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: The Factory

The Factory By Catherine Egan New York, NY : Scholastic Inc., 2025. Fiction. 306 pages. Thirteen-year-old Asher Doyle has been invited to join the Factory, a secretive research facility in the desert which ostensibly extracts renewable energy from the electromagnetic fields of its young recruits. But Asher soon realizes something sinister is going on. Kids are getting sick. The adults who run the Factory seem to be keeping secrets. And the extraction process is not only painful and exhausting, but existentially troubling. Asher makes a handful of new friends who help him with an investigation that turns into a resistance, which turns into...a cliffhanger! The Factory is a page-turning sci-fi with multidimensional characters, an intriguing plot, and refreshingly straight-forward writing. Egan weaves in detail about climate crises and social unrest, making the story's dystopian setting feel rich and plausible. With its sophisticated themes and accessible storytelling, I would recomm...

Review: Fowl Play

Fowl Play By Kristin O'Donnell Tubb New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2024. Fiction 277 pages. Still reeling from her beloved uncle's death, Chloe Alvarez is comforted and confused when at his last will and testament reading, Uncle Will gifts her his African Grey parrot, Charlie. Charlie has a robust vocabulary and loves to make Alexa requests for her favorite songs, but when she starts saying things like, "homicide," and "cyanide," Chloe becomes convinced that Uncle Will may have met his demise by murder instead of a genetic disease, as was previously thought. Ultimately, bringing in her brother, Grammy, and Uncle Frank (and of course Charlie,) Chloe's ragtag and adoring family support her search for answers ---going on stakeouts, engaging in fast pursuits, and searching for clues. But as the suspects stack up and the mystery grows, Chole will learn that the process of death and grieving is complicated, and in the end her Uncle Will's words that, ...

Review: A Game of Noctis

A Game of Noctis By Deva Fagan New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2024. Fiction. 310 pages. On the island of Dantessa, social standings and wealth are determined by your place in the Great Game. If you keep on winning, you can reap treasures, power, and security for yourself and your family; but if you lose too many games, you'll be exiled to Pawn Island and a life of servitude. That's what happens to 12-year-old Pia's grandfather. Due to poor vision, he struggles to see the games, but also can't afford new eyeglasses without winning. When his score falls to zero, he is sent away. Desperate to bring him back, Pia joins a ragtag group of misfits to form a team for the annual game of Noctis. The game requires contestants to perform dangerous challenges in front of a live audience, and no one outside the wealthy Diamond District has ever won. Each member of Pia's team, the Seafoxes, has their own reason to compete, but if they're going to win they'll h...

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