a natural child par excellence—was a popular success, though it drew sharp criticism from leading Swedish educator John Landquist, who condemned it for planting unrealistic ideas in children's heads. Lindgren's French publisher concurred to a point, changing the horse Pippi lifts in the air to a (somewhat) more plausible pony—a move that later prompted a pro-Pippi backlash. The American editor ultimately deferred to Lindgren after first protesting the novel's excessive brashness. Born to trouble, Pippi would withstand similar challenges from Norway to Iran, as well as a noir-ish makeover as Lisbeth Salander, the short-fused, lone-wolf hacker of Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

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