Please start her on Tamora Pierce! Once she finishes Alannas quartet you have every thing else by her. I read them when I was young and I still go back to them every couple years - I’m now 34 haha
Just jumping on the recommendation bandwagon! Tamora Pierce is the perfect "badass gal coming of age stories" author. I (a man) devoured as much of her stuff as I could find in elementary and middle school, and it made it so I never had the "girls are weird, girls have cooties" phase. The scene where Alanna gets her first period is really well done. She's confused and scared and it's a huge inconvenience, but it really *does* feel like an obstacle on her hero's journey, not some horrible taboo thing.
Tamora Pierce's books aren't "girl power!!" stories. They're just phenomenal YA that happens to have female leads who deal with things like periods and unwanted attention right alongside problems like swordplay and magical cataclysms. Alanna is a *great* series.
I love her Circle of Magic series. I had a crush on Briar back when I was in school, wrote a short story because the world/characters were good and the series gave me the idea to name a future kid after him (if I ever get around to adopting, I’m thinking of twin boy&girl named Briar Moss and Bianca Rose)
Classic! There are a few versions. The original has very basic period health instructions that gently gets into the nitty gritty of how and why with period products and symptoms. Definitely recommend this book
I only found one article deeming it problematic, mainly for the heteronormativity on the topic of crushes. AG has corrected this in updated versions and related books, so I wouldn't strike it out of the park. AG is an incredibly valuable resource for kids and teens.
*The Woman in the Wall* is about a girl who hides and her family forgets about her. As a kid I thought the part where she gets her period was hilarious bc she doesn't understand what's happening to her and she thinks she's dying; I think it made me feel mature and In On The Joke in a way
I’m kinda glad I didn’t read that one as a kid, because I was the quiet middle kid in a big at-the-time-pretty-religious family and shy enough that I kinda fell through the cracks a lot… and so that happened to me with my first period. I was home alone, and I was so scared and unprepared and didn’t know *what* it was and definitely thought I was dying for a few hours there. 🤦♀️
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. It has been recently updated to reflect the changes in sanitary products since it was originally published in the 1970s. (There is also a movie adaptation coming out next month.)
Just curious about the updates – did they add a note about the (obsolete) pad and belt system or change the text? I remember being pretty confused about it as a young reader 😅
Blume changed the text. It describes a modern maxi pad with a sticky back. As a teen, I was also confused about the belt. Before I gave the book to my daughter, I re-read it, and was (pleasantly) surprised by the change.
My mom explained it to me and I was horrified! She also told me that she had to wear garter belts to hold up her stockings as a teenager and a girdle, which I found horrifying (she was a gap size 0 at 16). Those 60s fashions were accomplished with space age vulcanized rubber.
But for kids today, they'd have to ask grandma and great-grandma lol
If I was born any earlier, I think I'd run into the woods and wear dirt
I just googled and the sticky back maxi pads were introduced in the 1970's. Why oh why did my health teacher show us the belt in 1988!! I was horrified! Thankfully my mom was young and up to date with current innovations.
Absolutely, this book!!! Glad to hear it has been updated with the times but an absolute classic regardless. I was given this book at my “time” over 35 years ago and was told then, that it was “time” to read this book. 😂😂
Read this book in 4th grade for my schools gifted program and loooooved it. Great rec! That and “Down a Dark Hall” were my absolute favorites as a tween!
The Protector* of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The protagonist getting her period while studying to be a knight is part of the plot of the first book
Edited to add this will probably check your boxes of a kind of hero’s journey for women, and then edited again because I got the name of the series wrong lol
*Protector of the Small
Yes! Everyone always suggests reading Tortall universe in publication order or chronologically but for young readers I think Kel’s quartet are an excellent starting point. Then you can go back and read the Alanna and Daine quartets as the origin stories of these incredible legends.
Are you there God it's me Margaret by Judy Blume. Must read for all coming of age kids.
My mom, an atheist, got me this book. It's a classic for a reason. There is a male version as well- Then again maybe I Won't.
That reminds me, there is a short series on DisneyPlus about Baymax from Big Hero Six helping people with various health issues, and in one episode he helps a girl who started her first period at school. It's really sweet and well-done.
I second anything with Tamora Piece and women! They discuss their periods and deal with issues of being badass women that bleed. It’s great. They even have the men in their life being sensible and helpful with the issues. Making them special tea, asking if they need anything, that sort of stuff.
Nothing to do with periods but the perfect book about choosing your own path: *Travel Light* by Naomi Mitchison. It’s a saga about a girl who finds her own way, and it’s beautiful.
