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Katniss Everdeen and Hermione Granger are the most popular female characters amongst girls aged 8-14, according to a new poll. Zoella, the vlogger behind Penguin’s Girl Online, is in the top 10 list of their favourite female celebrities.
When The Pineapple Lounge, a kids and teen research firm, asked 1,070 girls aged 8-14 who they would most like to be like from a list of well-known characters, a quarter (25%) said they would like to be Katniss, the heroine of Suzanne Collins YA series The Hunger Games (Scholastic), while almost as many (22%) chose Hermione, one of the three main characters in the Harry Potter series by J K Rowling (Bloomsbury Children’s).
Emma Worrollo, founder of The Pineapple Lounge, said today’s girls are inspired by “strong, sassy and courageous” characters.
“Superheroes are no longer just for boys – girls too are turning to fantasy characters who accomplish amazing and daring physical and mental feats as their role models,” she said, adding: “While Katniss is noted for her physical strength and independence, Hermione’s asset is her intellect – and it’s hugely encouraging to see today’s young girls aspiring to these qualities. One trait common to both fantasy characters is a strong sense of loyalty and duty.”
The next most popular role model was Roald Dahl’s Matilda (Puffin) with 10% of the votes, followed by Tinkerbell (9%), Bella from the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer (Atom), Catwoman (5%), Princess Leia (4%), Bloom (2%) and Mulan (2%).
The Pineapple Lounge also asked girls to choose their top female celebrities from a list of 25. Zoella, whose book Girl Online became the biggest selling debut novel since records began at the beginning of the month, came in at 10th place.
The most popular was Olympic athlete Jessica Ennis, who topped the bill at 40%, followed by Kate Middleton at 32%. Ariana Grande and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini were in third and fourth place at 23% and 21% respectively.