A Time to Dance

By padma venkatraman A time to dance Themes Disability Dance Girl empowerment Veda, a classical dance prodigy in India, lives and breathes dance—so when an accident leaves her a below-knee amputee, her dreams are shattered. For a girl who’s grown used to receiving applause for her dance prowess and flexibility, adjusting to a prosthetic leg […]

Maybe He Just Likes You

By Barbara Dee Maybe He Just Likes You Themes Girl Empowerment Sexual Harassment Consent Bullying For seventh-grader Mila, it starts with some boys giving her an unwanted hug on the school blacktop. A few days later, at recess, one of the boys (and fellow trumpet player) Callum tells Mila it’s his birthday, and asks her […]

The House On Mango Street

By Sandra Cisneros The house on mango street Themes Girl Empowerment Toxic Masculinity Sexual Assault Immigration Respect Told in a series of vignettes, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous. The House on Mango Street is the story of a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become. Ages […]

Front Desk

By Kelly Yang Front Desk Themes Immigration Girl Empowerment Family Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests. Number 2: Her parents […]

Don’t Touch My Hair!

By Sharee Miller Don’t touch my hair! Themes Girl Empowerment Racism Consent Just about everywhere Aria goes, someone wants to touch her fluffy, curly hair. Whether she’s in the street, under the sea, in the jungle, or even in space, strangers (and strange creatures) try to touch Aria’s hair. Finally, she has had enough! Ages […]