Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Help: books with strong female main character?

Lemony Snickett. The eldest protagonist, Violet, is an ingenious inventor.

We're reading some Elizabeth Enright right now. I think her earlier ones are better (though I think I'm heavily influenced by preferring the earlier illustrations). Thimble Summer and The Saturdays. In general her style is a bit slow and overly-descriptive -- trying too hard to be literary, I think. Still, pretty good stuff.

Also:
Caddie Woodlawn
Nim's Island
Island of the Aunts

Scholastic have an incredible series about girls through the ages, set in novel format. It's called "My Story" I have them on my site, but since I am based in SA I am sure that you can find them at any library or online bookstore (Amazon etc)
http://shop.edukits.co.za/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=BKS-MS-BNC-01

My kids loved the Patricia Wrede Enchanted Forest Chronicals books (Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, etc.), and also anything by Tamora Pierce - she has a lot of strong female characters. My kids once gave up trick-or-treating (at the ages of 10 & 5) to go to a Tamora Pierce book signing on Halloween at a children's book store in our town -- that is how much they love her.

Oo! Oo!

Carbonel, the King of the Cats
The Gammage Cup

You just named my DD7's Halloween costumes for 2011, 2013, and 2012, respectively.

Ah.

My DD is "Fleur." Because she only LOOKS like a fairy princess, see...

and according to others, she has to be at least half Veela.

Inside, though, she's at least half Hermione.

Other people have already mentioned this, but I will second the Harry Potter series, as well as Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series, and The Hunger Games, if you feel that's age appropriate for your kids.

The wolves of Willoughby chase, Alan garner books, what Katy did etc, will keep thinking