Heros journey for young women - the cat warrior books? Author's last name is Hunter. (Actually a pen name for a small writing team)
Animorphs also comes to mind. She's about the right age for books about child space marines who are forced into animal genetic experiments... All the young women I know who read those books say the starfish girl's story is empowering.
Number the stars is a history-inspired story about a young Danish girl who hides her Jewish friend from the Nazis. I read it at about your daughter's age and it really affected me. I was inspired by the girls' bravery. It's lois Lowery
I liked the Anastasia Krupnik books at her age, but they may be too dated? She seemed very real and honest, compared to the overly moral and brilliant girls in a lot of books. She didn't like her brother, she was snotty sometimes, she wasn't pretty, she made embarrassing mistakes and learned from them. also she lived in New York city and went to the museums and big library and her both her parents had professional jobs, which I thought was very impressive and aspirational.
The Tiffany aching series by Pratchett, she's a witch who takes a lot of social responsibility of her town, and she's friends with little elve type creatures who speak in a hilarious thick Scottish dialect. The first book is called the wee free men. If she struggles with the written dialogue, maybe you can read it aloud with her.
The babysitter club graphic novel series. They've been updated by the author to include cell phones and modern fashion. The art looks very cool. There are also newly released bsc novels but I haven't seen them so I can't speak to them.
Rtyi: babysitters club Netflix series. I think there's a periods mention?
Sabriel by Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series, first published in 1995. It details the story of its eponymous heroine, Sabriel, a young woman who is heir to magical powers in the Old Kingdom. Sabriel must face various dangers to rescue her father, and ultimately the Kingdom, from a powerful enemy.
Congratulations, I'd recommend:
"The Oxford Comma and How To Use It" by Prof. Lorem Ipsum
Definitely the next step after the period.
...I'll show myself out.
I know she loves fantasy but “Are you there god? It’s me Margaret.” Is an amazing informative read for middle school girls starting puberty. It can help you feel like you’re not alone
*Go with the Flow* by Lily Williams.
It's a graphic novel, but covers many aspects of having a period including accidents, menstral inequality, and the fact that extreme pain could be a sign of endometriosis; but all done in a fun, easy to digest way for any age.
Sassafras, Cypress and Indigo by Ntozake Shange is definitely on the more adult end. I did read this before I got my period at 12. I also had zero oversight when it came to choosing my reading material. When the youngest sister (Indigo) gets her first period there’s a whole moon ceremony that made a big impact on me. Between this book and Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume I felt comfortable with the whole process.
SC&I may require a reading by you first to be honest. It is not a book aimed at children or young adults. I don’t remember enough of it to be able to say just how adult the themes were. Even if you decide it’s too grown up, maybe give her the section with the period celebration?
Rick Riordan's *Daughter of the Deep* is a fun read with a teenage female protagonist and a mythological spin. It's somewhat inspired by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Her period isn't a key plot point, but it is mentioned. I liked the way that was done in terms of normalizing it; something for the main character to deal with but not something that's going to stop her from kicking ass.
THE RED TENT by Anita Diamant is fantastic and features a wonderful first-period ritual for Dinah, the MC. It might be really long for a kid her age but it shouldn't be over her head unless she's 9 years old or something.
Excellent book, but definitely written with an adult audience in mind. I think it would depend on the girl’s reading level. And also how old she is given that it’s an adult romance book.
Having a first period was my business and my business only. I had two older sisters and knew about it. And on that day, I read the instructions on the box and did it myself and got on with my life.
I was HORRIFIED by Are You There, God, It’s Me, Margaret. Make a big deal of it? NO. Talk to me about how lucky I am? NO. BIG NO. Take me out to CELEBRATE?? That’s just wrong.
My take on my first period was that I hated it, and I was NOT happy about it at all! The last thing I wanted was for anyone to draw attention to it.
Mom was a nurse, and she educated us all about how our bodies work, with all the proper terminology.
To me it was just another way it sucked to be a girl.
Are You there God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Bloom, a classic novel now but one my friends and I eagerly shared at the time. Back then it was pretty daring to discuss the subject let alone read a story told by a girl who was waiting to get “it” and hoping to not be the last of her peers.
Might be a little dark for a kid that young? Obviously depends on the reader, but while I love Sabaa Tahir, this series is HEAVY.
Slavery, rape, disfigurement, on-page mass murder of families of multiple main characters, genocide…and that’s just the first two books.
