For ages 3-5:
Rabunzel by Gareth P. Jones and illustrated by Loretta Schauer
Rabunzel has a teeny tufty tail, a twitchy nose and two wide brown eyes. She also has VERY long ears – so long that her mother worries they will make her easy bait for the hungry creatures of the forest. The answer? Rabunzel must be kept safe … in towering hutch, high in the sky.
Any rabbit that’s the hero of her OWN story makes our Galentine Hero list.
Little Miss Inventor by Roger Hargreaves
Little Miss Inventor is as bright as a button. In fact, she’s as bright as two buttons and can invent the most extraordinary things for her friends. But her greatest challenge yet has her stumped, what on earth could she invent for Mr Rude?!
Little Miss Inventor is intelligent, ingenious and inventive. Plus we love a woman in STEM, so she makes our Galentine Hero list.
For ages 6-8:
Amelia Fang by Laura Ellen Anderson
Welcome to the world of Nocturnia, where darkness reigns supreme, glitter is terrifying, and unicorns are the stuff of nightmares! Join Amelia, Florence, Grimaldi, Tangine and her pet pumpkin Squashy on their adventures.
We’re choosing Amelia Fang because she’s always looking out for her friends and that’s why she’s everyone’s favourite little vampire.
Llama Out Loud by Annabelle Sami, with illustrations by Allen Fatimaharan
No one ever listens to Yasmin Shah. Her parents haven’t stopped talking since 1991 and her brothers might as well be in training for the Most Annoying event at the Olympics. Not to mention Yasmin’s aunties, who always think they know best. She’s the only quiet one in her big LOUD family. Then Levi, the talking toy llama, pops into her life and makes it a whole lot LOUDER!
Yasmin is the perfect Galentine’s hero as she shows you don’t always have to be the loudest in the room to make a difference.
For ages 9-12:
Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
Amari Peters has her world turned upside down when she receives an invite for a trial at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Could this new, magical world hold the secret to discovering the whereabouts of her missing brother? To find out Amari first needs to pass three try-outs, competing against kids who’ve known this world their whole lives.
Amari is one of our Galentine’s heroes because she doesn’t let not fitting in stop her from pursuing her dreams, and neither should you!
Opie Jones Talks to Animals by Nat Luurtsema, with illustrations by Fay Austin
Opie Jones struggles to fit in at school and make friends, but when a secret organisation of mind-reading superheroes approach her to join their gang Opie thinks her life is about to change! Except, Opie discovers she can’t read human minds, only animals ones. The other superheroes aren’t sure how Opie’s powers will be useful when it comes to fighting an evil brain-washing villain. It’s up to Opie to prove them wrong!
We’ve chosen Opie as one of our Galentine’s heroes because we think her power of listening to all the creatures great and small makes her exactly the right person to save the world!
For ages 13 and up:
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Everyone in the small town of Little Kilton is convinced Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. Everyone but Pippa Fitz-Amobi. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in the town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth…
Her pursuit of the truth and justice, whilst dealing with the threat of a real killer, makes Pip an easy pick for one of our Galentine’s heroes.
The Izzy O’Neill series by Laura Steven
When explicit photos involving Izzy and a politician’s son are leaked online, she becomes embroiled in a political sex scandal. What follows is a whole load of trolls and daily slut-shaming. Izzy soon learns the way the world treats teenage girls is not okay. It’s the Exact Opposite of Okay.
Izzy and her best friend Ajita make our Galentine Hero list for the hilarious way they use comedy to fight for a change in how young women are treated by the world.
Who are your favourite female heroes? Let us know in the comments below.