By popular demand!

I did a fun little experiment on tumblr. After I posted my "gaaaaaaah girly comics why" post, I was asked by users to compile a list of series that DON'T suck for young pre-teen girls. So here was the list I originally made :

TOP "GIRLY" 10 COMICS THAT DON'T SUCK FOR PRE-TEEN GIRLS

(According to me)

These are a list of comics I consider to have for primary market young girls. I excluded anything unisex (like Amulet) or that has dudes as a main market but can be read, and are often adored, by girls (aka shonen manga). I wanted to exclude those things to show what is really present in the "girly" market. And not just in the "I guess girls can enjoy this" market. Once I removed the "unisex" or "guy but can be read by girls" stuff, it was actually pretty difficult to compile this list. Go figure.

Also, i'm French. Expect french in here.

#1 - LOU! - French series about a creative girl and her single mom. The mom is a fantasy writer and obsessed by video games. Lou, the daughter, dreams of being a fashion designer or a poet. The cast is original and multicultural, representing different styles of today's youth. And every book focuses on an issue that matches Lou's age, since she gains a year with every book (like Harry Potter). I love book 3, who focuses strongly on depression. There's a TV show, but the books are superior by far, since the show is stuck in status quo land.

#2 - Re-gifters - Fantastic story about Dixie, a second-generation Korean immigration and a martial arts student who has unfortunately lost her focus (aka ki) due to a big, big doom crush. She needs to digest the crush and find a way to win the big competition. This is short, sweet, all about the troubles of being a confused teen and an immigrant. Brilliant.

#3 - The Yoko Tsuno series - Pretty much one of the only unsexualized female comic hero I had as a kid, Yoko is a science-fiction-slash-police-drama series. This woman went to space. She played with ghosts. And robots. AND GHOST ROBOTS.

#4 - Friends with boys by Faith Erin Hicks - Man, does this comic even need an introduction? I'm in love with it.

#5 - Anya's Ghost - Anya is a russian immigrant who feels fat, silly, and generally hates everyone. Everything changes when she falls down a well and meets a ghost down there. They become best friends... up until the ghost starts living vicariously thru her with way too much passion.
#6 - Gunnerkrigg court - Technically, a webcomic, but since the books exist, it's fully possible for me to push it unto schools. I get the feeling this story is unisex most of the time, but a couple of details push it in the girl territory, for me. Amazing webcomics about two friends in a strange school...

#7 - Card Captor Sakura - Short magical girl series by Clamp... it's pretty much all about awesome spells and acceptance. Me likey.

#8 - Elinor Jones - In victorian times, a girl wants to become a seamstress for the renown house of Tiffany. But the work is hard, and the girl suffers from body image issues and eating disorders. Lots of pretty dresses, cool characters and important issues explored very nicely.

#9 - Princesse Sara - Based on the book "Little Princess", it's a steampunk retelling of the classic Cinderella tale.

#10 - Smile - Raina gets braces. We all remember how much that sucks.

I asked people to reblog and ADD. And, awesomely, people did.

A couple of people added series I knew but totally forgot about. A couple added series that are good but that I don't really consider for pre-teens myself. Here are a few of the suggestions I really liked :

Lost at sea
Princeless by Jeremy Whitley
Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale
Polly and the Pirates by Ted Naifeh
Courtney Cumrin and the Night Things by Ted Naifeh
I kill giants
The Lunch Lady series by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Eric Shanower’s Oz comics (more unisex if you ask me, but I know a lot of boys won't read a book with a hero who is a girl...)
Elinor & Jack
Castle Waiting by Linda Medley (Adult themes, but nothing icky, so good for pre-teens who are very serious readers)
Amelia Rules by Jimmy Gownley
Bizenghast
Yotsuba!
The Tale of One Bad Rat
W.I.T.C.H
Leave it to Chance by James Robinson and Paul Smith
Good as Lily by Derek Kirk Kim
The War at Ellsmere by Faith Erin Hicks
Emiko Superstar by Mariko Tamaki
Skim
Scary Godmother by Jill Thompsom
Ernest & Rebecca
Lovely Complex (manga)
Bride Stories (manga)
Kimi Ni Todoke (manga)
Car Street (manga)
Sugar Sugar Rune (manga)

And now I have this list to make me feel better.

- Isa