Thematic Reading List: Fall 2018 Fiction List: Female Characters in Juvenile Fiction and Picture Books
After reviewing hundreds of upcoming titles featuring female characters, we decided to hone our Fall Fiction List to include books with female characters involved in problem-solving, acts of bravery, or adjusting to a new normal. Each title was chosen to fill a spot on your shelf to encourage not only girls, but all students who find themselves in these situations. Suggested age range and month of publication is included with each entry. Be sure to use the links provided to find similar books to those shown.
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The Third Mushroom By: Jennifer L. Holm When thirteen-year-old Ellie’s Grandpa Melvin, a world-renowned scientist in the body of a fourteen-year-old boy, comes for an extended visit, he teaches her that experimenting–and failing–is part of life. Ages 8-12. (September) |
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King Alice By: Matthew Cordell A young girl wakes her father by informing him that she is Queen Alice, then draws him and other family members into her imaginative activities, from writing a book to a sleepover with fairies. Ages 3-5. (September) |
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Smoke and Mirrors By: Kristin Halbrook Bullied while attending fifth grade with the Islanders, Sasha, who always loved being part of Cirque Magnifique, wishes it would all go away. But, when her parents disappear in the Smoke, it is up to her to save them. Ages 8–12. (September) |
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Princesses Save the World By: Savannah Guthrie and Allison Oppenheim Illustrated by: Eva Byrne Princess Penelope Pineapple and her fellow princesses from the Fruit Nations are on a mission to rescue the Strawberry Kingdom’s food from certain ruin, and surprisingly Penny’s beloved bees are the key to saving the realm’s produce. Ages 3-6. (September) |
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The Yin-Yang Sisters and the Dragon Frightful By: Nancy Tupper Ling Illustrated by: Andrea Offermann Twins with opposite personalities work together to convince a dragon to stop blocking their village bridge. Ages 4–8. (September) |
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Ella Unleashed By: Alison Cherry Ella becomes a dog handler with help from her stepfather, and tries to help her dad adjust to the new family dynamic. Ages 8–12. (September) |
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The Bookshop Girl By: Sylvia Bishop Illustrated by: Poly Bernatene Property Jones and her family are in dire straits when they win a drawing for the greatest bookstore in England, but the previous owner was hiding something nearly as big as Property’s secret. Ages 8–12. (October) |
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Lorraine: The Girl Who Sang the Storm Away By: Ketch Secor Illustrated by: Higgins Bond Pa Paw and Lorraine always lift their spirits by playing music together, but their instruments are missing when a fearsome storm hits the Tennessee hills. Lorraine must find the music inside her to get through it. Ages 4–8. (October) |
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Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters: The Questioneers Book #1 By: Andrea Beaty Illustrated by: David Roberts When Rosie is unable to invent a contraption to help one of Aunt Rose’s Raucous Riveters friends, she calls on classmates Iggy Peck and Ada Twist to help. Ages 6-9. (October) |
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Ghosted By: Leslie Margolis After hitting her head, Ellie Charles, thirteen, encounters a mysterious girl who takes her to moments in her past that explain how she became a manipulative, unhappy person in a story reminiscent of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Ages 10-14 (October) |
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Jack (Not Jackie) By: Erica Silverman Illustrated by Holly Hatam Susan loves her baby sister, Jackie, but as Jackie grows older and behaves more and more like a boy Susan must adjust to having a brother, Jack, instead. Ages 4–8. (October) |
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Kat Wolfe Investigates: Wolfe and Lamb Mysteries By: Lauren St. John The debut novel in a series about a girl in England, twelve-year-old Kat Wolfe, who starts a pet-sitting agency and finds herself unraveling mysteries. The owner of her first client goes missing and only her new friend shares Kat’s conviction that the parrot’s owner is the victim of foul play. Ages 8–12. (October) |
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The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club By: Alex Bell Stella Starflake Pearl just wants to be part of the Polar Bear Explorers Club. But Stella’s a girl, and everyone knows that girls aren’t allowed to be explorers but Stella’s ready to prove everyone wrong. Ages 8–12. (November) |