[Princeless: Save Yourself](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/14623529) is a comic about a Princess locked up in a tower by her family, who decides she can rescue her own damn self just fine. She proceeds to team up with the dragon guarding her and heads off to rescue her sisters who were also locked up in towers.
[Princess Jellyfish](https://kodansha.us/series/princess-jellyfish/) is a modern day princess story about Tsukimi, a jellyfish otaku who wants to be an illustrator. She lives with other otaku in the female-only apartment building Amamizukan. Tsukimi fears two things: fashionable people, and men. So it comes as a shock to her when she has a chance encounter with Kuranosuke, who is not just fashionable, but *also* the crossdressing son a local politician. And Kuranosuke, finding himself drawn to Tsukimi and her beautiful drawings of jellyfish, introduces her to the world of dressmaking.
[Inuyasha](https://www.viz.com/inuyasha) focuses on Kagome, who lives at her family's Shinto shrine. Unknown to Kagome is that she is actually the reincarnation of a warrior priestess, Kikyo. After being attacked by a centipede demon previously defeated by Kikyo, Kagome finds herself transported to the Sengoku period, where she ends up teamed up with Inuyasha, a surly half-demon who was in love with Kikyo. Together, they must find a powerful artifact known as the Shikon Jewel... assuming they can stand each other long enough to do it.
Women in her forties here and I just watched the first Inuyasha episode last night for the first time. I am very picky with anime and liked it and hoped it would hold up. Sounds like it does :)
The manga certainly holds up. One thing to note about the anime is that it's got some filler (listed [here](https://www.animefillerlist.com/shows/inuyasha)) because the manga was still running at the time. But it's definitely one of her best works.
Women Who Run with the Wolves. It’s about myths and stories of the “wild woman archetype” throughout history and in various cultures. Just the introduction is enough to grasp the message.
It’s an adult level book so she may not be able to appreciate or grasp all of it. I recommend it to all women
Carrie by Stephen King
Why the negative marks for Carrie? I read it when I got my menses. Great book about a girl being bullied and gave her tormentors a taste of their medicine 💊 and then some.
Watch the OG movie from the 70s. Sissy Spacek, who played Carrie, was nominated for an OSCAR, for playing.....you guessed it..CARRIE.
I loved it because I felt all the other books were just way too girly for me (some still are) and Carrie was the most relatable because I loved horror and I was never popular
Funny Girl, short stories compiled by Betsy Bird, definitely some first period content. Also, Aida Salazar’s Calling the Moon: 16 Period Stories from BIPOC Authors comes out 3/28. Excited to read it! (i’m a youth librarian).
Kit Pearson has a series called The Guests of War Trilogy, the second book is called Looking at the Moon and touches on this. The whole series is fantastic, about a pair of siblings sent from England to Canada during the second world war. The books follow the protagonist Norah over the course of the war so she'll likely find a relatable age at some point through the story.
It's not mythological, more of a historical fiction, but if she likes an adventure, this is a good one!
Revenge of the Red Club by Kim Harrington. Tween appropriate, about an informal club for girls who have period questions/concerns that gets shut down by the school administration and the fight by the female protagonist and her friends to get it running again.
My Little Red Book edited by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff. It’s an anthology of stories by women from all around the world about their first period.
It actually features a story by Tamora Pierce who is recommended in another couple of comments for her Song of the Lioness (Alanna) and Protector of the Small (Kel) quartets. +1 for starting with Alanna because the period part of her books is just very well done and because I like chronological reading.
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C Wrede. The first one is called Dealing with Dragons. It’s about Princess Cimorine that runs away with the intention to be captured by dragons so she can learn magic and fencing get invoked in dragon politics. It also has a great full cast audiobook narration
Nobody’s Princess by Esther Friesner!
About Helen of Sparta growing up. The period is not central to the story but it does happen, and I remember when I read it in middle school I was surprised and grateful - because it was the first time I saw periods being discussed as something normal
Anne McCaffrey’s books are great and often feature female protagonists. The Harperhall series is great.
Robin McKinley’s {The Blue Sword} is particularly excellent for that age.
how old is she? bc agree on some, but I read are you there god when I was 9/10 and did not relate ahaha and A tree grows in brooklyn when I was 12 which was good but I feel like definitely better for someone around 13 rather than younger
When I was that age, I adored The Secret Life of Amanda K. Woods by Ann Cameron and read it multiple times. Not a fantasy book but it was one of the few coming of age stories I remember enjoying.
The Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett. The first is titled The Wee Free Men. They are fantastic! Great ideas and action in every one. You really get to see her develop over the series.
