Five Faves: Girl Power Intermediate Books

There are so many strong girl protagonists in the Intermediate section. Some are little entrepreneurs who are building businesses while others are doing their best to help their community. Here are five of my favorite girl power intermediates to spark that confidence in your young reader.

Awesome Orange Birthday
Written by Mitali Banerjee Ruths
Illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel
New York: Scholastic Inc., 2023. Intermediate. 71 pgs.

This girl boss has her first client for her party planning business. Priya plans every thing about the party to be in the birthday girl's favorite color: orange! But as the big event approaches, Priya is nervous that something might go wrong!

Catalina Incognito
Written by Jennifer Torres
Illustrated by Gladys Jose
New York: Aladdin, 2022. Intermediate. 106 pgs.
Eight-year-old Catalina wants to help her local library find the rhinestones on display from her Tia Abuela's famous costume. She uses her magic sewing kit to create incredible disguises to get to the bottom of the mystery.

The Astronomically Grand Plan
Written by Rie Neal
Illustrated by Talitha Shipman
New York: Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Division, 2022. Intermediate. 97 pgs

Astrid and her friend Hallie are joining the Shooting Stars, a space club. At the end of the year, one lucky club member will get to go to a real space camp! Astrid is determined to be the first astronaut with hearing aids, but her friends seems a little less interested in space.

The Case of the Missing Cheetah
By Veronica Mang
New York: Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LL, 2021. Intermediate. 95 pgs.

Three girls find themselves in a secret society for some of the most famous female spies in the world. One of those spies, Josephine Baker, recruits the girls to help find her kidnapped cheetah. The girls rise to the challenge to help a new friend.

Home Sweet Forever Home
Written by Rachel Aline
Illustrated by Addy Rivera Sonda
New York: Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Division, 2021. Intermediate. 140 pgs.

Lauren, Ruby, Myka and Emelyn love to help others. When volunteering at the dog shelter, they see a need and work to meet it! The girls plan a cupcake adoption event to do what they can for these sweet dogs without a home.

Comments

Review: Faker

Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...

Review: Fresh Start

Fresh Start By Gale Galligan New York: Graphix, 2025. Graphic novel. 270 pages. Ollie Herisson is only in 7th grade, but she has already lived all over the world. Her father is an American diplomat, whose job has taken their family to France, Singapore, Thailand (where her mom is from), and now to Chestnut Falls, Virginia. Ollie loves that her family doesn't stay in one place very long, it allows her to have a fresh start and hide from any embarrassing moments each time they move. But Ollie's parents have big news -- they've decided to buy a house in Virginia and put down roots. Now, Ollie and her younger sister Cat have to figure out how to build lasting friendships which means resolving conflict rather than running away when things get hard. Loosely based on the author's own childhood experiences, this graphic novel is sure to be popular with readers who like coming of age stories. Watching Ollie learn to think of others as she advocates for her sister Cat, and navig...

Review: Will's Race for Home

Willl's Race for Home By Jewell Parker Rhodes Little Brown & Company, 2025. Fiction. 256 pages. Will is a young man whose father and family are working the land as sharecroppers in Texas. When Will's father comes home with the news that there is land available in Oklahoma to those who can stake and settle it, Will's father expresses his deep desire to go and claim land for their family. Will begs to be included, but his mother is reluctant to let him go. After input from the entire family, they decide that Will is ready for the responsibility. Along the way Will and his father develop a deeper appreciation for each other, form deep friendship, discover hidden enemies, and encounter many challenges which force them to make difficult decisions. Will's father has to rely heavily on him, especially as they get closer to their final destination. Will's bravery is inspiring and commendable. This book is full of many amazing elements: suspense, adventure, fr...

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