Wunderland News

March is Women's History Month, which is the perfect time to celebrate the strength, brilliance, and thoughtfulness of girls. What better way to honor this than by diving into compelling stories featuring strong, resilient girls in leading roles? Here's a list of 15 great fiction reads with amazing heroines that are perfect for middle readers.

Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson

Acclaimed author Renee Watson offers a powerful story about a girl striving for success in a world that too often seems like it's trying to break her. Jade believes she must get out of her poor neighborhood if she's ever going to succeed. Her mother tells her to take advantage of every opportunity that comes her way. And Jade has: every day she rides the bus away from her friends and to the private school where she feels like an outsider, but where she has plenty of opportunities. But some opportunities she doesn't really welcome.With themes of race, privilege, and self-discovery, Jade's journey is a relatable and timeless story for teens.

Thirst by Varsha Bajaj

Thirst is the riveting story of a heroic girl who fights for her belief that water should be for everyone. Minni lives in the poorest part of Mumbai, where access to water is limited to a few hours a day and the communal taps have long lines. Lately, though, even that access is threatened by severe water shortages and thieves who are stealing this precious commodity. Meanwhile, in the high-rise building where she just started to work, she discovers that water streams out of every faucet and there's even a rooftop swimming pool. How did something as simple as access to water get so complicated?

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

The Newbery Honor Award Winner and New York Times bestseller Roller Girl is a heartwarming graphic novel about friendship and surviving junior high through the power of roller derby.For most of her twelve years, Astrid has done everything with her best friend Nicole. But after Astrid falls in love with roller derby and signs up for derby camp, Nicole decides to go to dance camp instead. And so begins the most difficult summer of Astrid's life. As the end of summer nears and her first roller derby bout (and junior high!) draws closer, Astrid realizes that maybe she is strong enough to handle the bout, a lost friendship, and middle school... in short, strong enough to be a roller girl.

Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly

When Lalani Sarita's mother falls gravely ill, twelve-year-old Lalani faces an impossible task--she must leave Sanlagita and find the riches of the legendary Mount Isa, which towers on an island to the north. But generations of men and boys have died on the same quest--how can an ordinary girl survive the epic tests of the archipelago? And how will she manage without Veyda, her best friend

Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels by Serena Blasco

Book one and Book two are available.

Follow the adventures of Enola Holmes, the brilliant younger sister of Sherlock Holmes, as she solves mysteries and outsmarts villains in Victorian London. This brilliant graphic novel is an adaptation of Nancy Springer’s bestselling mystery series that inspired two Netflix films.

Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans by Isi Hendrix

The first book in a fast-paced, witty, and big-hearted debut Afrofantasy trilogy about a twelve-year-old apprenticing in the kitchens at the prestigious Academy of Shamans, who must ally with a snarky goddess and a knife-wielding warrior to save her kingdom. Perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers and The School for Good and Evil.

We Still Belong by Christine Day

A thoughtful and heartfelt middle grade novel by American Indian Youth Literature Honor-winning author Christine Day (Upper Skagit), about a girl whose hopeful plans for Indigenous Peoples' Day (and plans to ask her crush to the school dance) go all wrong--until she finds herself surrounded by the love of her Indigenous family and community at an intertribal powwow.

Other books we recommend:

• The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
• Front Desk by Kelly Yang
• Wish by Barbara O'Connor
• Amina's Voice by Hena Khan
• The Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall
• Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
• The Land of Forgotten Girls by Erin Entrada Kelly
• Real Friends by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham

These 15 fiction reads featuring amazing female heroines are perfect for middle readers looking for empowering stories that celebrate the strength, resilience, and diversity of girls and women. Whether they're solving mysteries, embarking on epic quests, or navigating the challenges of everyday life, these protagonists will inspire readers to embrace their own unique strengths and abilities. Happy reading!

Wunderland Books is a Bookshop.org affiliate. When you buy a book from one of our affiliate links, we receive a portion of the proceeds from your purchase.