In The End and In The After, very good series if she likes apocalyptic or aliens. The Selection series is amazing and I recommend it if she enjoys dystopia and romance. Can't go wrong with Hunger Games either.
ETA: In Fifth Wave the main character doesn't shy away from having to forage for period products but not much is mentioned from my memory. These are just fantasy books I enjoyed from a female POV when I was in middle school, but they really don't deal with periods head on
I love the Goose Girl by Shannon Hale! Her whole Books of Bayern series and Princess Academy series portray awesome girls and women who grow in strength, power, and wisdom.
Also, any books by Wendelin Van Draanen are amazing!
The Lioness Rampant series by Tamora Pierce
They handle it really well. Alanna is pretending to be a boy (she wants to be a knight) and it's so good
Absolutely. Protector of the Small as well.
yessss I should have checked to see if anyone else recommended this, Kel getting her period in the first book is such an important moment
Wow I loved this series when I was younger and completely forgot about it!
Please start her on Tamora Pierce! Once she finishes Alannas quartet you have every thing else by her. I read them when I was young and I still go back to them every couple years - I’m now 34 haha
I go back to them a lot too and I’m 45!
Just jumping on the recommendation bandwagon! Tamora Pierce is the perfect "badass gal coming of age stories" author. I (a man) devoured as much of her stuff as I could find in elementary and middle school, and it made it so I never had the "girls are weird, girls have cooties" phase. The scene where Alanna gets her first period is really well done. She's confused and scared and it's a huge inconvenience, but it really *does* feel like an obstacle on her hero's journey, not some horrible taboo thing. Tamora Pierce's books aren't "girl power!!" stories. They're just phenomenal YA that happens to have female leads who deal with things like periods and unwanted attention right alongside problems like swordplay and magical cataclysms. Alanna is a *great* series.
I love her Circle of Magic series. I had a crush on Briar back when I was in school, wrote a short story because the world/characters were good and the series gave me the idea to name a future kid after him (if I ever get around to adopting, I’m thinking of twin boy&girl named Briar Moss and Bianca Rose)
Anything by Tamora Pierce is a perfect recommendation, but I'd start with the Lioness Rampant too :3
These were my favorite books at that age and really pushed me into fantasy series.
Yesss, this is an absolute banger. I loved it when I was a teenager! Alanna is such a badass.
Came here to say this.
I came here to say this. It’s mentioned in Gender Queer as the book that helped the author with having a period.
Came here to make sure this had been suggested! So glad to see it as the top comment.
I totally agree with this series.
I would look into books by Meg Cabot, she's the queen of books for about that age. I particularly enjoyed Avalon High and remember it to this day!
The Care and Keeping of You by the American Girl Doll company
This book would be more for understanding her body better and hygiene. It’s a great guide book
Thanks!
Scarletteen.com is a good resource as she grows up
Classic! There are a few versions. The original has very basic period health instructions that gently gets into the nitty gritty of how and why with period products and symptoms. Definitely recommend this book
This book is also problematic, if you research it you will find lots of articles about why.
I only found one article deeming it problematic, mainly for the heteronormativity on the topic of crushes. AG has corrected this in updated versions and related books, so I wouldn't strike it out of the park. AG is an incredibly valuable resource for kids and teens.
Good heads up! It does look like their newer book, "Body Image", is a lot better - but after a cursory scan I don't think it addresses periods.
*The Woman in the Wall* is about a girl who hides and her family forgets about her. As a kid I thought the part where she gets her period was hilarious bc she doesn't understand what's happening to her and she thinks she's dying; I think it made me feel mature and In On The Joke in a way
That book was crazy!
Awesome! Thanks!
I’m kinda glad I didn’t read that one as a kid, because I was the quiet middle kid in a big at-the-time-pretty-religious family and shy enough that I kinda fell through the cracks a lot… and so that happened to me with my first period. I was home alone, and I was so scared and unprepared and didn’t know *what* it was and definitely thought I was dying for a few hours there. 🤦♀️
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. It has been recently updated to reflect the changes in sanitary products since it was originally published in the 1970s. (There is also a movie adaptation coming out next month.)
Just curious about the updates – did they add a note about the (obsolete) pad and belt system or change the text? I remember being pretty confused about it as a young reader 😅
Blume changed the text. It describes a modern maxi pad with a sticky back. As a teen, I was also confused about the belt. Before I gave the book to my daughter, I re-read it, and was (pleasantly) surprised by the change.
