Walk into a bookshop and the choice of children’s books is overwhelming and mindboggling. In the best way possible – we love children’s books. But when you’ve got a child in mind you’re buying for, picking them the perfect book is tricky.
This is why we’ve put together a compilation of the best books for girls. Sure, girls can be interested in all different kinds of things, and want to read all kinds of books. We are here for that. In this roundup you’ll find all kinds of books, with all kinds of messages. But at the heart of it is inspiring a strong female future.
We’ve read storybooks, chapter books, toddler books – the lot! – to find books that have a message that will resonate with girls. We’ve also written a little guide to choosing a book for girls.
What books are good for girls?
To put it bluntly – any. Any book that gets a child reading – with or without an adult – is a winner. So if you find a book your child loves, no matter their gender, go with it! A good story transcends gender.
But when creating this list we looked for books that would resonate with girls. Stories that reflect their own experience, or show them something usual that teaches them a way to think about the world that perhaps they hadn’t considered before.
A strong female lead character is important. There are almost endless books with male leads, but it’s really important for young girls to see other females being the lead in their own story. We’ve tried to include plenty here.
What themes should I look for in a girls’ book?
Again, themes are universal. But go for a storyline that your child is experiencing. If they’re struggling with big feelings, look for stories about how characters manage their tricky feelings, such as Barbara Throws A Wobbler (which is in our Best picture books for children round up).
Themes of inclusivity and celebrating difference can be really helpful for a child. It will encourage acceptance and crucial conversations with your child.
Another theme we’ve particularly focused on in this round up is female empowerment. From girls who aren’t typically girlie, to the importance of female friendships and challenging the status quo – we’ve covered all bases.
Shop the best below
Fearless Fairy Tales – Konnie Huq, James Kay & Rikin Parekh
This funny, modern take on fairy tales had adult and child readers giggling. There are 17 popular fairy tales from Little Red Riding Hood to Sleeping Beauty and everything inbetween. Each is told in a funny way, with plenty of humorous asides and a huge dose of energy. But we also loved all the learning opportunities it gave, from allegories about Brexit to facts such as how big the world’s largest crater is – everyone comes away having learned something. It’s not heavy handed or awkward, as might be the pitfall of this kind of book. Instead it’s fun, whip smart and heart warming – it left a huge smile on our faces.
Buy now £15.99, Waterstones
Little People, Big Dreams: Gloria Steinem – Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara and Lucila Perini
It’s hard to choose just one title from the Little People, Big Dreams series as our whole roundup could be filled with those alone, but we’ve gone for Gloria Steinem.
This illustrated biography takes the reader from Steinem’s childhood travelling around the US in a campervan with her family, to her awakening to gender injustices right through to becoming one of the more prominent feminist voices of her generation.
The book isn’t heavy handed in details – each page has a handful of lines on it. And the illustrations are delightful, full of 1960s colour and vibrancy. We found kids enjoyed the “story”, and it brought up lots of interesting questions.
Buy now £8.18, Amazon
New Class at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton – Patrice Lawrence, Lucy Mangan, Narinder Dhami and Rebecca Westcott
We found picking up this book hugely nostalgic from our own childhood filled with Darryl, Alicia and Gwendoline. New Class is four brand new stories by various authors, which are written to fit in with the six original stories. Purists fear not – the characters are still living in the same time period, same school, same swimming pool. But they do introduce four new characters. This book is perfect if your little book worm has gobbled up the Malory Towers series but is left wanting more.
Buy now £6.50, WHSmith
The Paper Bag Princess – Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko
Princess Elizabeth is betrothed to marry Prince Ronald. That is until a dragon comes along, burns down the castle and takes Ronald off with him. Instead of sitting and waiting to be rescued, Elizabeth dons a paper bag (all her clothes got burnt) and sets off to battle the dragon.
Elizabeth tricks the dragon, eventually exhausting him, so she can rescue Ron. But actually, after all this adventure, does she really want to settle down to just be a wife to an ungrateful prince? We suspect not…
We loved this tale, packed with adventure and tense moments, with a funny ending kids will not expect.
Buy now £4.99, Waterstones
The Girls – Lauren Ace and Jenny Løvlie
OK, we admit it – this book had our eyes brimming with tears. It tells of a gang of girls who each have a unique personality, which they all embrace. The story follows them from childhood to adult life, as their friendship bends and flexes around what life throws at them. There are themes of difference, acceptance and friendship here that make for an impactful, yet uplifting story that will have adults feeling a bit of a gut punch about their closest friends. With gorgeously simple, bright illustrations to boot, this a book we gift over and over again.
Buy now £6.99, Waterstones
The Catastrophic Friendship Fails of Lottie Brooks – Katie Kirby
Katie Kirby from Hurrah for Gin fame has turned her hand to pre-teen books, bringing her humour and warmth to a fresh generation. The book is written in diary form, and is the second instalment from Lottie Brooks (we are sure there will be many more). It follows Lottie as she navigates secondary school, dealing with mean girls and friendship hiccups.
Like an Adrian Mole for Gen Alpha, Lottie Brooks is a reassuring handhold for teenagers and full of the cringes of teenage life. If your child is a reluctant reader, this book may appeal thanks to different fonts in different sizes and the use of illustrations – no huge chunks of text here.
Buy now £7.35, Amazon
ABC What Can She Be – Jessie Ford
It’s never too early to each kids about female empowerment, and this book aimed at toddlers does just that. Taking readers from A to Z, it lists all the amazing things a girl can be when she grows up from astronaut to zoologist. There’s just a handful of words on each page, and has bright, high-contrast illustrations that will appeal to little ones.
Buy now £8.99, Amazon
The Lion Inside – Rachel Bright and Jim Field
Bright and Field has form for creating beautiful books with profound messages, and The Lion Inside is up there with its best work. The story follows a mouse who is a bit of a doormat, and is totally fed up with being walked over. Eventually he decides to talk to his neighbour, Lion, about how to gain more respect. After plucking up the courage to talk to Lion, Mouse finds that underneath the bravado, even lions get scared.
A gorgeous story of doing something brave, and how differences between friends can create something magical. Eye-poppingly gorgeous illustrations help this rhyming story be something all kids love.
Buy now £6.99, Waterstones
The Girl and the Dinosaur – Hollie Hughes and Sarah Massini
A dreamy bedtime read, this is a story about Marianne, who finds dinosaur bones on the beach and then that night dreams of a real dinosaur who she goes on adventures with. The rhyming story has a gentle, soporific affect when you read it, while the mid blues and greens that are predominantly used throughout are calming. It’s not an extravagantly long story, which is perfect if you’re trying to wrap up bedtime quickly. We love that the central character is a girl – a fairly rare occurance in a book about dinosaurs.
Buy now £7.00, Kidly
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls – Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo
A runaway hit – for good reason – Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls is an encyclopaedia dedicated to females who refused to tow the line, and ended up being a force for change. From Hillary Rodham Clinton to Malala and Coco Chanel – there’s a wealth of stories and lives to discover in this beautiful hardback book.
Each entry is a single page, with a modern and colourful portrait alongside it. This is a fantastic book for dipping in and out of, to inspire kids with powerful female role models.
Buy now £17.49, Amazon
Verdict
We loved Fearless Fairy Tales – it’s smart, funny and challenges outdated stories. The tales are the perfect length for bedtime, and the book itself is beautifully illustrated with foil detail on the hard cover. The perfect gift that will foster a lifetime love of reading – and daring to be different.
