30 Feminist Children's Books That Every Child Should Read
There are no stories about princesses being rescued in here.
We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which feminist children's books every child should read.
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1. Matilda, by Roald Dahl
"Matilda wasn't offered the opportunity to learn when she wanted to, so she took it upon herself to do so." — madeleinek43e5c5a7b
2. Grace For President, by Kelly DiPucchio
"I review children's books, and to this day this is one of the best I've ever reviewed. It features a WoC protagonist, a young girl who immediately becomes incensed upon learning that there's never been a female president and decides to run for president of her class. Aside from giving young readers a crash-course in how the electoral college works, there are so many amazing lessons the book imparts, like judging a person's worthiness on their actions and character rather than their gender; and how girls, especially POC girls, often have to work 10 times as hard to be taken just as seriously as their male peers." — TheIrishCowgirl
3. The Tortall series, by Tamora Pierce
"Reading about these strong women taking the lead in their respective stories pumped me up so much! I had a particular pull to Daine and loved how much she changed by just coming to a land that accepted her and valued her opinion. She went from a uncertain young girl to someone who trusted her own experience and knowledge to overcome challenging situations." — hannahw425d8b922
4. How Prudence Proovit Proved the Truth About Fairy Tales, by Coleen Murtagh Paratore
"It's about a little girl who defies everybody else's opinions and proves that fairy tales aren't real." — Ann Onomuos, via Facebook
5. Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery
"It follows the life of an orphan up until she is an adult with her own children. It takes place around the time of the women's suffrage movement in the early 1900s. Almost every woman in the series is independent and strong, especially Anne. She was not afraid to stand up for what she believed in, show her emotions and vividness, and be kind to everyone. She loved her friends, loved the earth and Mother Nature, and was always willing to be an equal to the men around her. She can do whatever those boys can!" — molnarkat95
6. The His Dark Materials series, by Philip Pullman
"Lyra was one of the most fearless and intelligent characters I remember from my childhood: She was kindhearted, determined, and loyal to everyone who met her." — melwasser
7. I, Emma Freke, by Elizabeth Atkinson
"That book literally helped me learn to accept myself and my body. The women are so empowering." — madelinejohnson123
8. Princeless, by Jeremy Whitley
"It's about a smart and brave 16-year-old princess that questions the princess stereotype. She saves herself from a tower and then goes off to help other princesses save themselves as well. It's a really fun and cute story. And really good for younger girls too." — Ashley Clark, via Facebook
9. Feminist Baby, by Loryn Brantz
— Carol Berkow, via Facebook
10. Princess Smartypants, by Babette Cole
"It's about a princess whose parents are trying to marry her off to a prince, and every time a suitor comes to win her hand she sets them an impossible task to drive them away. Throughout the book she maintains that she does not wish to have a husband, but instead live by herself with her many pets. She is shown to be intelligent, independent, and strong-willed. It was one of my favourites as a kid, and proves to young girls that they do not need a man to define them or give them happiness, and they should say true to themselves and what they want." — squiddlord
11. Pippi Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren
"Pippi Longstocking is just this badass independent female who did what she wanted and didn't care what anyone else said. As a young girl, that really inspired me." — maryl42e86db37
12. Girls Are Best, by Sandi Toksvig
"It's a really great book that teaches young girls about what great things women have done in history that children probably won't be taught in schools. It says that boys are not always bigger than girls in other species, explains that women live longer, that women can fight well, says that women are just as smart as boys, and then explains why women are often forgotten in history with lots of references to those that aren't often in textbooks. I can't recommend it enough!" — eleanorp4ac898fd5
13. Rosie Revere, Engineer and Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty
"Seriously, these girls are in second grade and they manage to do kick-ass things like create things that fly, or figure out the scientific method for why something smells. As a teacher and an aunt, I LOVE these books and recommend that every child (but especially girls) read them at any and all ages." — SKipnees
14. Princess Princess Ever After, by Katie O'Neill
"It's a wonderful classic story about a princess who gets rescued, falls in love, and goes on many adventures. But it's another princess who rescues and falls in love with her. It's empowering, it's sweet, and it's a great feminist read for young girls." — LokiLoo
