Children’s Book Characters Named Jessica
Here are just a few children’s books with characters named Jessica. Please comment below if you know of one I missed. I hope this encourages your kiddo to read!
Jessica written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes
“There is no Jessica,” said Ruthie’s parents. But of course there was. She ate with Ruthie, played with Ruthie, and was sorry when Ruthie was bad. Nobody could see Jessica — except Ruthie.
- One page has lots of names listed-Ruthie, Jon, Jim, Betty, Peter, Mary Ellen, Toni, Joe, Peggy, Dave, Barney, Darice, Carla, Libby, Bea, Susan, and Christopher. Last name is Simms.
- 3-6 year olds
- Ratings: Amazon-4.7 Goodreads-4.1
Rescue & Jessica: life-changing friendship by Jessica Kensky, Illustrator: Scott Magoon
Based on a real-life partnership, the heartening story of the love and teamwork between a girl and her service dog (named Rescue) will illuminate and inspire.
- Other character names: No other names mentioned.
- Ratings: Amazon-4.8 Goodreads- 4.4
- K-4 grade or 4-8 year olds
A Moose for Jessica by Pat Wakefield, Photographer: Larry Carrara
About the behavior of a wild bull moose who moved to a farm.
- Other characters include: Larry Carrara, Lila, and Carson.
- Ratings: Amazon-4.8 Goodreads-4.0
- 7-12 yearolds or 4-6th grade
Has Anyone Seen Jessica Jenkins? by Liz Kessler
Jessica Jenkins has always been a perfectly ordinary girl—until one day part of her arm vanishes in the middle of geography class! Jessica’s friends Izzy and Tom are determined to help her develop her newfound invisibility, though Jessica is more concerned with discovering where the ability came from. When it becomes apparent that there may be other kids developing strange powers of their own, Jessica marshals them into a slapdash band of “slightly superheroes.” But when an unscrupulous adult discovers the origin of their powers and kidnaps one of the team, the rest must put their heads—and all of their skills—together to avert disaster.
- Other characters include: James, Nancy, Izzy, Tom, Max, Heather, Oscar, and Jessica’s nickname “Jess”.
- Ratings: Amazon- 4.7 Goodreads- 4.1
- 8-12 year olds or 3rd-7th grade
- Lexile measure: 620L
Jessica Finch in Pig Trouble by Megan McDonald, Illustrator: Erwin Madrid
With her birthday coming up, Jessica hopes that, just maybe, her present will be a real-live potbellied pig. Jessica can hardly wait for her party with Judy Moody and all their friends. But Judy Moody is acting like a pig-head, and Jessica UN-invites her from the party. To make matters worse, Jessica has snooped around the house and has found zero sign of a pig present. Could her birthday be any more of a disaster?
- Other characters include: Judy Moody, Roger, Amy, Frank, and Rocky.
- Jessica Finch is also in other Judy Moody books.
- Ratings: Amazon-4.6 Goodreads-3.9
- Preschool-1st or 4-6 year olds
Friends for Life by Andrew Norriss
When Jessica sits next to Francis on a bench during recess, he’s surprised to learn that she isn’t actually alive–she’s a ghost. And she’s surprised, too, because Francis is the first person who has been able to see her since she died. Before long, Francis and Jessica are best friends, enjoying life more than they ever have. When they meet two more friends who can also see Jessica, the question arises: What is it that they have in common? And does it have something to do with Jessica being a ghost?
- Includes characters: Mr. William’s, Quentin Howard, Mrs. Meredith, Andi Champion, Mrs. Parsons, Denise Ritchie, Angela Wyman, Roland, Mr. Boyle, Mr. Anderson, Aunt Jo, Dermot, Lorna Gilchrist, & Mrs. Barfield
- Ratings: Amazon-4.6 Goodreads-4.1
- 8-12 year olds or 3rd-7th grade
Heads, You Lose! (Goosebumps HorrorLand #15) by R.L. Stine
Jessica and her best friend, Ryan, really enjoy magic tricks. They find the perfect HorrorLand souvenir in Jonathan Chiller’s gift shop–a two-headed coin with mysteriously dark powers. After an unlucky flip of the coin, Jessica and Ryan find themselves in a strange land being chased down by angry guards. HorrorLand was scary but this is much worse. Will they be able to escape with their heads still attached?
- Other Characters include: Ryan Chang and Jonathan Chiller.
- Ratings: Amazon-4.6 Goodreads-3.9
- 8-12 year olds or 3rd-7th grade
- Lexile Measure: 400L
Magic Puppy Cloud Capers #3 by Sue Bentley, Illustrator: Angela Swan
Jessica is really disappointed when she can’t stay at home with her best friend for a sleepover. But when Storm, a fluffy Jack Russell puppy with midnight-blue eyes magically appears, everything begins to look up!
- Other characters include: Gayle, Mikey, and Storm
- Ratings: Amazon-4.8 Goodreads-4.3
- 6-8 year olds or 1st-3rd grade
An Extraordinary Egg written and illustrated by Leo Lionni
Jessica the frog befriends the animal that hatches from an egg she brought home, thinking it is a chicken.
- Other characters include Marilyn and August.
