It’s not secret that I love making book lists. I love a good challenge, I love looking at different types of books and I love highlighting some of our lesser known titles so they can be loved and appreciated in the homes of others. That’s why, when I received this request, I knew it was going to be a fun one.
Child: “Do you have any girly books?”
At first glance, this seemed like an easy enough request. “Fancy Nancy” or “Junie B. Jones” are always crowd favorites when it comes to “girly” titles. However, this wasn’t what she wanted. It took some questions, some pondering and some trial-and-error to find out that the request was a bit more complex than expected. She wanted books for young girls, about girls—that are happy, supportive and productive (while also sometimes a little cute and adorable). That’s a lot to accomplish in just a few short pages of a picture book for young children. Therefore, we took the time to really compile and vet our options. I found some pretty awesome “girly” book in this process. Intrigued? Then check out the books below!
“Dear Girl” by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
This book celebrates what it means to be a girl. Girls are girls because they are girls, not because of how others label them or by meeting certain criteria.
“Princess Hair” by Sharee Miller
Not all hair is the same! This is a fun, upbeat book about hair acceptance and diversity. Princess hair comes in all different styles and all princesses wear their hair differently.
“The Girls” by Lauren Ace
“The Girls” is a story about four friends growing up together. They meet, establishing their secret place while they build their relationships. Together, the girls grow and support one another through their victories and losses in life, some of them finding life partners, earning degrees, getting married, having kids, going on adventures—whatever each of them finds important. But no matter what happens, they all still support their friends.
“Interstellar Cinderella” by Deborah Underwood
Cinderella wants to fix fancy rockets. When the Prince throws a Royal Space Parade, all Cinderella wants to do is go and see amazing spaceships. It’s not about finding Prince Charming or thwarting her evil stepfamily. The most important thing is Cinderella is following her dreams.
“Cece Loves Science and Adventure” by Kimberly Derting
Cece and the other Adventure Girls go into the wilderness to earn their camping badges. However, on a hike, their GPS cannot locate them and a storm comes rolling in. It’s up to the Adventure Girls to use their STEM skills to get themselves back to camp.
“Mary Wears What She Wants” by Keith Negley
This book is a fictional retelling of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker as a child. Dr. Walker was a famous doctor who served during the Civil War in the Union Army. In this retelling, it shows Dr. Walker as a child who saw that pants should be for everyone, not just men, and she decides to wear them. This causes quite a stir and people try to convince her to wear only dresses. It shows how hard it is to hold onto ideals, but it is important to do so to make great changes for everyone!
“Planting Stories” by Anika Denise
Anika Denise brings Pura Belpré’s story to life in a beautifully illustrated book. Pura came to the United States to visit New York and to attend her sister’s wedding. However, Pura decides to stay. She works in a garment factory and then at the New York Public Library branch in Harlem. There, she tells stories from her home in Puerto Rico. The children love them and Pura sends them to a publisher. She continues to tell stories from Puerto Rico and perform her stories for the children in the community. This book shows Pura’s life, her appreciation for the culture she came from, and the cultural impact that her work had on the Harlem branch on 135th Street.
Love these books? Want to see more? Then check out my “Girls Being Girls” book list!
