200 Cool Girls from Children's Literature (Combined List)

When I started this list of cool girls from children's literature, I thought that I'd get a few suggestions, and that together we would come up with 20 or so, and have a nice little list. Many, many wonderful comments and suggestions later, the list is up to 200 cool girls of kid lit. My deepest thanks to everyone who contributed and/or linked to the earlier lists! I think that together we've come up with a really wonderful resource. 200 smart, brave, funny, independent girls from the world of children's literature. And of course there are more of them out there, just waiting to be discovered... Here I bring you the top 20 (by votes), followed by the full list to date. Happy reading!

The Top 20

1. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery (8 votes)
2. Lyra from the His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman (7 votes)
3. Jo March from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (6 votes)
4. Laura Ingalls from the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder (6 votes)
5. Harriet M. Welch from Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh (5 votes)
6. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling (5 votes)
7. Turtle from The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (5 votes)
8. Arrietty from The Borrowers series by Mary Norton (4 votes)
9. Meg from A Wrinkle in Time (and sequels) by Madeleine L'Engle (4 votes)
10. Nancy Blackett from Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome (4 votes)
11. Ramona Quimby from the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary (4 votes)
12. Sophie Hatter from Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (4 votes)
13. Annabeth from The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (3 votes)
14. Charlotte from Charlotte's Web by E. B. White (3 votes)
15. Claudia from From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg (3 votes)
16. Harry Crewe from The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (3 votes)
17. Ivy from The Changeling by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (3 votes)
18. Sara Crewe from A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett (3 votes)
19. Suzy Turquoise Blue from the The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix (3 votes)
20. Tiffany Aching from The Wee Free Men and A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett (3 votes)

