The Female Literary Characters Who Shaped And Inspired Us

Top 10 Heroines

1. Darrell Rivers (Malory Towers series by Enid Blyton)

Darrell is the girl we all wanted to be. Academically brilliant, great at sport, good-hearted, honest, loyal, responsible and sensible but with a mischievous streak and a twinkle in her eye. The pranks on the teachers were legendary. Unlike Alicia, who could play the fool in class and still get top marks in everything, Darrell quickly learnt that she herself was not able to do both. She became best friends with the level-headed Sally instead, who was a better influence on her than Alicia. I think we all wanted to be Head Girl because of Darrell.

2. Alanna of Trebond (The Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce)

Alanna swaps places with her twin brother and disguises herself as a boy in order to train to become a knight. Unwaveringly determined, tough, stubborn and courageous. She becomes the first female knight in a century. If you were a tomboy when you were young, Alanna was your hero.

3. Hermione Granger (Harry Potter series by JK Rowling)

Extremely intelligent, hard-working and logical. Unashamedly enthusiastic about learning and reading. The Sorting Hat thought about putting her in Ravenclaw but put her in Gryffindor because of her bravery and steadfast loyalty. She has an enormous heart and a strong conscience and always does what is right. She sets up S.P.E.W. and valiantly fights for the rights of the oppressed, despite everyone else laughing at her for it. Harry and Ron would both have been dead without her knowledge of magic and cool-headed logic in extreme situations. She totally should have been the protagonist instead of Harry Potter! Awesome personified.

4. Jo March (Little Women by Louisa May Alcott)

An outspoken tomboy with a big heart and a passion for writing.

"I hate to think I've got to grow up, and be Miss March, and wear long gowns, and look as prim as a China aster! It's bad enough to be a girl, anyway, when I like boys' games and work and manners! I can't get over my disappointment in not being a boy; and it's worse than ever now, for I'm dying to go and fight with Papa, and I can only stay at home and knit, like a poky old woman!" All of us tomboys punched the air upon reading this.

5. Scout (To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee)

A fierce tomboy who is intelligent, confident, thoughtful and good-hearted.

6. Kestrel "Kess" Hath (The Wind on Fire trilogy by William Nicholson)

Kess is a girl of action who rebels against the society she lives in and wants to make it a better place. Her twin brother Bowman is reflective, empathetic and sensitive, leading people to say of Bowman and Kess "He is the one who feels, she is the one who does."

7. Lyra (His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman)

A tomboy who prefers to play in the streets with other children than be at Jordan College, which she finds stuffy. She is rebellious, unruly, independent and fierce. She is quick-witted and canny, which leads to her being called Lyra Silvertongue.

8. Sara Crewe (A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett)

Kind, generous and clever. She has a vivid imagination and is an adept storyteller. She is constantly making up stories. Even when she is starving and poor, she gives up the food she has to someone whom she believes is even more worse-off than herself. This generosity and relentless determination to be good to others, even when they are not good to her, is what sets her apart

9. Matilda (Matilda by Roald Dahl)

Matilda possesses an intelligence far beyond her years and loves to read. She is bullied and neglected by her parents and brother; she plots ingenious tricks on them in revenge. She discovers that she has the power of telekenesis. I think we all tried to move objects with the power of our minds after reading Matilda.

10. Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery)

Anne is a daydreamer who often gets lost in her imagination, in a fantasy world. Her energy and vigorous enthusiasm often get her into scrapes. She also has a temper and many of the other characters find her behaviour unorthodox and impulsive. But she is good-hearted, passionate and has an unquenchable thirst for learning and books.