Books for a 9 year old girl with female lead characters that aren’t about fairies or cute animals..

[PurpleCloak]

I need some help with my 9 year old DD - her favourite books are the “The Boy Who Grew Dragons” series, would love anything similar to this but more female character focussed? Or just anything generally focussed on female characters that like being active, sporty and aren’t about fairies or cats etc. However, nothing with too much peril or talk of death (we are going for through a sensitive period with those subjects 🤣). Thank you!

Flossie Teacake books by Hunter Davies

Very funny and light hearted.

Song of the lioness is good but definitely more a teen read (some sex and quite a bit of death).
'The girl who drank the moon' is really well written and mainly female characters. Or the 'Clementine' series is good (modern though).

The wind in the moon by Eric linklater - an oldie but goodie

Also agree with pp about Joan Aiken’s Didi Twite books

Lots of Noel Streatfeild's characters are orphans, but they're rarely books about being orphaned or whatever tragedy struck - just unconventional families.

No orphans in:

Apple Bough
The Growing Summer
Gemma books
Tennis Shoes
Painted Garden / Movie Shoes

Incidental orphans in happy settings

Ballet Shoes
White Boots

Might avoid

Curtain Up / Theatre Shoes - spoiler, they aren't orphans but think they are
When the Siren Wailed - mild peril
Come to the Circus / Circus Shoes - orphans who aren't bothered by their guardian's death
Thursday's Child and Far to Go - definitely about orphans
Ballet Shoes for Anna - the only one that really focuses on the trauma of being orphaned

Boys are usually cute younger brothers or second string to the heroine

Joan Aiken has a lot of danger and violence though. It's very hard to avoid that (and orphans) in children's fiction. What level of peril (if any) might be okay, OP?

My niece is obsessed with the Skullduggery Pleasant books. She was 9 when she started reading them and she isn’t great with death of characters. She’s very sensitive and struggled to complete Harry Potter at that age due to the darkening themes in the later books.

Judy Blume

Penderwicks

DD went thru a phase, probably about 7-9yo, when she was obsessed with idea of me dying & talking about how upsetting that would be. I believe that orphan fiction helped. It gave her many examples how girls dealt with no mother scenario.

it's a reason I'm a fan of Jacq Wilson books, because they are always about someone growing in resilience, learning to face challenges with success. a lot of Jacq Wilson books are about girls who don't have a mother or who have a rather incompetent mum.

tbf, all the books I listed have some peril, at least to cartoon intensity (Cat Royal, Nancy Drew, Charlotte's web), and most feature a missing mother (Nancy Drew, Double Act, Cat Royal) or will-die mum (Charlotte's Web) or mum in peril (Jane Blonde).

Just checked and no one has mentioned the Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch. I hired the audiobook of the first one for a long car journey and my two dc were hooked, but dd6 then read the lot - but definitely more suited to older readers. Main protagonist is a girl and its about magic and mystery. There is a bit of murder, but it's very well written. I really enjoyed the audiobook!

Pizazz series, who let the gods out, scarlet and ivy, nevermoor series all good

Katherine Rundell

If she will read non-fantasy stuff, Darcy Burdock and Anisha Accidental Detective series are good.

https://www.amightygirl.com/books?agerangee_filter=5

I wouldn’t avoid death etc - Better to read about them in a book together and then talk about it, as long as it’s age appropriate (my dd is 9 and similar but I prefer to talk than avoid and it’s working).

She loved journey to the river sea. Also read boy at the back of the class.

Definitely the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. There is a dirth of female leads in older primary age literature. Ramona is set in the US and started in the 1960s, but they are funny, delightful and totally timeless. I loved them when I was 8/9 and Dd loved them when she was 8/9. They are just general life seen through the eyes of a little girl from 4-10. Bookshops have never heard of them, but there are sets on Amazon and I bought most of them 2nd hand on eBay.

The Dick King Smith Sophie books are similar, but simpler writing/slimmer books/shorter chapters but might be a bit young for 9,

DSmoved on the Artemis Fowl books by Eoin Coffler at this age. Junior science fantasy. A lot of his peers like this, but largely boys.

Has she read the “How to train your dragon” books? The “Wizards of Once” are by the same lady, female lead, a bit more grown up.

The Raggedy Witches series by Celine Kiernan, if she’s ok with stories that are a bit scary. They are great adventures with a string female lead character.

Kat Wolfe Investigates series by Lauren St John - mystery adventures, based in a pet-sitting agency. Strong female lead (a pre-teen girl)

Murder Most Unladylike series by Robyn Stevens - Agatha Christie for pre-teens, with a bit of an old-fashioned feel without the old-fashioned attitudes

For books not published recently, Diana Wynn-Jones. Bloody marvellous stories

Polly and the Wolf short stories? Very mild peril, clever heroine

Having just read the OP properly, I’d leave Raggedy Witches until she’s a bit older. My (delightful, funny, sensitive, clever*) niece found them a bit too scary at your daughter’s age.

• proud auntie

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede. About a princess who hates being a princess so she runs off to live with Dragons. Absolutely loved it as a child. As she gets older (10+ depending on reading level) check out Tamora Pierce (particularly her Tortall realm books, start with Alanna series then Daine and then Keladry). Huge strong female characters.

The pony books by the Pullein-Thompsons. I wasn’t horsey but loved these.

Ballet shoes

The boy at the back of the class was great.

David baddiel books are good sometimes a male lead sometimes a group of kids.

Tilly and the book wanderers.

Are Pamela Butchart's Izzy books too young? They are 7-9 but really funny and a nice, reading for fun type read.