Books with Strong Female Protagonists*
Cat's Eye by Atwood
Clan of the Cave Bear by Auel
True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle By Avi
The Oval Amulet by Babbitt
Weetzie Bat by Block
The Glass Lake by Binchy
Mists of Avalon by Bradley
Jane Eyre by Bronte
Rainbow Jordan by Childress
Awakening by Chopin
Facts Speak for Themselves by Cole
Voice on the Radio by Cooney
We All Fall Down by Cormier
Walk Two Moons by Creech
Starbridge series by Crispin (The link to the catalog is to one of the books available.)
Ballad of Lucy Whipple by Cushman
Catherine, Called Birdy by Cushman
Midwife's Apprentice by Cushman
Say Goodnight, Gracie by Deaver
Eva by Dickinson
In Lane Three, Alex Archer by Duder
Jamaica Inn by du Maurier
Walking Across Egypt by Edgerton
Beet Queen by Erdrich
Love Medicine by Erdrich
Girl Named Disaster by Farmer
Fried Green Tomatoes by Flagg
I am an Artichoke by Frank
Annie on Mind by Garden (YA paperback rack)
Running out of Time by Haddix
Tess of the D'Urbervilles, by Hardy
One Child by Hayden
Phoenix Rising by Hesse
Out of the Dust by Hesse
Mountain Valor by Houston
Winter of Fire by Jordan
Juniper Game by Jordan
Listen for Rachel by Kassem
Deliver Us From Evie by Kerr
Dolores Claiborne by King
Rose Madder by King
Animal Dreams by Kingsolver
Bean Trees by Kingsolver
Blood and Chocolate by Klause
Kinship by Krisher
Spite Fences by Krisher
To Kill a Mockingbird by Lee
Tehanu by LeGuin
Wrinkle in Time by L'Engle
Letters from a Slave Girl by Lyons
Back Home by Magorian
Shizuko's Daughter by Mori
Beloved by Morrison
Mama Day by Naylor
Women of Brewster Place by Naylor
The Abduction by Newt
Sabriel by Nix
Z for Zachariah by O'Brien
Stone Angel by O'Connell
Island of the Blue Dolphins by O'Dell
Peeling the Onion by Orr
Lyddie by Paterson
Don't Think Twice by Pennebaker
Golden Compass by Pullman (also available on YA paperback rack in Rome)
Ruby in the Smoke by Pullman
Contact by Sagan
The Girl in the Box by Sebestyen (also available on YA paperback rack in Rome)
Words by Heart by Sebestyen
A Town Like Alice by Shute
Witch of Blackbird Pond by Speare
Shabanu by Staples
Haveli by Staples
Kitchen God's Wife by Tan
Joy Luck Club by Tan
Road to Memphis by Taylor
Sweet Friday Island by Taylor
Forestwife by Tomlinson
Companions of the Night by VanVelde
Dicey's Song by Voigt
Jackaroo by Voigt (available on YA paperback rack in Rome)
The Color Purple by Walker (available on YA paperback rack in Rome)
The Road Home by White
Like Sisters on the Homefront by Williams-Garcia
Dealing With Dragons by Wrede
Other authors whose books have strong female characters include:
*originally compiled by Marsha Rakestraw, YA Specialist at Washington-Centerville Public Library in Centerville, Ohio as a result of a query on pubyac. Modified by Lisa Matte at Jervis Public Library in Rome, NY.
Bauermeister, Erica. Let's Hear it For the Girls: 375 great books for readers 2-14.
Morrow, Claudia. Brave, Active, and Resourceful Females in Picture Books. http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/WomensStudies/bibliogs/picbook.html Created in 1992. Last viewed 2/15/02
Odean, Kathleen. Great Books for Girls : Over 600 Books to Inspire Today's Girls and Tomorrow's Women .
Odean, Kathleen. Great Books for Boys : More than 600 Books for Boys 2 to 14.
updated 2/15/02
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