- Ratings: Amazon-4.8 Goodreads-4.1
- 3-5 year olds or Preschool-2nd
- Lexile: 620L
Stop Drop and Roll by Margery Cuyler, Illustrator: Author Howard
Jessica has always been a worrier, and learning about fire safety is making her more nervous than ever. But our favorite worrywart is about to discover that knowing what to do in an emergency is the best (and only) way to extinguish her fire-safety fears!
- Other characters include: Laura and Mr. Martin
- Ratings: Amazon-4.7 Goodreads-3.6
- 5-8 years old or Kinder-3rd
Revenge of the Bully (How to Beat the Bully) by Scott Starkey
Rodney Rathbone tries to live up to his reputation as a reluctant hero when he earns a spot on his school football team–along with his arch-nemesis–while trying to regain his girlfriend Jessica’s trust and survive his mother’s new job as the restaurant reviewer for a local paper.
- Other characters include: Rishi, Slim, Pablo, Josie, Bruno, Bart, Kayla, Trevor, Sarah, Mindy, Josh, Gloria, Earl, and Johnny.
- Ratings: Amazon-4.8 Goodreads-4.1
- 8-12 year olds or 3rd-7th
- Lexile: 600 L
Firegirl by Tony Abbott
From the moment Jessica arrives, life is never quite the same for Tom and his seventh-grade classmates. They learn that Jessica has been in a fire and was badly burned, and will be attending St. Catherine’s will receiving medical treatments. Despite her appearance and the fear she evokes in him and most of the class, Tom slowly develops a tentative friendship with Jessica that changes his life.
- Including characters: Last name- Feeney, Mrs. Tracy, Courtney Zisky, Jeff Hicks, Chuck, Jennifer Aaron, Rich Downing, Kayla Brown, Stephanie Pastor, Melissa Mayer, Tricia Anderson, Cindy Bemioli, Darlene Roberts, Robert Marie, Jeff, Eric LoBianco, Dave & Karen Tessman, Joey Sisman, Tom, & Anne
- Ratings: Amazon-4.5 Goodreads-3.7
- 9-12 year olds or 3rd-7th grade
- Lexile Measure: 670L
DC Super Hero Girls: Spaced Out by Shea Fontana, Illustrator: Agnes Garbowska
Earth’s new Green Lantern, Jessica Cruz, learns that she must report to Oa and introduce herself to the Green Lantern Corps–as if learning new powers and being the new girl at Super Hero High weren’t enough! Luckily, Supergirl, Star Sapphire, and Big Barda are happy to accompany Jessica on her outer-space journey. But when they arrive on Oa, instead of the Green Lantern Corps they find Kryptonians they thought were long gone–General Zod, Faora, and Non.
- Ratings: Amazon-4.8 Goodreads-4.0
- 7-10 year olds or 2nd-5th
- Lexile: 600L
Spy Ski School by Stuart Gibbs
Thirteen-year-old Ben Ripley is not exactly the best student spy school has ever seen—he keeps flunking Advanced Self Preservation. But outside of class, Ben is pretty great at staying alive. His enemies have kidnapped him, shot at him, locked him in a room with a ticking time bomb, and even tried to blow him up with missiles. And he’s survived every time. After all that unexpected success, the CIA has decided to activate Ben for real. The Mission: Become friends with Jessica Shang, the daughter of a suspected Chinese crime boss, and find out all of her father’s secrets.
- Other characters include: Ben Ripley, Cyrus, Zoe, Jawa, Erica, Chip, Warren, Alexander, Leo Shang, Hank, and Mike.
- Ratings: Amazon-4.8 Goodreads-4.6
- 9-12 year olds or 4th-8th
- Reading levels- Lexile measure: 730L, DRA 44, Fountas & Pinnell:W
The Feather Chase #1 (Crime-Solving Cousins Mystery series) by Shannon L. Brown
They start chasing a mystery—then it chases them. Twelve-year-old cousins Sophie and Jessica don’t have much in common. Sophie loves hiking and her small town. Jessica would rather be shopping in a city. The only mystery is how they’ll be able to spend the summer together. Then . . . they find a briefcase in the forest with a surprise inside. When they hear footsteps behind them and bad guys run after them, they have no choice but to work together to solve the mystery of The Feather Chase.
- Ratings: Amazon-4.6 Goodreads-4.0
- 9-11 year olds
What’s Your Name? from Ariel to Zoe by Marilyn Sanders
Twenty-six children from around the world explain the origins of their names, in an A-to-Z format the reveals the individual meanings of names that were borrowed, passed down, or made up from special words.
- Rating: Goodreads- 4.2
- Ariel, Blakely, Charlotte, Diego, Eva, Fredron, Gabe, Hana, Ian, Jesse, Kossi, Lily, Meave, Nate, Orit, Preston, Quincey, Rebecca, Shandiin, Tess, Urai,, Veerta, Whitney, Xavier, Yuki, & Zoe. Other names mentioned: James, Rivera, Gabriel, Nathaniel, Jessica, John, Solomon, Lilium, Sophie, William, Mab, Sturges, Grace, Miguel, Gallagher, & Zo
- 5-8 year olds or 1st-2nd grade
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