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If you consider a lot of the books out there for girls aged between six and nine, you’d be forgiven for thinking that all they like are fairies and princesses. And while fairies and princesses are certainly popular for this age group, they’re not for everyone, so it can be hard knowing which books will also be a good read. Here are six books that are bound to impress regardless of their stance on fairies.

1310949636222 Unicorn Riders
Aleesah Darlison

These books follow the adventures of four girls who have been picked to become Unicorn Riders. It’s their job to keep the kingdom of Avamay safe while learning to work together with their magical mounts and each other. Pink adventure at its best, with a cast of characters that girls will love.

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9780007411634 Sophie and the Shadow Woods: The Goblin King
Linda Chapman & Lee Weatherly

Sophie is sick of her grandfather and twin brother not treating her seriously because she’s a girl. But when she turns ten and learns she’s the guardian of the Shadow Woods, that all changes. Now it’s Sophie’s job to protect the human world from the goblins who want to harm it. Sophie’s a great character and these adventures are lots of fun.

1313977385991 Violet Mackerel’s Natural Habitat
Anna Branford

Fairies aren’t the only flying creatures to be found in books for young girls – in Violet Mackerel’s Natural Habitat, helpful Violet tries to make a habitat for Small Gloria, the littlest ladybug in her backyard. However, things don’t turn out as planned for Violet, but with the help of her sister, she learns a few things about nature. The Violet Mackerel series are perfect for those readers who aren’t so keen on magic and fairies.

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large_9781742970714 Billie B. Brown: The Big Book of Billie
Sally Rippin

Brave Billie is always getting up to adventures – whether it’s learning ballet or trying to outdo the boys at soccer, she’s not one to be told she can’t do something! Mischievous Billie is lots of fun to read about, and now you can find twelve of her adventures in one big book.

1291121206591 Judy Moody
Megan McDonald

Judy really is moody – she doesn’t like the look of the new school year, where everything is different. But when her teacher assigns the class a project on themselves, Judy jumps at the chance to express her unique personality. This is a fantastic series (which has just been made into a film) starring yet another feisty girl character.

9781741663808 Pearlie in Paris
Wendy Harmer

And finally – a fairy book! The Pearlie series by comedian Wendy Harmer really stand out from the rest of the sparkly pack because of their humour. In Pearlie’s fourteenth adventure, she visits Paris: home of Fifi the French fairy who is planning a fashion show. Beautiful full-colour illustrations make these perfect for beginner readers.

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holly-pic Holly Harper is a children’s bookseller at Readings Carlton. She also writes books for younger readers under the name H.J. Harper. Find out more about her books here and follow her on twitter - @hj_harper.