Four Female-Led First Chapter Book Series

There has been a lot of discussion in the world of children's books about a recent Guardian article talking about the gender imbalance in picture books. It's definitely something I've noticed over my six years of reading picture books, first with Eleanor and now with Ezra - it can be hard to find books with an equal gender balance, and many are male-dominated, sometimes featuring no females at all. (I even wrote a post bemoaning this a few years ago!)

But now that Eleanor is well and truly an independent reader I've noticed an interesting difference in chapter books. It's much easier to find ones with female lead characters - and some of them are pretty kick-ass too! She's now mostly moved on from the shorter 'first' chapter books but I thought I'd share some great chapter book series we came across that are suitable for newly independent readers and feature fun, feisty girls!

N.B. I've deliberately chosen not to describe these books as 'for girls' as I think boys can, and should, read books about girls too. All the series I've featured are ones I think a boy would enjoy just as much as a girl.

The 'Squishy McFluff' series by Pip Jones and Ella Okstad

These books are great first step up from picture books. Nice and short with colour illustrations and told in rhyme, the format feels very familiar to young readers. The eponymous Squishy is actually an invisible cat belonging to the mischievous and curious Ava. Together they get into all sorts of trouble which is sure to get any child giggling! We especially enjoyed 'Squishy McFluff Meets Mad Nana Dot'!

'The Princess in Black' Series by Shannon & Dean Hale and LeUyen Pham

This series is a new discovery for us - we just got the first one for Christmas - but it's a lot of fun and I'll definitely be on the lookout for the other titles in the series! It's a great book for lovers of princess and/or superheroes, as seemingly prim Princess Magnolia transforms into a monster-fighting superhero. It's a brilliant subversion of the usual trope of the helpless princess awaiting rescue - Magnolia is the one who does the rescuing here!

The 'Anna Hibiscus' Series by Atinuke and Lauren Tobia

One thing that first chapter books do seem to be lacking in is diversity - although I may just be looking in the wrong places so do tell me if you know of some good diverse ones! The Anna Hibiscus series bucks the trend as it is set in an unnamed country in Africa and features mixed-race Anna and her extended African family. I really loved how these books introduced Eleanor to a completely different culture and encouraged her to think about important issues such as poverty and generosity.

The 'Dotty Detective' series by Clara Vulliamy

Eleanor is still enthralled by these books, which are a good next step from the shorter chapter books aimed at emerging readers. They are still very easy to read, with the text broken up with plenty of illustrations and variations in font size and style, and are written like a diary so are very easy to follow. Dotty is a curious, observant and very funny narrator who, together with her best friend Beans and dog McClusky, is determined to find the answer to every riddle she comes across. The series is a witty, gentle introduction to the detective genre which has always been so popular with kids - how many of us pored over Famous Five as children?! 

So those are my recommendations for chapter books series for emerging or 'first' readers - I'd love to hear any other suggestions you have!

Linking up with 'Read With Me' hosted by Mama Mummy Mum.