I'm fond of strong heroines, too - one reason for my lifelong fascination with Robin McKinley. I think that boys aren't that interested in the character play that girls more stereotypically enjoy, but a good story cuts across gender lines. My husband devoured this book, too - and it's hard to pry him away from his blogs and comic books. And my son, far too young for this book, still enjoys fairy tales with strong female protangonists, like those in Jane Yolen's Not One Damsel In Distress. In fact, I'd say he prefers that kind of story - where the heroine is involved in some action - to the traditional Snow White passive heroine. Just this week he's been asking for Petrosinella, a stronger-heroine (and older!) version of Rapunzel several times a day.