Fiction books for girls aged 9 which aren't about princesses/unicorns/fantasy

[flightlessbird1]

My DD (9) enjoyed the Kes Gray "The Trouble with...." Daisy series but they are a bit young for her.

She likes books that have a plucky female protagonist but which are more about real life situations rather than fantasy/sci fi/princesses etc. She liked Diary of a Wimpy Kid and says she would love to read something like that with a girl as the main character. There aren't enough female characters out there! She's read all the rebel girls books but wants fiction rather than non-fiction.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. She's on the cusp of going off reading so I need to act fast. She seems to be a realist type of person so not much into imaginary worlds.....

Thanks all

Pea's book of best friends series by susie day is great.

The Dark Is Rising quintet by Susan Cooper.

Sophie and the Shadow Woods series by Linda Chapman.

Worst Witch series by Jill Murphy.

Roman Mysteries series by Caroline Lawrence. These are a more "difficult" read than the first two I have mentioned.

Humphrey the Hamster series by Betty Birney. Humphrey is the star of the book, but girls and boys in the class where he lives all feature!

Either of the Chris Riddel series - Ottoline or Goth girl. Very much a modern / older Pippi Longstocking - the parents are fairly absent. It is a bit absurd and very enjoyable.

I loved Joan Aiken at that age. Recommend 'The Wolves of Willoughby Chase' and 'Midnight is a Place.'
Was also very keen on
K.M.Peyton: (Fly by Night, Flambards, A Midsummer Night's Death, the Pennington series)
Cynthia Voight: Jackaroo, or for something more modern, the Homecoming series is amazing.
Also devoured Judy Blume at that age, I would say 'Forever' (the one that introduces sex) is the only one that's a bit advanced for a 9 year old, the rest are all very much early/pre adolescence.

My almost 9 year old loved the Pamela Butchart collection, funny novels about a primary school, most of the main characters are girls.

My 9 yr old likes

Nevermoor
Beetle Boy
Wizards of Once

And of course Harry Potter

Lots of good suggestions already. My DD has just read and enjoyed 'The Polar Bear Explorers Club' and it's sequal - there are a few unicorns, but it's not fluffy. The main character is a feisty girl too.

The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tipps by Michael Morpogo is a good one for that age. Few other of his books too.

Definitely the Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett. (The first one is the Wee Free Men.) Female protagonist rolls her eyes at sappy glittery princesses that waft about waiting to be rescued. Really fabulous stories and funny too. :)

Ruby Redfort books. Also second, the Mysterious Benedict Society.

How could I forget Tiffany Aching? Shame on me!

Second (or third!) The 'spoonful of murder books, my 10 year old loved that. My 9 year old is currently aiming to have read all of Jaquelline Wilson before the end of January!
The Benedict Society was good too.
Christmas favourires: Lauren St John, Dead Man's Cove (first of a series) she loves a mystery!

DD is 17 now so these are a bit dated, but... My Story books, surely. Jane Blonde. J-Wilson. Dork Diaries, of course. Harry Potter, Some of Michael Morpugo & Cat Royal series.

The Percy Jackson series. Yes, the main character is male, but the lead female is a strong character. And there's more female main characters in the second series.

But I am also making notes from this thread, my almost 9-year old daughter is a bit reluctant to try new things!

Pamela Butchart books are great. Also Series of Unfortunate events if she doesn't mind slightly black humour. Main character is teenage girl.

have a look at Barrington stoke they publish books for dyslexic children and got my now 19 year severely dyslexic daughter to love reading. some female chars however I agree that is a gap in the market

Please treat Pratchett with care (and I say this as a school librarian currently reading Guards, Guards to my 8yo). The third Tiffany book opens with a pregnant teenager being beaten so hard by her father that she loses the baby and Tiffany has to deal with the aftermath. I'm no prude but it's very hard going for the 8-12 shelf and I think they got the marketing wrong on this series. Ditto be aware that the characters in Murder Most Unladylike grow up and have teenage challenges, romances and sexuality to deal with by book 7.

If she loves illustrated books try Amelia Fang (there are evil unicorns!) by Laura Ellen Anderson - my junior book club love them. The Wild Robot is illustrated and a gorgeous story. Cressidia Cowell, both the How To Train Your Dragon series and the new Wizards of Once. Agatha Oddly (mysteries) is fab; Poppy Pym is good fun, as are The Marsh Lane Mysteries. Girls FC if she's into football. There are loads of good steampunk stories with female leads - The Eye of the North, Brightstorm, Cogheart.

That should cover you for a bit

I was coming on to say Pamela Butchart too. DD has read There's a yeti in my playground and The Phantom lollipop man and got the boxset for Christmas.

She tends to just read DSs books so has read wimpy kid, Tom gates, the 13 story treehouse collection and a few David Baddiel ones too.

She read the Judy Moody series after Daisy and the trouble with...

I've tried to stay away from dork diaries as I picked one up in the library to have a flick through and it seemed to be all about friendship issues and crushes and I just wanted to stay away from stuff like that yet.

Mesmeri I loved the Homecoming series when I was young. I read them again and again. Very strong female characters, intelligent, engaging and captivating story. All my friends were reading them too. The kind of books that are hard to put down.

DD liked Ban This Book about a young girl fighting censorship in her school library.