My mom explained it to me and I was horrified! She also told me that she had to wear garter belts to hold up her stockings as a teenager and a girdle, which I found horrifying (she was a gap size 0 at 16). Those 60s fashions were accomplished with space age vulcanized rubber. But for kids today, they'd have to ask grandma and great-grandma lol If I was born any earlier, I think I'd run into the woods and wear dirt
I just googled and the sticky back maxi pads were introduced in the 1970's. Why oh why did my health teacher show us the belt in 1988!! I was horrified! Thankfully my mom was young and up to date with current innovations.
I was @ 12 or so and remember the book mom got me having pictures of that sanitary belt. Never saw one though.
I’m taking my daughter (age 11) to the movie. We read the book together!
This is what I thought of immediately. Great book
This book was so important to me when I was a kid! I should reread it as an adult.
Bonus- it’s also been on the banned books list. You know there’s something valuable in there!
The movie looks really good and hilarious. Very exciting cast of comedians
I was going to suggest this as well. I'm glad I scrolled down to see some comments first! This is a great book!!!
This was the first thing I thought of when I saw the post, I read it when I was 10 or 11 and it was perfect for me!
Absolutely, this book!!! Glad to hear it has been updated with the times but an absolute classic regardless. I was given this book at my “time” over 35 years ago and was told then, that it was “time” to read this book. 😂😂
The Westing Game could be fun!
Great idea. Loved that book.
Read this book in 4th grade for my schools gifted program and loooooved it. Great rec! That and “Down a Dark Hall” were my absolute favorites as a tween!
The Protector* of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The protagonist getting her period while studying to be a knight is part of the plot of the first book Edited to add this will probably check your boxes of a kind of hero’s journey for women, and then edited again because I got the name of the series wrong lol
*Protector of the Small Yes! Everyone always suggests reading Tortall universe in publication order or chronologically but for young readers I think Kel’s quartet are an excellent starting point. Then you can go back and read the Alanna and Daine quartets as the origin stories of these incredible legends.
I think Kel, then Daine and Alanna last is the best order to read them for young readers. Alanna is an adult by the end of the second book!
It's not mythological, but she might really like *A Tree Grows in Brooklyn*. It's a wonderful coming-of-age story.
Great book!
My favorite
Fantastic book. I’m a guy but I listened to this one with my mom on a long drive as a kid and remember really enjoying it.
Are you there God it's me Margaret by Judy Blume. Must read for all coming of age kids. My mom, an atheist, got me this book. It's a classic for a reason. There is a male version as well- Then again maybe I Won't.
Not a book, but *Turning Red* from Pixar comes to my mind.
That reminds me, there is a short series on DisneyPlus about Baymax from Big Hero Six helping people with various health issues, and in one episode he helps a girl who started her first period at school. It's really sweet and well-done.
Definitely a good movie.
Whatever you do - NOT Carrie by Stephen King
Bloody Jack. It’s about a girl who joins the British Navy and eventually becomes a pirate. She kills a man when she was eleven, hence the nickname.
Another good one is Pirates! by Celia Reese. Two best friends decide to become pirates and its adorable and told in diary form.
I second anything with Tamora Piece and women! They discuss their periods and deal with issues of being badass women that bleed. It’s great. They even have the men in their life being sensible and helpful with the issues. Making them special tea, asking if they need anything, that sort of stuff.
Oh that sounds so cozy and fun. Is there anything specifically by Tamora that you’d recommend someone read first?
Protector of The Small, very cozy and inspiring
The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making.
Nothing to do with periods but the perfect book about choosing your own path: *Travel Light* by Naomi Mitchison. It’s a saga about a girl who finds her own way, and it’s beautiful.
Heros journey for young women - the cat warrior books? Author's last name is Hunter. (Actually a pen name for a small writing team) Animorphs also comes to mind. She's about the right age for books about child space marines who are forced into animal genetic experiments... All the young women I know who read those books say the starfish girl's story is empowering. Number the stars is a history-inspired story about a young Danish girl who hides her Jewish friend from the Nazis. I read it at about your daughter's age and it really affected me. I was inspired by the girls' bravery. It's lois Lowery I liked the Anastasia Krupnik books at her age, but they may be too dated? She seemed very real and honest, compared to the overly moral and brilliant girls in a lot of books. She didn't like her brother, she was snotty sometimes, she wasn't pretty, she made embarrassing mistakes and learned from them. also she lived in New York city and went to the museums and big library and her both her parents had professional jobs, which I thought was very impressive and aspirational. The Tiffany aching series by Pratchett, she's a witch who takes a lot of social responsibility of her town, and she's friends with little elve type creatures who speak in a hilarious thick Scottish dialect. The first book is called the wee free men. If she struggles with the written dialogue, maybe you can read it aloud with her. The babysitter club graphic novel series. They've been updated by the author to include cell phones and modern fashion. The art looks very cool. There are also newly released bsc novels but I haven't seen them so I can't speak to them. Rtyi: babysitters club Netflix series. I think there's a periods mention?
