6 Magnificent Middle Grade Heroines
Contemporary children’s literature is filled with colorful female characters who have all kinds of memorable experiences, but it takes a special breed to achieve heroine status. These six awe-inspiring girls hail from different countries, time periods, and cultural contexts. Some battle dark wizards or survive alone in the wild, while others overcome devastating personal tragedies. Despite their differences, they share one thing in common: they’re as strong as they come.
Pippi Longstocking (Pippi Longstocking series, by Astrid Lindgren)
She triumphs over wild animals, defeats the world’s strongest man, and gets the better of ornery burglars—there is no doubt that Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Efraim’s Daughter Longstocking is one tough cookie. But there’s more to our red-headed heroine than just muscle and impish bravado. Pippi possesses an emotional strength and resilience that far surpass her nine years. With Mama in heaven and Papa lost at sea, she manages to run a household and thrive in a self-created world of wonder. Beat that, world’s strongest man.
Deza Malone (The Mighty Miss Malone, by Christopher Paul Curtis)
As an African American family in Gary, Indiana, the tight-knit Malones have been hit hard by the Great Depression, but their whip-smart twelve-year-old daughter, Deza, has a bright future: her teachers say she is destined for greatness. Deza is soon forced to channel her smarts in new ways when her father leaves town to find work and the rest of the family sets out to catch up with him. Met with trials and uncertainty at every turn, unflappable Deza puts her faith in the one thing she can count on: her family’s unbreakable bond.
Parvana (The Breadwinner series, by Deborah Ellis)
Things have changed in the-year-and-a-half since the Taliban seized control of Kabul, Afghanistan. Eleven-year-old Parvana and her teenage sister, like all girls, have been prohibited from attending school, while Mother, who once held a respected job, confines herself to their apartment. When Father is suddenly imprisoned, Parvana disguises herself as a boy and courageously ventures to the marketplace to carry on the family business. As she navigates this dangerous new world, Parvana discovers that true power comes not from those who impose control, but from those who refuse, however silently, to be crushed by oppression.
Hermione Granger (The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling)
Though some may initially think she’s a bossy know-it-all (I’m lookin’ at you, Ron Weasley), super-smart Hermione Granger is one stellar girl. Her unfailing bravery and loyalty to her friends are matched only by her quick-thinking Muggle-born mind, which saves her and her imperiled wizard cohorts on many an occasion. Quite the cool character, this level-headed lass reserves her sensitive side for a chosen few, and her witchy wrath for only the most devilish foes—just ask Draco Malfoy, whose cruel name-calling earned him a whopping slap in the face. Two points for Gryffindor!
Nim Rusoe (The Nim’s Island series, by Wendy Orr)
For many, the challenges of living on a remote, untouched island are a reality TV nightmare, but for Nim, they are a welcome part of everyday life. Since she was in diapers, the rugged, wild-haired girl and her scientist dad, Jack, have been the only two human inhabitants on their island home. When Jack sails off on an expedition, Nim enlists the help of her animal friends to do something few others could manage: hold down the fort amidst a lava-spewing volcano, a raging storm, an enemy ship, and perhaps worst of all, fear and loneliness.
Esparanza Ortega (Esparanza Rising, by Pam Muñoz Ryan)
On the eve of her thirteenth birthday, Esparanza, the daughter of a wealthy land owner in 1930s Mexico, suffers one of the cruelest blows life can bring: her beloved Papa is murdered by bandits. After her power-hungry uncle seizes their land, Esparanza and her mother flee to the United States, where they begin new lives as farm workers. Privileged Esparanza is forced to adapt to a life of hard labor in a racist environment, but as she forms close ties to her community and learns to appreciate the simple things in life, she realizes that happiness and wealth are two very subjective things.
Who are your favorite middle grade heroines?