Cool Girls of Children's Literature

In May of 2006, I put out a call on my blog for Cool Girls from Children's Literature. I defined cool as smart, brave, strong, and independent. Several iterations later, with many suggestions from visitors to my blog, here is the list of Cool Girls from Children's Literature. Below I list the top 20 first (by votes), and then the complete list, more than 200 strong. 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. Henny (Henrietta) from All-of-a-kind Family by Sydney Taylor
67. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
68. India Opal Buloni from Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
69. Ingrid Levin Hill from the Echo Falls books (starting with Down the Rabbit Hole) by Peter Abrahams
70. Irene from The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
71. Ivy from The Changeling by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
72. Jane Stuart from Jane of Lantern Hill by Lucy Maud Montgomery
73. Jane from The Dark Is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper
74. Jenna from Septimus Heap, Book One: Magyk by Angie Sage
75. Jenna Blake from the Body of Evidence series (starting with Body Bags) by Christopher Golden
76. Jennifer from Jennifer, Hecate, MacBeth, William McKinley and Me, Elizabeth by E. L. Konigsburg
77. Jerusha Abbott from Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster
78. Jessie from The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
79. Jill Pole from The Silver Chair and The Last Battle (Narnia books) by C. S. Lewis
80. Jinny Manders from the Jinny at Finmory (e.g. The Magic Pony) series by Patricia Leitch
81. Jo Bettany from The Chalet School Series by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
82. Jo March from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
83. Josie Alibrandi from Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
84. Judy from Judy's Journey by Lois Lenski
85. Judy Moody from the series by Megan McDonald
86. Juli Baker from Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
87. Julia from Night Daddy by Maria Gripe
88. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
89. Junie B. Jones from the series by Barbara Park
90. Karana from Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
91. Kate from The Good Master and The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy
92. Kate from Look Through My Window by Jean Little
93. Kate from Sensible Kate by Doris Gates
94. Kate Sutton from The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Pope
95. Katie from Hoofbeats: Katie and the Mustang by Kathleen Duey
96. Katie John from the series by Mary Calhoun
97. Keladry of the Protector of the Small Quartet (starting with First Test) by Tamora Pierce
98. Kira from Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
99. Kit from Down a Dark Hall by Lois Duncan
100. Kit Tyler from The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
101. Kizzy Lovell from The Diddakoi (or Gypsy Girl) by Rumer Godden
102. Koly from Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan
103. Laura Ingalls from the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
104. Leaf from the The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix
105. Liesel from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
106. Lilly from Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse and other books by Kevin Henkes
107. Lily from Lily's Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff
108. Lina Mayfleet from The City of Ember and The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau
109. Lirael by Garth Nix
110. Liyana Abboud from Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye
111. Lola from The House of Stairs by William Sleator
112. Lou Emma Miller from the series (for example Does Anybody Care About Lou Emma Miller?) by Alberta Wison Constant
113. Lucy from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia) by C. S. Lewis
114. Luxa from the Gregor The Overlander books by Suzanne Collins
115. Lyra from the His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman
116. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
117. Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards
118. Margaret from Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
119. Margaret Thursday from Thursday's Child by Noel Streatfield
120. Martha from both the The Little House in the Highlands and Little House by Boston Bay series by Melissa Wiley
121. Martha from The Secret Language by Ursula Nordstrom
122. Martha Sowerby from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
123. Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
124. Matilda by Roald Dahl
125. Matilda Bone by Karen Cushman
126. Maximum Ride from Maximum Ride : The Angel Experiment and Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever by James Patterson
127. Meg from A Wrinkle in Time (and sequels) by Madeleine L'Engle
128. Meg from The President's Daughter (and others) by Ellen Emerson White
129. Meggie from the Inkheart books by Cornelia Funke
130. Meggie from Willow Run by Patricia Reilly Giff
131. Melanie from The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
132. Melinda from Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
133. Menolly from Dragonsong (and others Pern books) by Anne McCaffrey
134. Mercy from The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
135. Mia from The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot
136. Minnow from The Seventeenth-Street Gang by E. C. Neville
137. Miri from Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
138. Miriam Williard from Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare
139. Miss Bianca from The Rescuers books by Margery Sharp
140. Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
141. Molly Moon from Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism by Georgia Byng
142. Nancy Blackett from Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
143. Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
144. Nickie from The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne Duprau
145. Nita from the Young Wizards Series by Diane Duane
146. Nory Ryan from Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff
147. Nymah Rose from East by Edith Pattou
148. Olivia by Ian Falconer
149. Omakayas (or Little Frog) from The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
150. Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum
151. Parvana from Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
152. Pat of Silver Bush by L. M. Montgomery
153. Penny Gareth from The Growing Summer by Noel Streatfield
154. Petra from Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
155. Petrova Fossil from Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
156. Philippa Gaunt from the Children of the Lamp series (starting with The Akhenaten Adventure) by P. B. Kerr
157. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
158. Polly from Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones
159. Pony from Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kastner
160. Portia from Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright
161. Rachel Pye from Ginger Pye and Pinky Pye by Eleanor Estes
162. Ramona Quimby from the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary
163. Randy from the Melendy books (starting with The Saturdays) by Elizabeth Enright
164. Reason Cansino from Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier
165. Roberta (Bobbie) from The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
166. Robin from The Velvet Room by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
167. Rosamund from Nate The Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
168. Rose Rita Pottinger from The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring by John Bellairs
169. Rosie Brine from the Maida books by Inez Haynes Irwin
170. Sabriel by Garth Nix
171. Sabrina and Daphne from The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives series by Michael Buckley
172. Sal from Blueberries for Sal and One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey
173. Sally from the Encyclopedia Brown books by Donald Sobol
174. Sammy Keyes from the series by Wendelin Van Draanen
175. Sara Crewe from A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
176. Sarah from One Morning in Maine by Lucy Frank
177. Sara from The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars
178. Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
179. Skye from The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
180. Simone from A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt
181. Sophie from The BFG by Roald Dahl.
182. Sophie Hatter from Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
183. Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
184. Sumiko in Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata
185. Sunita Sen from The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen by Mitali Perkins
186. Susannah Simon from the Mediator books by Meg Cabot.
187. Suzie from The Rebel Witch by Jack Lovejoy
188. Suzy Turquoise Blue from the The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix
189. Sylvia from The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
190. Tacy from Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
191. Tally Youngblood from the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld
192. Tia Malone/Castaway from Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key
193. Tiffany Aching from The Wee Free Men and A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
194. Tish Sterling from The Keeping Days by Norma Johnston
195. Trissy from I, TRISSY by Norma Fox Mazer
196. Trixie Belden from the series by Julie Campbell
197. Trot from The Scarecrow of Oz and other Oz books by L. Frank Baum
198. Turtle from The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
199. Velvet Brown from National Velvet
200. Vesper Holly from The Illyrian Adventure by Lloyd Alexander
201. Vicky Austin from Meet the Austins by Madeleine L'Engle
202. Violet from the Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket
203. Winnie from Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
204. Zoe from A Room on Lorelei Street by Mary A. Pearson