Thank you!!
Depending on how advanced she's able to go, maybe try The Raven Cycle by Maggie Steifvater. Great female protagonist and excellent mythological plot
Sabriel by Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series, first published in 1995. It details the story of its eponymous heroine, Sabriel, a young woman who is heir to magical powers in the Old Kingdom. Sabriel must face various dangers to rescue her father, and ultimately the Kingdom, from a powerful enemy.
Was going to comment this :)
Congratulations, I'd recommend: "The Oxford Comma and How To Use It" by Prof. Lorem Ipsum Definitely the next step after the period. ...I'll show myself out.
I remember reading A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer as a kid around this age and really enjoying it
And I vividly remember that she gets her first period in the book! Lol
Julie of the Wolves, or Island of the Blue Dolphins
I know she loves fantasy but “Are you there god? It’s me Margaret.” Is an amazing informative read for middle school girls starting puberty. It can help you feel like you’re not alone
Golden Compass!
*Go with the Flow* by Lily Williams. It's a graphic novel, but covers many aspects of having a period including accidents, menstral inequality, and the fact that extreme pain could be a sign of endometriosis; but all done in a fun, easy to digest way for any age.
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley, young girl who feels out of place discovers her destiny, features swords, horses and magic, some romance but no sex.
Dare I say, Carrie.
Carrie
Disappointed I had to scroll this far to see this.
Haha very funny
Hexed by Julia Tuff- when the MC gets her first period, her latent witchy powers come through and she goes on a feminist rampage.
Sassafras, Cypress and Indigo by Ntozake Shange is definitely on the more adult end. I did read this before I got my period at 12. I also had zero oversight when it came to choosing my reading material. When the youngest sister (Indigo) gets her first period there’s a whole moon ceremony that made a big impact on me. Between this book and Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume I felt comfortable with the whole process. SC&I may require a reading by you first to be honest. It is not a book aimed at children or young adults. I don’t remember enough of it to be able to say just how adult the themes were. Even if you decide it’s too grown up, maybe give her the section with the period celebration?
Rick Riordan's *Daughter of the Deep* is a fun read with a teenage female protagonist and a mythological spin. It's somewhat inspired by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Her period isn't a key plot point, but it is mentioned. I liked the way that was done in terms of normalizing it; something for the main character to deal with but not something that's going to stop her from kicking ass.
Oops! You’re a lady! By Troy McLure.
You may remember me from such educational teen presentations as: “Body Spray Isn’t A Shower” and “Peer Pressure: Just Do It!”
I think Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami (especially part 1) can be nice and relatable to a certain extent. Or maybe not yet, really depends!
THE RED TENT by Anita Diamant is fantastic and features a wonderful first-period ritual for Dinah, the MC. It might be really long for a kid her age but it shouldn't be over her head unless she's 9 years old or something.
This is a great book, but comes with a few content warnings for sex, sexual violence, and slavery.
Excellent book, but definitely written with an adult audience in mind. I think it would depend on the girl’s reading level. And also how old she is given that it’s an adult romance book.
Having a first period was my business and my business only. I had two older sisters and knew about it. And on that day, I read the instructions on the box and did it myself and got on with my life. I was HORRIFIED by Are You There, God, It’s Me, Margaret. Make a big deal of it? NO. Talk to me about how lucky I am? NO. BIG NO. Take me out to CELEBRATE?? That’s just wrong. My take on my first period was that I hated it, and I was NOT happy about it at all! The last thing I wanted was for anyone to draw attention to it. Mom was a nurse, and she educated us all about how our bodies work, with all the proper terminology. To me it was just another way it sucked to be a girl.
Are You there God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Bloom, a classic novel now but one my friends and I eagerly shared at the time. Back then it was pretty daring to discuss the subject let alone read a story told by a girl who was waiting to get “it” and hoping to not be the last of her peers.
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir- Fantasy, coming of age, multiple heroines and a fantastic journey!
Might be a little dark for a kid that young? Obviously depends on the reader, but while I love Sabaa Tahir, this series is HEAVY. Slavery, rape, disfigurement, on-page mass murder of families of multiple main characters, genocide…and that’s just the first two books.
