some books with strong & "different" female characters:

The Clementine series
Ramona the Pest and sequels
Harriet the Spy
Bridge to Terabithia
Pippi Longstocking
On the Banks of Plum Creek

Your niece might be on the border age-wise, but my DD really liked the Chrissa movie from American Girl. It focuses on bullying. DD was in K or 1st grade when she first watched it, and still watches it occasionally in 3rd grade.

Supporting her interests, whatever they might be, will also help boost her confidence. Support can be as simple as skyping or calling her regularly to ask about her art/sports/academics, etc. It can also be making sure she has the supplies she needs for those items.

Sounds like she is getting rude comments about her clothing. Do you have a feel for whether that is just because she doesn't wear the "it" brands, or because her clothes are horribly out of step with what other kids are wearing? Slightly different challenges. Some books or magazines that focus on how to create your own style might help. And see if you can reinforce the idea that style is not dependent on name brands.

Hound Dog True. Its a Virginia Readers Choice book

Anonymous wrote:
Check out the
http://www.amightygirl.com/

They are also on facebook and twitter

A nice resource for girls

I'm not the OP, but I wanted to thank you for posting that link. Looks like a great resource with lots of fun stuff.

"Matilda" is great and funny, both the book and the movie, shows how an oppressed little girl rises to the occasion to show the world who she really is and what she can do.

Check out the
http://www.amightygirl.com/

They are also on facebook and twitter

A nice resource for girls

Tamora Pierce has written many short fantasy series about young girls.

Princess Academy is a newbery award book about strong girls also fantasy.

I like fantasy and historical fiction to build character because it seems its easier to imagine yourself strong in another place and time than in the here and now. And then to translate it into your current world.

Anonymous wrote:This may sound hokey, and maybe too interfering since it's your niece, but have you brought up Girl Scouts with her parents? My daughter really grew in confidence after a year in scouting.

I agree. Girl Scouts is great at character building and helping girls feel good about themselves. My 11 year old DD has been in GS since she was 5 and she has a lot of confidence in herself, much more than I did at her age. She goes to GS sleep away camp every year. I would also say getting your DD involved in sports may help her build confidence in her abilities also. My DD swim competitively and plays team basketball. The sports helps her body to stay toned, which reduces the body image problems that can deflate confidence. You may also want to look into Girls on the Run and Girls, Inc., which I have heard good things about.

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks. She is an avid reader and does wonderful in school, but unlike when I was in school, the snarky comments about clothes, etc. from other kids seem to be starting much younger. They don't have a lot of money, I was hoping there were some book series with confident girls as the lead character I could get her started on.

I'm not sure that would work. When I was a teen, I was very shy when it came to boys. I read plenty of teen romance novels. Some of them were sorta cinderella like, and I identified with the shy MCs in those and altho I didn't consciously think of it that way, looking back I think I was waiting for something "magic" to happen to me too. I also read others that had confident MCs, and I would always be thinking "I wish I could be like her" but never knew how to do so.

If what you are looking for is fiction more than a self-help book, then you might want to look for the ones where a shy character learns how to overcome it and transforms into a confident one.

OP here, thanks. She is an avid reader and does wonderful in school, but unlike when I was in school, the snarky comments about clothes, etc. from other kids seem to be starting much younger. They don't have a lot of money, I was hoping there were some book series with confident girls as the lead character I could get her started on.

There is a program by the same person, or maybe one of his children, by the person who wrote the 7 Habits series, Stephen Covey. They use it at some elementary schools, and it is supposed to be fantastic. The program is called "The Leader in Me". I'm not sure if there is a book version that is suitable for an individual child, or if it is just the program that schools can use, but I'd definitely look into that.

I do not know specifically of self-help books. However, when kids feel knowledgeable about things, they grow in confidence.

Find out what subjects she struggles in and help her to master those subjects. Being smart academically helps children become confident as well.

This may sound hokey, and maybe too interfering since it's your niece, but have you brought up Girl Scouts with her parents? My daughter really grew in confidence after a year in scouting.

I'm not sure how effective books are at building confidence. My now 11 yo DD really came out of her shell over the past year and I think it was in part due to an amazing teacher last year and just maturing a bit.

The American Girl "Smart Girl's Guides" are pretty good overall - they come in many different topics. There is one about knowing what to say, how to like yourself, guide to friends, etc.

My niece is struggling a bit with confidence, she's almost 9. I would like to get her a book, appropriate for a 9 year old, that could help build confidence. I have a toddler so I am clueless when it comes to older kids books/series. Thanks for any suggestions.