Leaving the movie theater after seeing “The Incredibles,” Pixar’s new animated super-hero feature, I was pleased to note how many girls-- and women-- were captivated by the film. Catching bits of excited conversation from female movie-goers (“I want to be Elastigirl!”) reinforced my belief that girls enjoy super-heroes as much as boys do. Today’s graphic novels offer an ever-growing selection of titles to capture the interests of female readers of all ages, covering the full range of genres, from super-hero fare to more realistic “slice of life” stories.

What do girls look for in graphic novels? The same characteristics as their male counterparts: well-told stories with interesting plots or themes, engaging characters, and quality artwork. But they also like to see female characters portrayed in a positive, empowering, and believable manner. Happily, plenty of outstanding graphic novels meet these requirements.

The fantasy genre offers an excellent example of graphic novels with wonderful female protagonists. One of the very best, suitable for all ages, is Mark Crilley’s Akiko series. Akiko is a Japanese-American fourth-grader swept up in a series of adventures on the planet Smoo. She leads a band of hapless companions, including a bookish professor, a robot, and a space pirate, often using her common sense, good humor, and kind heart to save the day. Another great fantasy series with a female main character is Leave It to Chance. Chance Falconer, the pre-teen daughter of the world’s most powerful sorcerer, keeps getting involved in magical adventures against her father’s wishes. Fortunately, she can rely on her bravery, wits, and pet dragon Georgie to help her out of trouble. Other great fantasy series for girls include Courtney Crumrin, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Meridian, Sojourn, and Jeff Smith’s amazing Bone.

The first and most famous female super-hero is Wonder Woman. Today’s Wonder Woman serves as a thoroughly modern role model. An ambassador to the United Nations, Wonder Woman spends much of her time promoting world peace and humanitarian aid. Another great super-hero series is Birds of Prey, which features an all-female team comprised of the wheelchair-bound Oracle, the Black Canary, and the Huntress. Teen readers can identify with May Parker, aka Spider-Girl. May, the daughter of Peter Parker (Spider-Man) and Mary Jane Watson must juggle her obligations as a high school student with her desire to continue her father’s super-hero legacy. “Tween” readers will enjoy the humorous adventures of Electric Girl, whose difficulty in controlling her powers of electricity cause low-key havoc in her daily life. Even the youngest readers can enjoy graphic novels of TV’s hilarious Powerpuff Girls.

Girls of all ages will find graphic novels with wonderful female protagonists in every imaginable category, from autobiographical (the critically acclaimed Persepolis) to humor (Jimmy Gownley’s Amelia Rules!) to espionage (Greg Rucka’s Queen & Country). Looking for realistic fiction for young adults? Try Ghost World or the Tale of One Bad Rat. Romance lovers will enjoy such titles as Alex Robinson’s Box Office Poison, Andi Watson’s Dumped, and even the genre-crossing Strangers in Paradise. Fans of manga (Japanese-style comics) can also choose from titles representing every genre and age-level, including series like Sailor Moon, Chobits, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and Spirited Away.

For many decades, comic books seemed the near-exclusive domain of male fans, but today’s graphic novels offer a far greater selection to interest female readers. The titles listed above represent a small taste of the wide variety of “girl friendly” works available for libraries and bookstores.

Author Bio. Michael R. Lavin has been a reference and collection development librarian in public and academic libraries for more than 25 years. His current position is Coordinator of Electronic Collections for the University at Buffalo Libraries, where he also teaches graduate courses in the library school. Mike is a lifelong reader and collector of comic books and he has written several articles on the topic of graphic novels and comics in libraries. His web site, Comic Books for Young Adults, is a widely cited resource for librarians.