Evil Woman! The B-Ladies of Kid-Lit

Kidman as cold, cold Mrs. Coulter

I've been thinking about hideous lady villains in kid-lit lately--maybe because I haven't seen a whole lot of them in recent fiction. So I've been compiling a list of dastardly dames. And wondering if what makes female villains tick is categorically different from their male counterparts. Yeah, there's the usual greed, snobbishness, gratuitous cruelty, and button eyes. But there're also a lot of really cool outfits. My short list is below. Got any additions? Any thoughts about why a fair antagonist makes a particularly deadly foe?

1. Mrs. Coulter: His Dark Materials