The Full List To Date: 200 Cool Girls

1. Aerin from The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
2. Alanna from The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce
3. Alice from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
4. Allison from Active Enzyme Lemon-Freshened Junior High School Witch by Wallace Hildick
5. Alyce from The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
6. Amy from The Witch Family by Eleanor Estes
7. Anastasia Krupnik from the series by Lois Lowry
8. Anna from As Simple as Snow by Gregory Galloway
9. Annabelle from No Flying in the House by Betty Brock
10. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
11. Ana from Anatopsis by Chris Abouzeid
12. Anidori–Kiladra Talianna Isillee from The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
13. Annabel Andrews from Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers
14. Annabeth from The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
15. April from The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
16. Arabella from The Windmill Summer by Hila Feil
17. Arrietty from The Borrowers series by Mary Norton
18. Babymouse from Babymouse: Queen of the World! (and sequels) by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
19. Belinda from Little Plum by Rumer Godden
20. Bella from Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley
21. Bella Swan from Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
22. Betsy Ray from Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
23. Bonnie from The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
24. Boots from the Gregor The Overlander series by Suzanne Collins
25. Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
26. Cam Jansen from the series by David A. Adler
27. Carly from The Pinballs by Betsy Byars
28. Cassandra Mortmain from I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
29. Cassie from Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and sequels by Mildred D. Taylor
30. Catherine from Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
31. Catherine from Rules by Cynthia Lord
32. Cathy and Diane from the Macdonald Hall series (e.g. This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall) by Gordon Korman
33. Cedar B. Hartley from The Slightly True Story Of Cedar B. Hartley by Martine Murray
34. Charlotte from Charlotte's Rose by A. E. Connon
35. Charlotte from Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
36. Christina from the Flambards books by K. M. Peyton
37. Cimorene from Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
38. Claudia from From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
39. Coraline from Coraline by Neil Gaiman
40. Coriander from I, Coriander by Sally Gardner
41. Corinna Stonewall from The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley
42. Daisy from How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
43. Darrell Rivers from the Malory Towers series by Enid Blyton
44. Dicey from Homecoming and Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt
45. Dido Twite from Black Hearts in Battersea and Nightbirds on Nantucket (among others) by Joan Aiken
46. Dimple Lala from Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier
47. Dorothy Gale from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
48. Dorrie the little witch from the series (Dorrie and the Haunted Schoolhouse, etc.) by Patricia Coombs
49. Eilonwy from the Prydain Chronicles (e.g. The Castle of Llyr) by Lloyd Alexander
50. Elizabeth from The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
51. Elizabeth Ann from Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
52. Ella from Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
53. Ellie from Squashed by Joan Bauer
54. Eloise from the series by Kay Thompson
55. Emma Tolly from the Charlie Bone Children of the Red King series by Jenny Nimmo
56. Emily from Emily of New Moon (and sequels) by L. M. Mongtomery
57. Fane and Emily from The Doll in the Wall by Angela Bull
58. Francie by Karen English
59. Francie Nolan from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
60. Frances from A Bargain for Frances (and others) by Russell Hoban and Lillian Hoban
61. Franny K. Stein from the series by Jim Benton
62. Gilly Hopkins from The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
63. Harriet M. Welch from Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
64. Harry Crewe from The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
65. Heidi by Johanna Spyri
66. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
67. India Opal Buloni from Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
68. Ingrid Levin Hill from the Echo Falls books (starting with Down the Rabbit Hole) by Peter Abrahams
69. Irene from The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
70. Ivy from The Changeling by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
71. Jane Stuart from Jane of Lantern Hill by Lucy Maud Montgomery
72. Jane from The Dark Is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper
73. Jenna from Septimus Heap, Book One: Magyk by Angie Sage
74. Jenna Blake from the Body of Evidence series (starting with Body Bags) by Christopher Golden
75. Jennifer from Jennifer, Hecate, MacBeth, William McKinley and Me, Elizabeth by E. L. Konigsburg
76. Jerusha Abbott from Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster
77. Jill Pole from The Silver Chair and The Last Battle (Narnia books) by C. S. Lewis
78. Jinny Manders from the Jinny at Finmory (e.g. The Magic Pony) series by Patricia Leitch
79. Jo Bettany from The Chalet School Series by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
80. Jo March from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
81. Josie Alibrandi from Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
82. Judy from Judy's Journey by Lois Lenski
83. Judy Moody from the series by Megan McDonald
84. Juli Baker from Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
85. Julia from Night Daddy by Maria Gripe
86. Junie B. Jones from the series by Barbara Park
87. Karana from Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
88. Kate from The Good Master and The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy
89. Kate from Look Through My Window by Jean Little
90. Kate from Sensible Kate by Doris Gates
91. Kate Sutton from The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Pope
92. Katie from Hoofbeats: Katie and the Mustang by Kathleen Duey
93. Katie John from the series by Mary Calhoun
94. Keladry of the Protector of the Small Quartet (starting with First Test) by Tamora Pierce
95. Kira from Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
96. Kit from Down a Dark Hall by Lois Duncan
97. Kit Tyler from The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
98. Kizzy Lovell from The Diddakoi (or Gypsy Girl) by Rumer Godden
99. Koly from Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan
100. Laura Ingalls from the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
101. Leaf from the The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix
102. Liesel from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
103. Lilly from Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse and other books by Kevin Henkes
104. Lily from Lily's Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff
105. Lina Mayfleet from The City of Ember and The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau
106. Lirael by Garth Nix
107. Liyana Abboud from Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye
108. Lola from The House of Stairs by William Sleator
109. Lou Emma Miller from the series (for example Does Anybody Care About Lou Emma Miller?) by Alberta Wison Constant
110. Lucy from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia) by C. S. Lewis
111. Luxa from the Gregor The Overlander books by Suzanne Collins
112. Lyra from the His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman
113. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
114. Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards
115. Margaret from Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
116. Margaret Thursday from Thursday's Child by Noel Streatfield
117. Martha from both the The Little House in the Highlands and Little House by Boston Bay series by Melissa Wiley
118. Martha from The Secret Language by Ursula Nordstrom
119. Martha Sowerby from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
120. Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
121. Matilda by Roald Dahl
122. Matilda Bone