Tamora Pierce is one of my favorite authors. She has so many books, and they all have such good role female role models
If death is an issue, she may want to start with The Circle of Magic and then the sequel series, The Circle Opens. Those were targeted towards younger readers and have less worries. They are about a group of four young magicians who discover they each have special talents and they have to make their way in the world like that. The descriptions of magic are awesome. Warning though, there are two books, Melting Stones and the Will of the Empress, which take place later and are more for people who grew up with her books. They are way more young adult in nature.
Also her Tortall books (in the order they should be read) The Song of the Lioness Quartet, The Immortals Quartet, The Protector of the Small Quartet, Trickster's Choice, Trickster's Queen, and the ongoing Provost's Dog series (Terrier and Bloodhound, Elkhound sometime next year) are peerless. They are all set in the mideval fantasy realm of Tortall and are coming-of-age hero stories about lady knights, wild magician half-gods, etc.
I will tell you though because I'm not sure how you feel about this sort of thing with your daughter, while these are some of the best fantasy books I have read, there is some death, some of it has made me cry, and her girl heroes do engage in premarital sex. Nothing graphic, more they think about it, buy birth control, and it's never a one-night stand kind of thing and they are all very mature about it. But these are spirited women coming of age and sexuality and romance are things that come up. I wanted to warn you of that. Basically the later you get in her books, she gets more freedom with her publisher and the books become longer and more complex. At the very least the Provost's Dogs series as well as Will of the Empress contain homosexual characters, which again is something I leave to your discretion. Read any of her series in the order they were published and you'll be fine, they will grow with her tastes. I'd pick up the Song of the Lioness books and give them a read and see what you think. If you think they are too much, go to the Circle books I mentioned above.
Sorry this is so long, she's just easily one of my favorites and I am always so happy to introduce someone new to her!
these books do sound wonderful and something Jenna might enjoy, especially the beginning ones. Jenna has a very black and white way of looking at thiings and blocks out what she doesn't feel is appropriate. Death to her is a total no... same as sex.... as long as it's not explicit and pages long it should be fine.