15. The Alice series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
"Its a series that follows a girl from elementary school through college and into the rest of her life. Her mom died shortly after she was born and she grows up with her father and brother. Ultimately its about discovering the woman you want be when there's no example to follow." — dariai4ec81ef2f
16. The Oz series, by L. Frank Baum
"Baum was known to be influenced by the strong women in his life when he wrote the series, and it shows. Dorothy was always a resourceful heroine, and never was meek or scared in her adventures in Oz. There was even an uprising of housewives lead by General Jinjur who didn't want to take the patriarchy anymore." — williamp4c37c518d
17. Ballet Shoes, by Noel Streatfeild
"It's about three orphaned sisters called Pauline, Petrova, and Posy who want to make it into the history books. Pauline wants to be a famous actress, Posy wants to be a ballerina, and Petrova wants to fly airplane. They are all very different from one another and are determined to follow their dreams." — wuraolaolagunju
18. The Cam Jansen Mysteries series, by David A. Adler
"They're about a fifth grade girl who is a classroom detective with photographic memory. Her character taught me that it is important to think outside the box and believe in my own abilities to figure out problems. She is such an underrated feminist heroine." — emilyf45f8b0968
19. The Harry Potter series, by J. K. Rowling
"With great characters like Hermione, Luna, Professor McGonagall, Ginny and Molly Weasley, among a myriad of others, it offers us heroines that are so different from each other and yet such splendid role models. They are simply great women." — Ir Jaa via Facebook
20. Ronia, the Robber's Daughter, by Astrid Lindgren
"It's about this girl Ronia who forms a beautiful friendship with the biggest rival of said robber's son who is the same age. She's a daredevil, smart, rebellious, and pretty badass." — Iveta Marinopolska via Facebook
21. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo
"It's an amazing book that introduces readers to women around the world that were/are leaders in their field. The illustrations are by female artists and the stories about each woman are told in a storybook format. Best book I have ever purchased." — tylerstaplesr
22. Amazing Grace, by Mary Hoffman
"Grace loves stories, and with a boundless imagination she acts them all out. One day, her teacher asks who would like to play the lead in the play Peter Pan. Grace eagerly raises her hand, but Raj tells her she isn't a boy, and Natalie tells her she can't because she is black. Nana sets Grace straight: she can do anything she sets her mind to! Grace's talent bursts forth, and she wins the audition hands down. Binch's radiant illustrations add to this inspiring story." — maggief4d2b7a1d8
23. A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
"It promotes the idea that all girls are princesses, no matter if they are bullies or living on the streets. It shows that all girls are strong and can make it on their own." — TheBlackImpala74
24. A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle
"A science- and math-savvy pre-teen girl who travels through space-time and saves her brother and father through the power of love and she has three cool old lady mentors. I love it." — emmak31
25. The Baby-Sitters Club series, by Ann M. Martin
"It's about a group of smart and ambitious young women. They were definitely some of my idols when I was a kid." — allyj3
26. Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon, by Patty Lovell
"It's an amazing book about a young girl standing up to a bully. Sometimes I still read it today (as a college student) because of its messages of self-acceptance and body positivity." — sam823543
27. Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney
"It's short and sweet, giving amazing advice to a little girl who grows up to be an independent woman. The illustrations are gorgeous, too. A great bedtime story." — athorup1
28. The Nancy Drew series, by Carolyn Keene
"Nancy was my first foray into detective fiction. A young girl and her female cohorts solving a multitude of crimes and putting themselves in danger's way." — Ir Jaa via Facebook
29. O'Sullivan Stew, by Hudson Talbott
"The main character Kate saves the day. It's not a princess story!" — r4acfbb85b
30. The Paper Bag Princess, by Robert Munsch
"Princess Elizabeth plans on marrying Prince Ronald, who is practically perfect. However, a dragon arrives who destroys her castle, kidnaps Ronald, and burns all her clothes, so she must look for something to wear, and her only option is a paper bag. Elizabeth follows the dragon and Ronald, seeking to rescue her fiancé, and outsmarts the dragon. Elizabeth rescues Ronald, who is ungrateful and tells her to return when she looks more like a princess. Elizabeth calls Ronald out for his ungratefulness and goes dancing off into the sunset." — axo513
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.