Saints and Misfits

By S.K. Ali Saints and misfits Themes Islamophobia Sexual Assault Girl empowerment Janna sees three types of people in her life: saints, who move the world forward, misfits, who just don’t fit in, and monsters, like the person at her mosque who everyone thinks is untouchable. Through this novel, Janna tries to navigate her place […]

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 […]

AFAR

By Leila del Duca & Kit Seaton Afar Themes Girl Empowerment Healthy Masculinity Gender Norms Afrofuturism Boetema discovers she can astrally project into new worlds and possess the bodies of people on other planets. At the same time, her troublemaker brother finds himself in a scary situation after eavesdropping on an illegal deal between business […]

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 […]

The Jumbies

By Tracey Baptiste The Jumbies Themes Community Friendship Girl Empowerment Corinne La Mer claims she isn’t afraid of anything. Not scorpions, not the boys who tease her, and certainly not jumbies. They’re just tricksters made up by parents to frighten their children. Then one night, Corinne chases an agouti all the way into the forbidden […]

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 […]

Amina’s Voice

By Hena Khan Amina’s Voice Themes Girl empowerment Youth Leadership Respect Islamophobia Community Amina has never been comfortable in the spotlight. She is happy just hanging out with her best friend, Soojin. Except, now that she’s in middle school, everything feels different. Soojin is suddenly hanging out with Emily, one of the “cool” girls in […]

Mango, Abuela, and Me

By Meg MedinaIllustrated by angela Dominiguez Mango, Abuela, And Me Themes Girl Empowerment Immigration Family Mia’s abuela leaves her sunny house with parrots and palm trees to move in with Mia and her parents in the city. When she arrives, Mia wants to share her favorite book before bedtime, but learns that Abuela can’t read […]

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 […]