12 Extra-Exciting Action-Adventure Books With Girls at the Center
by Iva-Marie Palmer
From Nancy Drew to Pippi Longstocking, the legacy of adventurous girls in books is a rich one. If the young reader in your life is hooked on exciting quests, nail-biting danger, and encounters with characters whose motives aren’t always quite clear, these middle grade novels will deliver — and each one features a girl at the proverbial wheel, setting a course and often saving the day.
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Rosie Frost and the Falcon Queen
Available from:Adventure-loving readers will devour every page of this action-packed fantasy novel from iconic Spice Girl, songwriter, and author Geri Halliwell-Horner. When Rosie arrives at Bloodstone Island, she finds bullies, endangered animals, and a shocking conspiracy to destroy the magical island. Rosie must work with her friends to win a fierce competition and save her new home. The adventure continues in the sequel, Rosie Frost: Ice on Fire.
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The Graveyard Gift
Available from:Readers who enjoy spooky adventure stories in the same vein as Wednesday will love this tale about a part-fae girl at a magical boarding school. When one of her classmates goes missing, Fern and the other students must band together and use their magic abilities to find them. This bestselling book is the first in a series, so if your child loves this one, more adventures are coming soon!
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The Secret Library
Available from:Dally’s grandfather passes away and leaves her a map to a secret library filled with magical books. Each book can transport her to a different moment in time. As Dally explores the library and the adventures that each book offers, she begins to uncover long-buried family secrets. This action-packed page-turner is perfect for readers who love books, adventure, and mysteries.
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Furthermore and Whichwood
Available from:Mafi, author of the YA saga Shatter Me, has penned two different but equally worth-following-anywhere female protagonists in Furthermore and its companion novel, Whichwood. In the fast-paced and vividly imagined Furthermore, Alice Alexis Queensmeadow is on a mission — armed with nothing but a ruler and a friend to accompany her — to find her father three years after he disappeared. Whichwood follows a different character, Layla, who battles loneliness preparing the dead for the afterlife when she’s lured to a magical quest that’s ultimately a healing one.
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Dreamslinger
Available from:Whenever Aria falls asleep, she enters a realm filled with magic and adventure. But her ability can be dangerous, so when she gets the chance to enter the Dreamslinger trials, she feels obligated to compete. Although she hoped to destroy the Dreamslinger League, the Trials open her eyes to a new world of possibilities and friendship. Dark secrets, mystery, and pulse-pounding action make this book a must-read for adventure-loving readers!
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Serafina and the Black Cloak
Available from:If your young reader loves books that send chills racing down their spine, the bestselling Serafina series is a must-read! Serafina lives in the basement of the Biltmore estate. When a man in a black cloak starts stealing children from the estate, Serafina teams up with a boy named Braeden to stop him and rescue the missing children. In the process, Serafina discovers she possesses an ancient and powerful magical ability.
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The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning
Available from:This epic fantasy novel not only closes The Ranger’s Apprentice series, but also kicks off a new series set in the same universe. When Will takes on an apprentice, it’s the last person he expected. Throughout this 7-book series, Princess Madelyn trains as a ranger under Will’s guidance and learns how to protect the kingdom and its people. This action-packed series is perfect for readers who enjoy high fantasy stories with plenty of suspense.
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The Forbidden Library Series
Available from:One thing any adventure-loving reader needs is … more adventure. This rich four-book series starring 12-year-old Alice will deliver on the kind of all-rainy-day-long or staying-up-past-bedtime page-turning feat that thrill-seeking readers can’t resist. Main character Alice is exactly that kind of reader herself and in the library of her Uncle Geryon (who has become her guardian following her father’s death), she learns that she has the power to enter worlds through the books she reads.
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Rick Riordan Presents: Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting
Available from:Ghanaian folklore meets contemporary fantasy in this thrilling adventure. When shapeshifting vampires from Southeastern Ghana invade her school, Serwa must embrace her identity as a Slayer to defeat them. The adventure continues in the sequel, Serwa Boateng’s Guide to Witchcraft and Mayhem.
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Lei and the Fire Goddess
Available from:Anna feels embarrassed by the weird Hawaiian folktales her grandmother insists on telling. But when she goes to the islands to visit for the summer, Anna accidentally upsets Pele, the fire goddess. When Pele retaliates, Anna has no choice but to accept that the stories are true as she gets swept into a breathtaking adventure filled with monsters, demigods, and magical traps.
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The Magic Paintbrush
Available from:Art comes to life in this exciting adventure novel about a young painter and her magical paintbrush. Amy discovers an ancient paintbrush that brings her artwork to life. But when her latest creation gets loose on the streets of Queens, Amy must do everything in her power to capture the creature. This humorous and highly illustrated novel is perfect for art and adventure lovers alike.
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The Last Rose
Available from:For fairy tale fans, it doesn’t get much better than the Sisters Ever After series! In this installment, a girl named Mera must risk everything to save her sister from the clutches of a Beast. But when she finds the Beast’s enchanted castle, she discovers that nothing is as it seems. This fast-paced retelling of Beauty and the Beast will captivate young readers from start to finish!
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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2025.