There are plenty of exciting adventure books for young boys but it can be hard to find appealing novels of that genre for the primary age group that feature strong female protagonists. These selections feature likeable girls who fearlessly take on the world and face the complex social and emotional issues that our own children tackle every day.
If you have girls aged six to nine years in your family, you may have already heard of the wildly popular Rainbow Magic series. In theses stories, two best friends have fantastic adventures and help other characters in the fairy kingdom where they live. A huge part of the appeal of this series lies in the theme of friendships, which school aged children are learning to understand and manage. The idea of doing things with a best friend or even just having a best friend is a wonderful concept, and the addition of fairies and adventure makes the series, well, magic.
Ivy and Bean is a wonderful and humourous choice for younger girls to read on their own. In this series, the title characters are best friends who decide to break a world record, create their own day camp and expel a ghost, among other adventures. I recommend starting with the first book in the series (called, simply, Ivy and Bean), which shows that even people who are very different can become unexpected friends. This series is written by Annie Barrow and illustrated by Sophie Blackall, and, so far, there are nine books. Similar titles for younger independent readers would be Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look; Clementine by Sara Pennypacker; or Clarice Bean by Lauren Child.
Girls who gravitate towards comics, graphic novels or illustrated books will love Thea Stilton. Thea is the sister of the very popular Geronimo Stilton and solves her own crimes in a multicoloured universe of mice detectives. Thea hits all the right buttons for girls with adventure, lots of friends, and fun costumes and locations from around the world. The series is ostensibly written by Thea Stilton herself (though grown-ups know that some hard working writer is busily churning out the books behind the scenes). You can find many copies of this series on the shelves at your local library or bookstore, or try placing a hold on the newest one at the library. For a more "tween" take on the girl-focused graphic novel, kids can try Babymouse by Jennifer L. Holm.
In all these series recommendations, there are very few problems between the friends, with focus on adventure and fun. This is perfect for beginning readers of short chapter books who don't need or want a lot of controversy or strife as they are building their reading skills and gaining fluency. For girls who are strong readers and want a challenge, there are also longer, more complex adventure books with strong female leads.
Despite being awkward and impulsive, Anne from Anne of Green Gables is able to develop a lasting and precious friendship with Diana. Another story that features some wonderfully complex relationships is Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. Who can forget Wilbur's friendships with Fern and Charlotte?
Pippi Longstocking has two dear friends who follow along behind her in fascination as she climbs houses and conquers pirates (and best of all, there are no parents in sight).
The Rescuers by Margery Sharp features Miss Bianca, another intrepid mouse heroine and her trusty friend Bernard. Miss Bianca is a great role model for girls - she is brave and takes initiative but still likes to wear fur and diamonds. Newer titles with adventure and/or friendship themes and strong female characters include The Sisters Grimm, a mystery series by Michael Buckley; The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale; The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson; the Sammy Keyes mystery series, and Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat series of books by Lynne Jonell. All these titles have more complex themes and issues, and may suit more mature readers.
These recommendations provide a broad range of perspectives on building, maintaining and repairing friendships. The library also offers many non-fiction titles on social skills that can help when a girl is struggling to navigate the choppy waters of pre-tween relationships. Try Real Friends vs. the Other Kind by Annie Fox or the more lighthearted The Girls' Book of Friendship: How to Be the Best Friend Ever.
A Good Read is a column by Tri-City librarians that is published every Wednesday. by Vicki Donoghue works at Port Moody Public Library.
