Only you know your child, if you think she will fair well with a 22 then go for it. If you start her off with a air gun you can always do the cocking/pumping for her. Let her work her way up without pressure....Mine started with old Daisy pump guns and BB's in the basement (Saturday mornings were a beast, they'd be down there at 7:am plinking the pie pan before I got out of bed) and they soon graduated to rim-fire and beyond.