AIBU to want a spy/action/adventure book with female/girl leads for my daughter to enjoy?

[staveleymum]

My DS (9) has been reading Alex Ryder, Young Bond, Johnny Maxwell as well as Roald Dahl, David Walliams etc. These are all great books and I am sure that when it's time for my DS (6) to start on books some of these will appeal to her too. However, I've been looking around and trying to find books with strong female lead characters is rather thin on the ground in comparison to 'boys books' (FYI I dont advocate that there are books for boys or girls - just books) - but I would love for my daughter to have the choice to read books with strong girl characters that can also save the world!

We are on Worst Witch and have Naughty Little Sister for now but other than fairies, princesses, animal themed books I am struggling to find anything in the 7-9 age group that are more adventure based. I am going to try and find some Nancy Drew (I read those as a girl) but can anyone recommend any alternatives?

Terry Pratchett - Tiffany Aching series are aimed at younger readers. The character is 9 in the first book (Wee Free Men).
Swallows and Amazons for an older series - there is stereotyping of some of the girls but the female characters have a range of personalities and interests and do join in all the adventuring.

I should have added that you can filter for age-appropriate books: www.amightygirl.com/books/mighty-girls-women

Second terry prachett.

Also a bit retro but there is loads of Buffy the vampire slayer fiction. Try one or two of those, they're written by mostly the scriptwriters, so true to the original series.

Try A Mighty Girl facebook or web page. It's American but they have a good list of books and I tend to browse through them and see if anything might appeal to DD. She likes the Princeless books and there are a few others that I bought based on their list.

The Percy Jackson series have Annabeth Chase as a strong intelligent character.

The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler is good as most people assume the lead character to be male until the end of the book.

There is a strong female action hero in Artimus Fowl series as others have said. George in Famous Five, Pippi as others have said, and Lemony Snicket.

I cannot wrap my brain around anyone giving a child younger than a teen the Hunger Games series though - ok if they find it themselves at the library at 11 or 12 but it's twisted stuff to actively encourage a younger child to read.

I second @justanothernameonthepage the Tamara Pierce books were favourites of mine, I read a few of the series and all have strong female leads, I was utterly obsessed during the last few years of primary school. Phillip Pulmans Dark Materials trilogy would also be good when she is a little older, Lyra is an amazing character. It's a shame that I can't think of many more I was always more involved in the story if I could identify with the lead.

Came on to say Harriet the Spy too - I loved that book when I was in junior school (so up until about 10). I remember liking Pippi as a character, but not being overly enamoured of the books themselves. Then I got on to Famous 5/Secret 7 (which my mother loathed, as she thought Enid Blyton was ghastly). I was also very into ponies - if your daughter is also, things like Jill's Gymkhana, and the Pullein-Thompson sisters all have strong, active female lead characters. I was also a fan of Nancy Drew between about 8 and 11 - another kick arse character.

Nancy Drew?

https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/MrsSmithhsSpyySchoolforr_Girls.html?id=2AYuDQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y&hl=en
This one looks due to be released soon and may be if interest to her.
There is a series my DSIS read a few year back when she was of similar age to your DD but I can't for life of me remember what they were called, I'll text her and find out as she's out of school soon

Another vote for the Tamora Pierce and Terry Pratchett's books. Also I remember reading Brian Jacques when I was 8-9, they're animals but anthropomorphised with some strong female leads.

Nancy drew, lemony snickett, the My Story range, Percy Jackson.

lots of strong female role models in all of these.

Nancy Drew, Harriet the Spy, the Serefina books.

Ok so DSIS has replied to me already and said the books she read are called the Gallagher Girls series.
I've just had a quick google and there's about 6 in the series and it's about an all girl school that is secretly a school for female spies, could be right up your DD's alley OP?
My sister used to love them when she was in juniors at primary

I came on to say have a look at A Mighty Girl, but see another poster beat me to it.

Here's the link: www.amightygirl.com/books

Tiffany Aching is amazing, as is Pippi Longstocking but don't forget Hermione Granger!

I second those who suggested the Adventure Island books by Helen Moss. Emily is pretty much in charge of their little investigative group and she takes as much part in the action as the boys do.

I'm expecting my first - a boy - and I intend to make sure he reads plenty of books with female characters in them. I wouldn't expect him to love Malory Towers necessarily but I want to expose him to as many strong female characters as I can in literature.

At her age, I loved the Narnia books - each has a heroine as well as a hero.

Definitely Nancy Drew.

For something different that she might like, although it's not strictly what you asked for, there's also Colin Dann's Animals of Farthing Woods books - my DB and I both adored those.

If she likes horses, the Jinny books and Jill books both have strong heroines too.

Could try the Agatha, Girl of Mystery series by Steve Stevenson. DD hasn't read herself but niece enjoyed them

What about the Cupid novels by Robert Muchamore?

Although the central character is initially a boy, pretty soon some fairly kick-ass female characters are introduced. One of these is the main characters sister who soon takes a central role.

The Sally Lockhart novels, Ruby in the smoke etc by Philip Pullman. DS has just finished the first and really enjoyed it.

Harriet the spy is actually fairly dark and not an action/adventure book at all. I don't really see a 6yo managing it, or the terry pratchett.

My dds loved Ramona at that age and pippi. Arabels Raven by Joan Aiken also fab and age appropriate, wolves of willoughby chase series (same) good if you read it to her.

The hero of the Mr Gum series is a girl.

My DS used to like another series with a girl and boy protagonist team; it involved scruffy princes and magic. I'll ask him what it's called.

The Sinclair's Mystery series by Katherine Woodfine?

www.waterstones.com/book/the-mystery-of-the-clockwork-sparrow/katherine-woodfine/9781405276177

They are straight up fantasy because it is what i read but emilie and the hollow world by martha wells is action adventure about a young girl (about 14 or so) that stows away on a ship

Catherynne valentes fairyland series starting with the girl who circumnavigated fairyland in a ship of her own making is very good but a bit weird, aimed a 10 yr olds.

Rae carson has written 2 series, girl of fire and thorns, and walk on earth a stranger about teenage girls saving the world.

Alison goodman has duo about a girl disguising her self as a boy to become a dragon trainer - eon and eona.

Richelle mead has a book called soundless where a girl leaves her isolated village to save it.

Kate elliot has court of fives about a girl that enters a sports competition, a trilogy that is not yet finished

Helen dunmore, ingo about a mermaid that goes on a dangerous adventure to find a world under the sea this one is 5 books long though

Garth nix has sabriel, lirael, abhorsen and clariel about some trainee librarian

Sarah j maas has a whole series about a teenage queen throne of glass

Maria snyder, Victoria Aveyard, leigh bardugo kiera cass, saba tahir, marissa Meyer, kristin cashore, all have female protagonists but are maybe for teens rather than the slightly younger age of the above books

The only non fantasy suggestion i have is nancy drew