Just seeing this — but for boys and girls, I recommend The Trek. I vividly remember loving it, found it on Amazon, and now my daughter loves it too. It’s great for city kids too, boy or girl!

I bought my second daughter “Small” by Jessica Meserve, it is a story of a younger sister with an overbearing big sister and how they come to a point of mutual respect.
She also adores “Zero” and “One” by Kathryn Otoshi, the characters are genderless, Zero is about Value (both numerical and personal), One is about bullying and colours, it is the only bullying book I have ready where the bully is reinstated into the group at the end, it’s awesome!
Also have a look at “Pearl Barley & Charley Parsley” by Aaron Blabey – they are opposites, but match perfectly as friends because they care about eachother.
In chapter books: I’m reading all the “Ramona” series to Miss 6, she is loving them, they almost supplant her passion for “Milly-Molly-Mandy”.

thank you for always sharing such amazing info Joanna!
I wrote a children’s book called Lailah’s Lunchbox . It has a female protagonist of a different culture – Middle Eastern.

It’s an American Library Association Notable Book for 2016 :) wanted to share! I hope you get to check it out. https://www.amazon.com/Lailahs-Lunchbox-Ramadan-Reem-Faruqi/dp/0884484319

Ladybug Girl!

And Laura and her sisters in the Little House on the Prairie books. Also the My Naughty Little Sister stories by Dorothy Edwards and the Ramona the Pest and other Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. And Harriet the Spy, Julie of the Wolves, and The Witch of Blackbird Pond.

I love the book “Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?” by Carmela LaVigna Coyle.

Harriet the Spy for older kids. And Journey by Aaron Becker.

Love this list thank you– another favourite Rosie Revere The Engineer x

I used to read some of these to my students when I was an elementary school teacher. “Blueberries for Sal” was always a favorite.

Scrolling through all these titles makes my heart glad! My daughter (now 22) was able to grow up with girl characters in fiction and I can see the difference in her confidence, her relationships, and her compassion. She never engaged in middle school “mean girls” stuff. Something’s going right in the world!

Definitely check out http://www.herlittlestory.com – they are using REAL stories from the childhoods of REAL women that are role models for our kids today! Plus the writing & illustrations are super cute.

I’m loving the concept and early stories being created by Her Little Story (http://www.herlittlestory.com/store/issue-1-not-so-perfect-deb)!

Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching series!

http://www.amazon.com/Purplicious-Pinkalicious-Victoria-Kann/dp/0061244058

Pinkalicious: The little girls I used to nanny for loved this one and also Knuffle Bunny too!

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton

Um, hello, Pippi Longstocking? She’s only the strongest girl in the world, full of wisdom and confidence:

“The children came to a perfume shop. In the show window was a large jar of freckle salve, and beside the jar was a sign, which read: DO YOU SUFFER FROM FRECKLES?
‘What does the sign say?’ asked Pippi. She couldn’t read very well because she didn’t want to go to school as other children did.
It says, ‘Do you suffer from freckles?’ said Annika.
‘Does it indeed?’ said Pippi thoughtfully. ‘Well, a civil question deserves a civil answer. Let’s go in.’
She opened the door and entered the shop, closely followed by Tommy and Annika. An elderly lady stood back of the counter. Pippi went right up to her. ‘No!’ she said decidedly.
‘What is it you want?’ asked the lady.
‘No,’ said Pippi once more.
‘I don’t understand what you mean,’ said the lady.
‘No, I don’t suffer from freckles,’ said Pippi.
Then the lady understood, but she took one look at Pippi and burst out, ‘But, my dear child, your whole face is covered with freckles!’
‘I know that,’ said Pippi, ‘but I don’t suffer from them. I love them. Good morning.’
She turned to leave, but when she got to the door she looked back and cried, ‘But if you should happen to get in any salve that gives people more freckles, then you can send me seven or eight jars.’”

Many many Kevin Henkes books (Lilly and the Purple Plastic Purse, Sheila Ray the Brave, Kittens First Full Moon)

Rosie revere engineer is my fave!

These are some of my favorites.I also love the Frances series and Amazing Grace.

The Paper Bag Princess (by Richard Munsch), as well as Bedtime for Frances (and the other Frances books by Russel Hoban). My daughter (3 now) has also enjoyed the Maisy series (by Lucy Cousins), though those are definitely for the toddler/preschooler crowd.

One book from my childhood with a female protagonist that I can’t seem to forget is Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. Great picture book.

For my baby shower, I requested that the guests give a book for my baby girl’s library rather than a card… My friends and family totally ran with the idea. The number of books we received was amazing, not to mention the fact that there wasn’t a single repeat!
Our favourites with female protagonists:
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House” series box set
Red Is Best by Kathy Stinson
The Tea Party In The Woods by Akiko Miyakoshi
Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara Joosse

The Frances books, such as Bedtime for Frances. Pippi Long stocking books. The Corduroy books. Later, The Secret Garden. Heidi, Girl of the Limberlost. PollyAnna. Sarah Crewe. Bible stories of Esther, Deborah, Candace (Ethiopian Queen), etc. George MacDonald’s WONDERFUL fairy tales where females are used to symbolically represent wisdom, God, and so much more.

Please don’t forget The Paperbag Princess… it’s a lovely little feminist story. A must-read for any toddler and his or her parents!!

This is a great list! I have only read 6 of them with my daughter so I’m looking forward to the rest. I chose your post as one of My Friday Favorites. You can check it out here: http://wp.me/p2hp9V-1iY
Happy New Year!