6 Brave Literary Heroines We Love

Hermione Granger (Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling)
Yes, Harry’s the star of this magical book series. But Hermione holds her own among the forces of good and evil. Never afraid to use her brilliant brain and speak her mind, she’s with Harry every step of the way in his battle against Lord Voldemort, often cracking the codes, solving the puzzles, and casting the spells that lead them to victory. She stands up to bullies (I’m looking at you, Draco Malfoy), survives teen heartbreak, and fights off all kinds of creepy creatures, all while being a fiercely loyal friend and straight-A student. And she’s brave enough to give her heart to diamond-in-the-rough Ron instead of the more expected Harry.

Laura Ingalls (Little House series, by Laura Ingalls Wilder)
Harsh weather. Hostile Native Americans. A plague of grasshoppers. And—gasp!—life without electronic devices. These are just some of the challenges Laura overcomes in the stories based on Wilder’s own experience as an American pioneer. Though she’s known as Half-Pint, Laura overflows with courage, always ready to rush out into the snow, take on wild animals, or do whatever else is needed to protect her family and their many different homes. Her can-do spirit exemplifies what it took to settle the American West, and all the setbacks and difficulties she makes it through show that anything is possible.

Kit Kittredge (Kit American Girl Series, by Valerie Tripp)
Really, any of the heroines of the American Girl books could fit into this group of books. But the series focusing on Kit Kittredge, who grew up during the Great Depression, offers insight on issues kids might face today in our still recovering economy, whether it’s a parent’s layoff, or a less-than-ideal housing situation. Kit is spunky and resourceful, even after her father loses his business and her family has to take in boarders. Throughout the series, she learns about being thrifty, and never stops wanting to help others, even when she’s in need of some assistance herself. Kit learns that life is uncertain, and bravely faces whatever comes her way.

Diana (Where I Live, by Eileen Spinelli)
Diana loves astronomy, poetry, brownies, her yellow house, and her best friend Rose. But her life gets turned upside down when her dad loses his job and her family has to move six hours away to live with her grandfather. Written entirely in verse, Where I Live shows readers how Diana processes and deals with this difficult transition, using her poetry to express her feelings and bravely approach her new situation. In the end, she finds that it’s OK to feel sad and miss her old life—and that her new life won’t be as bad as she thinks.

Cece (El Deafo, by Cece Bell)
Going to school is hard enough as it is. But try walking into the classroom wearing a giant hearing aid. Cece is deaf, and that’s just what she has to do when she starts at a new school. But in this graphic novel based on the author’s actual childhood, Cece navigates it all with a sense of humor and the imagination to see her unsightly hearing aid as something that gives her a super power. She learns how to make new friends, deal with pushy ones, talk to her crush, and fit right in with her classmates and neighbors, with a little help from her superhero alter ego El Deafo, who often appears when Cece’s feeling sad, frustrated, or lonely.

Marlee Nisbett (The Lions of Little Rock, by Kristin Levine)
To call twelve-year-old Marlee quiet would be an understatement. She lives in fear of speaking up, whether in class, with her friends, or on the phone. But she finds her voice with the help of Liz, an African-American girl she befriends in the midst of Little Rock’s 1950s-era struggle with school integration. Marlee not only conquers her fear of speaking in public but, also learns to stand up for what she believes in, even if it’s not always easy. Whether it’s pursuing her dreams of being a scientist or maintaining a friendship fraught with difficulty, Marlee follows her own path and is all the better for it.