Rachel Friedman Breaks the Rules by Sarah Kapit (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, grades 1-4). Eight-year-old Rachel has plenty of energy and sometimes doesn’t understand the reason for having so many rules in her life–at home, at school, at the temple when she and her dad and brother attend Shabbat services. But when Rachel wants to meet famous gymnast Holly Luna when she comes to town, her dad makes a deal: if Rachel can follow all the rules for a week, he’ll let her go with her best friend Maya to see Holly. Rachel makes it through six days, but then a situation arises where she feels that she must break a rule. She and her dad don’t see eye to eye, and when Rachel stages a rebellion at a Shabbat service, Dad puts his foot down. But a conversation with the rabbi leads to a greater understanding and a compromise that satisfies everyone.

Bibsy Cross and the Bad Apple by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Dung Ho (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 128 pages, grades 1-4). Bibsy is another eight-year-old who has always loved school and her teachers until she hits third grade. Mrs. Stumper doesn’t seem to like Bibsy, especially the many contributions to class discussions Bibsy loves to make. A bulletin board features each student’s name on an apple that hangs from a tree, but which gets moved to the ground for behavior issues. Bibsy’s apple frequently falls to the ground, but things come to a head one day when Bibsy, defending what she’s sure will be a championship science fair project, goes too far and gets a worm hole punched in her apple. She has to bring the apple home to show her parents, which leads to a good conversation about how to handle her situation. Mrs. Stumper will probably never be Bibsy’s favorite teacher, but they come to an understanding, and Bibsy and her best friend Natia enjoy science fair success.

Both of these series openers feature spunky girls who have strong opinions and are not afraid to share them. Rachel’s book is a conventional chapter book with illustrations, while Bibsy’s is written almost like a book in verse, making it perhaps a more manageable choice for those just transitioning to chapter books. Both feature black and white illustrations, with highlights of apple-red in Bisby’s. While no new ground is broken–there are plenty of early chapter books featuring spunky girls–these are both sure to find an audience among the newly independent reader crowd who enjoy relatable protagonists and situations with plenty of humor.