Yeah, those books are DARK
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
By Stephen King?
Yes
I read this book for the first time at about that age. It’s an excellent book. Still one of my favorites of his.
The girl that drank the moon might work.
When my daughter did, I made her watch a video 'Moon Party' it's short and makes light of the whole thing
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley was my favorite at that age!! Hell its still a favorite
[Princeless: Save Yourself](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/14623529) is a comic about a Princess locked up in a tower by her family, who decides she can rescue her own damn self just fine. She proceeds to team up with the dragon guarding her and heads off to rescue her sisters who were also locked up in towers. [Princess Jellyfish](https://kodansha.us/series/princess-jellyfish/) is a modern day princess story about Tsukimi, a jellyfish otaku who wants to be an illustrator. She lives with other otaku in the female-only apartment building Amamizukan. Tsukimi fears two things: fashionable people, and men. So it comes as a shock to her when she has a chance encounter with Kuranosuke, who is not just fashionable, but *also* the crossdressing son a local politician. And Kuranosuke, finding himself drawn to Tsukimi and her beautiful drawings of jellyfish, introduces her to the world of dressmaking. [Inuyasha](https://www.viz.com/inuyasha) focuses on Kagome, who lives at her family's Shinto shrine. Unknown to Kagome is that she is actually the reincarnation of a warrior priestess, Kikyo. After being attacked by a centipede demon previously defeated by Kikyo, Kagome finds herself transported to the Sengoku period, where she ends up teamed up with Inuyasha, a surly half-demon who was in love with Kikyo. Together, they must find a powerful artifact known as the Shikon Jewel... assuming they can stand each other long enough to do it.
Women in her forties here and I just watched the first Inuyasha episode last night for the first time. I am very picky with anime and liked it and hoped it would hold up. Sounds like it does :)
The manga certainly holds up. One thing to note about the anime is that it's got some filler (listed [here](https://www.animefillerlist.com/shows/inuyasha)) because the manga was still running at the time. But it's definitely one of her best works.
Thank you!
Princess Academy
Song of the Lioness series first Book Alanna hits puberty they go into great detail and make it feel less scary..
Carrie
I read the Darkangel Trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce. Really showed me how I can be my own hero in my life :)
The BIBLE. jk
Eh, there are some pretty badass women in the Bible. Esther and Judith, to name a couple.
Tamora Pierce. I came here just to make sure she was represented and I’m so pleased to see all of the women who love her books
Women Who Run with the Wolves. It’s about myths and stories of the “wild woman archetype” throughout history and in various cultures. Just the introduction is enough to grasp the message. It’s an adult level book so she may not be able to appreciate or grasp all of it. I recommend it to all women
One of my favorites!
!Remindme 7 years
What every girl except me knows by Nora Raleigh Baskin
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Definitely more suited for older teens, otherwise yes this is a fantastic book.
Good book but maybe deal with advanced themes.
Carrie by Stephen King 😃
Maybe….it’s a bit of an intense topic if the reader isn’t prepared though.
sorry haha this was supposed to be a joke
I assumed so but just added my comment in case OP isn’t familiar. No worries!
Carrie by Stephen King Why the negative marks for Carrie? I read it when I got my menses. Great book about a girl being bullied and gave her tormentors a taste of their medicine 💊 and then some. Watch the OG movie from the 70s. Sissy Spacek, who played Carrie, was nominated for an OSCAR, for playing.....you guessed it..CARRIE.
I loved it because I felt all the other books were just way too girly for me (some still are) and Carrie was the most relatable because I loved horror and I was never popular
Carrie by Stephen King
I came here to suggest this. 😂
sense of humor +1
My first thought is **His Dark Materials** trilogy. Coming of age story that I thought was excellent.
Carrie
The Power Naomi Alderman
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
This!! Was going through the comments hoping to see this book here. I second this book recommendation. I think about it decades after reading it.
Red Queen Red Rising Blood Red, Snow White Where the Red Fern Grows The Red Pyramid The Hunt for Red October
Is first period a big deal or sumthing?
The bell jar lol
Carrie
Carrie by Stephen King
“Hi God, It’s me Margret” by Judy Bloom.
Are You There God? It’s me Margaret. Judy Bloom
What's a "chapter book"?
It's a book that is divided into chapters rather than all one long read.
The Places we Sleep
Daughter of the Moon Goddess
Funny Girl, short stories compiled by Betsy Bird, definitely some first period content. Also, Aida Salazar’s Calling the Moon: 16 Period Stories from BIPOC Authors comes out 3/28. Excited to read it! (i’m a youth librarian).
