The Best Coming-of-Age Books for Girls

Books are my joy, and books are my happy place. Not only have books kept me entertained for hours, they have taught me how to be a better person. Today, I would like to share some of the books that helped me to grow up. If you are new to my blog, welcome. I’m Dai. I’m a book fanatic and a Child of God. I made this blog so that I could help young Christians remember to think about all of their media choices. Now that we’re introduced, let’s dive into my favorite coming-of-age books for girls.

Now after some thinking and talking with my older sister, I was able to pinpoint some of my favorites. (They’re the ones I talk about the most.) But they are all so good! Which one should I start with?

How about the one that’s been around the longest? My number one coming-of-age book is the classic, romantic story of Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: Little Women!

Okay, let me explain why this lovely book is one of my favorites. Little Women is a book about four growing girls whose lessons are still applicable to us today. While the girls’ father is away tending to the soldiers fighting in the Civil war as a chaplain, the girls are forced to live in poverty. Over the course of the book, each one is tested by her own flaws and each other’s so that by the time their father returns, they are all mature and upstanding young women. I love this book because of the values it instills in its readers. It is worth reading at any age, and its sequel, Good Wives, is of the same quality.

My second coming-of-age book is… Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper.

This book is about a genius named Melody Brooks who has been confined to a wheelchair because she was born with cerebral palsy. There is no better way to introduce disabilities than this book because instead of being a walking disability or disorder like Willow from Counting By 7’s or August from Wonder, Melody is a person living with disabilities. In Out of my Mind, Melody finds her life difficult because people see her as a disability. But when she excels in math at school, everyone starts to see who she really is. Final word: read this book.

My third coming-of-age book is one that will speak to quieter girls, those who have a hard time raising their voices.

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani takes the style of the main character, Nisha’s, diary during the dangerous journey she and her family take to move out of the newly created country Pakistan, which was split from India to end religious disputes. Nisha’s father is Hindu, but her mother was Muslim, so where does she belong? Besides Nisha’s religious standpoint, I feel that we shared many similarities. Like Nisha, I am a little quieter than most, and I love to cook. If I relate to Nisha, I imagine there will be many other girls who do. Some may be drawn to the descriptions of Middle Eastern cuisine and some to the authors’ sensitive depictions of being afraid to speak.

My fourth and final coming-of-age book is Other Words for Home.

Written in deep, detailed prose, this novel focuses on protagonist Jude’s wonderings and speculations on immigrating to the U.S with her pregnant mother to escape the Syrian War. This book contains includes some content about physical growth that results in Jude beginning to wear a hijab. Besides that, a few discussionary topics are introduced, so this one is better for girls over twelve.

Though I have read many coming-of-age books, and could go on for much longer, these are the classics and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Thanks so much for dedicating your time to read this post. I appreciate it. If you are interested in hearing more about books and movies, subscribe, and be sure to send the link of this post to someone who can benefit from it.

‘K, bye!

#bookreview #comingofagebooksforgirls #middlegradebooks