Top Ten Tuesday: Book Characters I’d Love to Be Besties With

Being an adult and reading middle grade novels doesn’t always lend itself to becoming besties with 12-year-olds. But nevertheless, here are ten characters that have stayed in my mind and heart for a long time after I read their stories. I love strong girls searching for their place in the world. 12-year-old me was just as voracious a reader as I am now and I know I would have loved these books just as much then as I love them now.

Booklist

• Amina in Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan
• Cat in Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn
• Mia in Front Desk by Kelly Yang
• Gertie in Gertie’s Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley
• Sarah in Just South of Home by Karen Strong
• Louisiana in Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo
• Merci in Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina
• Aven in Momentous Events In the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
• Derby in A Rambler Steals Homes by Carter Higgins
• Iris in Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl.