When Carrie Gelson asked Kellee and I to join her post about 25 girls who stand out in middle grade and young adult literature, we jumped at the opportunity. Kellee and I devour hundreds of books each year, yet we find that there are characters who stick with us through the years. It was difficult for me to limit my list to just 25 girls, but I am very proud of this group of young women. They don’t always make the right choices, but they really stand out for me. I hope you find (or have found) these girls to be just as as special as I have. Next Thursday, I will share the boys!
- Violet Markey from All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
- Astrid Jones from Ask the Passengers by A.S. King
- Lina from Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
- Jackie Woodson from brown girl dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
- Willow Chance from Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
- Anne Frank from The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
- Sophie Biyoya-Ciardulli from Endangered by Eliot Schrefer
- Esperanza from Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
- Calpurnia Tate from The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
- Hazel Grace Lancaster from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
- Katsa from Graceling by Kristen Cashore
- Esperanza Cordero from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
- Ellie from Jumping off Swings by Jo Knowles
- Alaska Young from Looking for Alaska by John Green
- Mattie Gokey from A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
- Maria Virginia Farinango from The Queen of Water by Laura Resau
- Rose Justice from Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
- Cat from Shine by Lauren Myracle
- Lakshmi from Sold by Patricia McCormick
- Felicity Pickle from A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd
- Amber Appleton from Sorta Like a Rockstar by Matthew Quick
- Melinda Sordino from Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
- Gabriella from Tree Girl by Ben Mikaelsen
- Lupita from Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
- Lia from Wintergirls by Laure Halse Anderson
Who makes it to your list?
Ricki, I am so thrilled that you made a list! And what a list! My favourites here would have to be Ellie from Jumping off Swings, Astrid Jones, Rose Justice and Lina from Between Shades of Grey. I see some girls made both of our lists but also that I have some girls to meet in the pages of books I have yet to read. Seeing titles here with characters that you have honoured makes me want to read these books even more (Tree Girl, Under the Mesquite, The Queen of Water) Thank you so much for participating! I can’t wait for Kellee’s list tomorrow! And for the boys of course 🙂 You two are the best!
Thank you for sharing the fabulous idea, Carrie! I loved your list! It made my TBR list overflow with goodies. I can’t wait to hear what you think of The Queen of Water! *hug*
Ooooh! Wonderful list, Ricki. I’ve only read 6 of these, though I’ve heard great things about some of the others. Makes me want to go out and read them all!
Sue
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