Strong girl character books for dd

[Picklesandbeans]

Looking for book recommendations for dd 8. Shes a great readed and like famous five etc but the more she reads of Anne preparing the meals and washing the dishes whilst julian bravely leads the way the more stereotypical gender roles are being in her head. I need to counterbalance please! A strong girl character needed!

Polar Bear Explorers Club
Murder most unladylike
How to train your dragon. Main character is a boy but the female characters are fantastic
Mysterious Benedict Society
Three pickled herrings
Morrigan Crow
Clockwork sparrow
Wings of fire (series)

Ramona books by Beverly Clearly
Most of Jacqueline Wilson (check age suitability first as they vary)
If she is a confident reader all the classics like Anne of Green Gables, Little House on the Prairie, Secret Garden, Little Princess etc
As she likes Famous Five then she should read Enid Blyton's Malory Towers/St Clare's (because all the characters are girls).

Clever Polly and the stupid wolf

Pippi Longstocking

Thanks so much will check them our, yes shes a confident reader

Alanna by Tamora Pierce would be great for her.

But, do be careful what stereotypes and prejudices you bring to the table too. All the books I read as a teen showed that girls ought to be fearless, physically strong and aggressive in fights, sexually active with a variety of partners but emotionally detached, and financially independent with ambitious goals. Basically if a girl wasn’t trying to follow traditional male values then she wasn’t a good girl. Very confusing. I was left with a contempt for femininity, mothering, and housewives, that took decades to shake off.

I take your point about the famous five but it isn’t all bad to read for her about Anne making sandwiches. The likelihood is that one day your daughter will make many many packed lunches…

The house on Chicken legs
The girl who spoke bear
When she’s a bit older (or you could read to her) I loved the Armourers House - Rosemary Sutcliff. Historical novel about a girl in Tudor times.

Goth girl series (benefit of being beautifully illustrated too)
Alice in wonderland!!!

Lots of Eva Ibbotson books, like Journey to the River Sea

Joan Aikens Wolves of Willoughby Chase series - particularly the later books about Dido Twite.

The Secret Garden

My DD enjoyed Anne of Green Gables and What Katy Did - though they are old fashioned now.

Also if she enjoys more thriller/spy type then the Ruby Redfort series.

I still re-read the Alanna books as a 30-something!

Have a look at A Mighty Girl on FB, they quite often do book recommendations and interesting articles

I used to love Jacqueline Wilson books!

So many books beyond Enid Blyton (although I too was a big Famous Five fan and came to no harm)

For contemporary authors look at Robin Stevens, Emma Carroll, Katherine Rundell, Lena Jones.

The Judy Moody books I thought were great when I was that age (between 7 and 12) also C.S Lewis Books especially the Magicians Nephew and the lion the witch and the wardrobe, the first few harry potters (Hermione is a fab character as well and mrs Weasley), I wouldn't touch the Jacqueline Wilson books they scarred me as a child and left me scared to sleep because I thought I would die! Try Cathy Cassidy one's instead they have an intro to mature themes without being traumatising or wholly inappropriate for young girls.

Ah I loved The Armourer’s House!

Yy to Joan Aiken, Noel Streatfeild, the Little House books etc. Alanna is great but bear in mind there’s sexual content from book 2 onwards, so you might want to save those for a little later.

Diana Wynne Jones’s Ingary series is good; also of course The Worst Witch series if she hasn’t already read them.

The Trixie Belden series. Love them.

The Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett

Hilary McKays Binny books. There are three.

The Time of Green Magic , also Hilary McKay

The Last Polar Bear by Hannah Gold
Sophie Anderson's novels.

The Chalet School books

Take a look at the Little People Big Dreams series.

One example here but there's lots to choose from

www.amazon.co.uk/Vivienne-Westwood-Little-People-DREAMS/dp/1786037564?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I’m afraid I couldn’t find a link to the whole series.

Anne's not the only girl in the famous five. What does she think of George?

Ronja the Robber's Daughter, Astrid Lindgreen
Jackaroo, Cynthia Voigt
The Little House series, Laura Ingalls Wilder

Came here to say clockwork sparrow (and all the books on that series) as well as Anne of green gables. I see above posters have mentioned...

The Little White Horse