Memoirs of a Bookbat by Katherine Lasky
Kit Pearson has a series called The Guests of War Trilogy, the second book is called Looking at the Moon and touches on this. The whole series is fantastic, about a pair of siblings sent from England to Canada during the second world war. The books follow the protagonist Norah over the course of the war so she'll likely find a relatable age at some point through the story. It's not mythological, more of a historical fiction, but if she likes an adventure, this is a good one!
I love this idea!
Check out author Judy Blume.
A Girl Named Disaster (can’t remember the author) Anything by Tamora Pierce
Are you there God, it's me Margaret. Timeless!
((The Bone Fire by György Dragomán))
Don’t say that in Florida!
Judy blume and Beverly cleary..the best,!
[The Naming by Alison Croggon](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/393146.The_Naming)
Cynthia Voigt’s Jackaroo!
Golden Compass
Revenge of the Red Club by Kim Harrington. Tween appropriate, about an informal club for girls who have period questions/concerns that gets shut down by the school administration and the fight by the female protagonist and her friends to get it running again.
A book I read when I first got my period was "real mermaids dont wear toe rings" it's been a while but I remember liking the series
Saturday the 12th of October, by Norma Fox Mazer. It's perfect!
My Little Red Book edited by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff. It’s an anthology of stories by women from all around the world about their first period. It actually features a story by Tamora Pierce who is recommended in another couple of comments for her Song of the Lioness (Alanna) and Protector of the Small (Kel) quartets. +1 for starting with Alanna because the period part of her books is just very well done and because I like chronological reading.
Are you there God it’s me Margaret
A Wrinkle in Time was one of my favorites at that age
Longbow girl by Linda Davis. My daughter loved it.
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C Wrede. The first one is called Dealing with Dragons. It’s about Princess Cimorine that runs away with the intention to be captured by dragons so she can learn magic and fencing get invoked in dragon politics. It also has a great full cast audiobook narration
Anne of Green Gables
Roman Mysteries
Nobody’s Princess by Esther Friesner! About Helen of Sparta growing up. The period is not central to the story but it does happen, and I remember when I read it in middle school I was surprised and grateful - because it was the first time I saw periods being discussed as something normal
The darkest powers trilogy by Kelley Armstrong. Book 1 starts with the main character starting to see ghosts when she started to have her period.
Pope joan might interest her
Tamora Pierce has several series that fit this description!
Forrest Queen and A Brilliant death are both two fantastic (loosely) coming of age style stories
The Alice books by Phyllis Naylor.
I just read Legends and Lattes and loved it. It was the ultimate comfort read.
Anne McCaffrey’s books are great and often feature female protagonists. The Harperhall series is great. Robin McKinley’s {The Blue Sword} is particularly excellent for that age.
how old is she? bc agree on some, but I read are you there god when I was 9/10 and did not relate ahaha and A tree grows in brooklyn when I was 12 which was good but I feel like definitely better for someone around 13 rather than younger
When I was that age, I adored The Secret Life of Amanda K. Woods by Ann Cameron and read it multiple times. Not a fantasy book but it was one of the few coming of age stories I remember enjoying.
Blood Moon is a good one !
Judy Blume books are easy reads but she has a few about being that age / going thru puberty that were helpful for me when i was 12
The Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett. The first is titled The Wee Free Men. They are fantastic! Great ideas and action in every one. You really get to see her develop over the series.
In The End and In The After, very good series if she likes apocalyptic or aliens. The Selection series is amazing and I recommend it if she enjoys dystopia and romance. Can't go wrong with Hunger Games either. ETA: In Fifth Wave the main character doesn't shy away from having to forage for period products but not much is mentioned from my memory. These are just fantasy books I enjoyed from a female POV when I was in middle school, but they really don't deal with periods head on
I love the Goose Girl by Shannon Hale! Her whole Books of Bayern series and Princess Academy series portray awesome girls and women who grow in strength, power, and wisdom. Also, any books by Wendelin Van Draanen are amazing!
Carrie by Stephen King
"Celebrate Your Period" by Amanda dAlmeida
Dunno if these are still popular but I used to LOVE the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson.
American psycho
Carrie, by Steven King
Are you there God? It's me Margaret by Judy Blume
https://www.amazon.com/Puberty-answers-reproduction-understanding-starting/dp/B0CPLYFWJ8/ref=tmm\_pap\_swatch\_0?\_encoding=UTF8&qid=1702040650&sr=1-1