Children's Literacy Round-Up: June 10th
Specials: Scott Westerfeld

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 by Karen Cushman
  123. Maximum Ride from Maximum Ride : The Angel Experiment and Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever by James Patterson
  124. Meg from A Wrinkle in Time (and sequels) by Madeleine L'Engle
  125. Meg from The President's Daughter (and others) by Ellen Emerson White
  126. Meggie from the Inkheart books by Cornelia Funke
  127. Meggie from Willow Run by Patricia Reilly Giff
  128. Melanie from The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
  129. Melinda from Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
  130. Menolly from Dragonsong (and others Pern books) by Anne McCaffrey
  131. Mercy from The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
  132. Mia from The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot
  133. Minnow from The Seventeenth-Street Gang by E. C. Neville
  134. Miri from Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
  135. Miriam Williard from Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare
  136. Miss Bianca from The Rescuers books by Margery Sharp
  137. Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
  138. Molly Moon from Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism by Georgia Byng
  139. Nancy Blackett from Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
  140. Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
  141. Nickie from The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne Duprau
  142. Nita from the Young Wizards Series by Diane Duane
  143. Nory Ryan from Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff
  144. Nymah Rose from East by Edith Pattou
  145. Olivia by Ian Falconer
  146. Omakayas (or Little Frog) from The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
  147. Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum
  148. Parvana from Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
  149. Pat of Silver Bush by L. M. Montgomery
  150. Penny Gareth from The Growing Summer by Noel Streatfield
  151. Petra from Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
  152. Petrova Fossil from Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
  153. Philippa Gaunt from the Children of the Lamp series (starting with The Akhenaten Adventure) by P. B. Kerr
  154. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
  155. Polly from Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones
  156. Pony from Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kastner
  157. Portia from Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright
  158. Rachel Pye from Ginger Pye and Pinky Pye by Eleanor Estes
  159. Ramona Quimby from the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary
  160. Randy from the Melendy books (starting with The Saturdays) by Elizabeth Enright
  161. Reason Cansino from Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier
  162. Roberta (Bobbie) from The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
  163. Robin from The Velvet Room by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
  164. Rosamund from Nate The Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
  165. Rose Rita Pottinger from The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring by John Bellairs
  166. Rosie Brine from the Maida books by Inez Haynes Irwin
  167. Sabriel by Garth Nix
  168. Sabrina and Daphne from The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives series by Michael Buckley
  169. Sal from Blueberries for Sal and One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey
  170. Sally from the Encyclopedia Brown books by Donald Sobol
  171. Sammy Keyes from the series by Wendelin Van Draanen
  172. Sara Crewe from A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
  173. Sarah from One Morning in Maine by Lucy Frank
  174. Sara from The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars
  175. Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  176. Skye from The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
    1. Simone from A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt
    2. Sophie Hatter from Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
    3. Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
    4. Sumiko in Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata
    5. Sunita Sen from The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen by Mitali Perkins
    6. Susannah Simon from the Mediator books by Meg Cabot.
    7. Suzie from The Rebel Witch by Jack Lovejoy
    8. Suzy Turquoise Blue from the The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix
    9. Sylvia from The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
    10. Tacy from Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
    11. Tally Youngblood from the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld
    12. Tia Malone/Castaway from Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key
    13. Tiffany Aching from The Wee Free Men and A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
    14. Tish Sterling from The Keeping Days by Norma Johnston
    15. Trissy from I, TRISSY by Norma Fox Mazer
    16. Trixie Belden from the series by Julie Campbell
    17. Trot from The Scarecrow of Oz and other Oz books by L. Frank Baum
    18. Turtle from The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
    19. Velvet Brown from National Velvet
    20. Vesper Holly from The Illyrian Adventure by Lloyd Alexander
    21. Vicky Austin from Meet the Austins by Madeleine L'Engle
    22. Violet from the Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket
    23. Winnie from Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
    24. Zoe from A Room on Lorelei Street by Mary A. Pearson

    Addendum

    Here are a few more, suggested since the list went out:

    New Commenters and Contributors (those not mentioned on previous posts):

    Note: This list is copyright (c) 2006 by Jennifer Robinson. All rights reserved.

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