Are you ready to be captivated by powerful females who embody strength, courage, and resilience? Whether you’re seeking inspiration, a dose of adventure, or just a great story to get stuck into, these ten fiction books featuring fierce female characters will spark your imagination and empower your spirit.
Why not spend Book Week 2024 diving into these compelling stories and find your next literary role model!
1. So Done By Paula Chase
Jamila Phillips and Tai Johnson have been inseparable since they were toddlers, having grown up across the street from each other in a low-income housing project. As summer comes to an end, Tai can’t wait for Mila to return from spending a month with her aunt in the suburbs. But both girls are grappling with secrets, and when Mila returns she’s more focused on her upcoming dance auditions than hanging out with Tai.
This memorable story about a complex friendship between two very different African American girls—and the importance of speaking up.
2. The Shark Club by Ann Kidd Taylor
One summer day on a Florida beach, two extraordinary things happen to Maeve Donnelly. First, she is kissed by Daniel, her ultimate crush. And second, she is bitten by a blacktip shark. Even after the attack, Maeve is unafraid of the ocean. Eighteen years later, she is a fearless, world-travelling marine biologist with the goal of discovering more about the minds of misunderstood sharks.
Maeve has always been confident, but when she returns home to the legendary Hotel of the Muses, she is unsure what to do next.
3. The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty
Lucy Callahan couldn’t have predicted the lightning strike that would turn her into a math genius. Unfortunately, she also can’t predict what middle school will be like or why she must go. Her grandmother encourages her to try it: make one friend, join one activity, and read one book that’s not about math.
This deeply relatable read is about self-discovery and friendship.
4. Dress Coded Paperback by Carrie Firestone
Molly Frost is FED UP…
Because Olivia was yelled at for wearing a tank top. Because Liza got dress-coded and Molly didn’t, even though they were wearing the exact same outfit. When Jessica was pulled over by the principal and missed a math quiz, her teacher gave her an F. And finding shorts longer than her fingertips was impossible. Because girls’ bodies are not a distraction. Because middle school is hard enough. So, Molly starts a podcast where girls can tell their stories, and before long, her small rebellion swells into a revolution.
Now, the girls are standing up for what’s right, and they’re not backing down.
5. Where the Sky Lives by Margaret Dilloway
When life doesn’t make sense, twelve-year-old amateur astronomer Tuesday Beals has always looked to the stars above Zion National Park, where she lives. Her beloved late uncle Ezra taught her astronomy, but now their special stargazing sites are all she has left of him, along with his ashes and a poem that may be a riddle. When a new housing development threatens to ruin the night skies, she distracts herself by taking up photography with her best friend, Carter. After discovering clues about an endangered animal in one of their photos, Tuesday realises this might be the key to halting construction and preserving both the park and her cherished memories of her uncle.
6. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of colour and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of Stargirl, Stargirl. She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with just one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first. Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal.
In this celebration of nonconformity – an emotional tale about the perils of popularity and the thrill and inspiration of first love.
7. Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed
Amal is a bright, young Pakistani girl who loves school and dreams of being a teacher one day. Her dreams are shattered when she is forced to become an indentured servant to a local, wealthy family.
This highly engaging story has wonderful characters and important themes of resilience, loyalty, and tenacity.
8. Roll with It by Jamie Sumner
Twelve-year-old Ellie is a middle schooler with cerebral palsy who navigates the world in a wheelchair and dreams of becoming a renowned baker. When she moves to Oklahoma, USA, with her mother to care for her ailing grandfather, Ellie struggles to fit in at school.
However, her friendship with Coralee and Bert opens up new possibilities.
9. Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
This story follows the journey of 12-year-old Jude from Syria, who is compelled to leave her cherished home and family behind amid the escalating conflict in her country. After resettling in Cincinnati, USA, with her mother, Jude faces the daunting task of adjusting to a new life, school and identity as a Middle Eastern girl in America.
The story delicately captures Jude’s journey of self-discovery and search for belonging in an unfamiliar and often hostile environment.
10. The Prettiest by Brigit Young
It’s the last thing Eve Hoffmann expected to be, the only thing Sophie Kane wants to be, and something Nessa Flores-Brady knows she’ll never be . . . until a list appears online, ranking the top fifty prettiest girls in the eighth grade. Eve is disgusted by the way her body is suddenly being objectified by everyone around her. Sophie is sick of the bullying she’s endured after being relegated to number two. And Nessa is tired of everyone else trying to tell her who she is.
It’s time for a takedown. As the three girls band together, they begin to stand up not just for themselves but for one another, too.
These fierce female characters are sure to inspire you with their strength, courage, and determination. Happy reading, and may these stories remind you of the power within us all!
Ever wondered how the Academy for Enterprising Girls strives to increase the visibility of female leaders? Read about our exciting initiative to empower schools across Australia to host their very own leadership summit, complete with a top-tier guest speaker!
