Kids Graphic Novels With Girl Heroes
Girls Rule in These Comics About School, Friendship, and Growing Up
Apr 25, 2009
It’s no secret that comic books are seen as books for boys. Even today, with books like the Spider-Girl comics that feature admirable female superheroes, many girls are wary about reading comics known for excessive violence and action.
Even so, there are great comics and graphic novels for kids available that have nothing to do with the usual superpowered action. Here now, are three graphic novels that showcase everyday girl power.
Amelia Rules! by Jimmy Gownley
Fourth grader Amelia Louise McBride is the sassy, aggressive, but ultimately sweet narrator of this Eisner-Award nominated series that follows her misadventures as she adjusts to a new town after her parents divorce and she and her mom move in with Amelia’s Aunt Tanner.
At first disappointed that she has to leave New York for small town life, Amelia finds her town has its own activities when she befriends a boy who thinks he’s a superhero, teams up with neighborhood kids against a rival gang of kid ninjas, and even spies on her mom’s date (who’s so boring Amelia sees him as a men’s room sign).
But it’s not all fun and games, as Amelia also befriends a girl whose father is fighting in Iraq, attends the funeral of an amazing relative she never knew, and asks her aunt to tell her about her family history to make sense of her life.
Compulsively readable, Amelia Rules! shows how creatively comic books can tell everyday stories. When Amelia learns about her ancestors, for instance, writer/artist Jimmy Gownley draws each generation’s story in the style of a newspaper comic strip – from Little Orphan Annie to Peanuts. Other scenes let readers see Amelia’s daydreams – like when she wonders how she’ll turn out as an adult and ends up arguing with older versions of herself.
A great depiction of the trials of growing up, Amelia Rules! is both a wonderful example of an excellent graphic novel and children’s book.
No Girls Allowed by Susan Hughes and Willow Dawson
Girl heroes take center stage in this graphic novel which draws from myths, legends, and true stories to tell seven tales of women who disguised themselves as men to get the lives they wanted.
Beginning in ancient Egypt, the graphic novel introduces readers to Hatshepsut, a pharaoh’s daughter, who became the pharaoh “Hatshepsu” and ruled Egypt for twenty years. Other stories delve into different time periods and cultures -- including a comic book retelling of the Chinese poem The Ballad of Mulan – which shows a somewhat different woman warrior than the Disney Mulan kids know. And adventure lovers will all like the story of Alfhild, a Scandinavian princess who joined a band of woman pirates posing as men, and enjoyed a successful career in piracy.
Susan Hughes writes some engaging stories although it is sometimes difficult to tell the characters from one another due to artist Willow Dawson’s tendency to draw the girls with similar faces. Even so, the girl power themes make this graphic novel a fun read and provides useful resources for teachers who’d like to teach lessons about strong women.
Claire and the Water Wish by Janice Poon
When Claire’s best friend Jet wins a digital camera, Claire is happy for her friend – but disappointed when Jet becomes obsessed with taking photos of kids at their new school. Lonely, Claire becomes friends with another girl in her class, Sky.
When Sky tells Claire that the water in the lake where she lives is making people sick, all three girls investigate – and learn that people are dumping waste into the lake. Thanks to Jet’s new camera skills, the girls get evidence of the crime, but then get lost in the woods. Can they work together to find help and expose the polluters?
Combining elements of problem novels with mystery stories, Claire and the Water Wish is a good choice for kids who don’t normally read graphic novels. While not as ambitious as Amelia Rules! or No Girls Allowed, the book does offer the light entertainment perfect for summer reading – and includes a section on photo-related crafts that kids will enjoy.
Interested in more graphic novels with strong girl heroes? Check out A Spider-Girl is Born and Review of Rapunzel’s Revenge.
And find more examples of kids graphic novels at Kids Graphic Novels for Animal Lovers.
Gownley, Jimmy. Amelia Rules! Volume Four: When the Past is a Present. NY: Renaissance Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-09712169-9-0
Hughes, Susan and Willow Dawson. No Girls Allowed: Tales of Daring Women Dressed as Men for Love, Freedom, and Adventure. NY: Kids Can Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-55453-177-6
Poon, Janice. Claire and the Water Wish. NY: Kids Can Press, 2009. ISBN: 978-1-55453-381-7.
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