Author: Carrie Firestone
Published: 2020 Molly has had enough of the way girls are treated at her school because of the dress code. Girls are terrified of getting in trouble, and the people who enforce the dress code are unfair about it and don't apply it to everyone equally. When Olivia gets in trouble for wearing a tank top because her sweatshirt was wrapped around her waist trying to cover up something embarrassing that happened, Molly decides they need to do something about the dress code. Molly starts a podcast where she and guests discuss the way they have been treated because of how they dressed at school. Soon word starts to get around about this podcast and as more and more girls share their stories, Molly and her classmates try to work together to make real change. But when all their efforts are ignored, they may have to do something to really get them noticed. Dress Coded is a fantastic realistic fiction novel about activism and girl power. I loved the podcast episodes transcripts included in the novel.
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Author: B.B. Alston
Published: 2021 Amari's older brother Quinton went missing months ago. The police think that he got mixed up into something bad and was killed. Amari, however, believes he is still alive out there somewhere. Amari soon discovers that her brother had nominated her to join a special summer camp at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. It seems that her brother was kind of a celebrity there and went missing while working for the Bureau. Amari decides to attend this summer camp. After all, this is probably the best place for her to go to dig into what Quinton was working on when he went missing. But soon she discovers that she has magic in her blood--she is a magician. All magicians are viewed as evil creatures. Will she be able to stay at the Bureau and figure out what happened to Quinton? Or will she be chased out? Amari and the Night Brothers is a great girl power fantasy for readers looking for a girl power social justice Harry Potter. Author: Namina Forna
Published: 2020 Every year, sixteen-year-old girls have to go through the Ritual of Purity. At this ritual, all girls are cut. If they bleed red, then they are considered pure and are then accepted into society. If their blood is not red, then then they are demons and are banished and never heard from again. Deka is already an outsider in her northern city because of her dark skin, taking after her mother who passed away. She just needs to get the Ritual of Purity over with so that she will finally be accepted as a member of her village and will no longer be an outsider. But when the ritual takes place and her blood is golden, she is killed. When Deka comes back to life, she is killed again. And again. And again. She is destined to a lifetime of torture and death until she finally won't come back to life. One night she is finally rescued by a mysterious stranger who explains that the emperor is building an army of demons like her, called alaki, who can hopefully defeat evil creatures called deathshrieks that are destroying villages and murdering hundreds of people. Deka joins this army but soon finds out that not everything is at it seems. The Gilded Ones is a wonderful fantasy novel with a lot of gore and girl power. Would recommend to 8th grade and up. Author: Kalynn Bayron
Published: 2020 Cinderella is Dead takes place 200 years after Cinderella married Prince Charming and lived happily ever after. She has been dead for years and years, but the tradition she started on the night of the ball lives on. Every year, teenage girls come to the annual ball at the palace where the men in the kingdom are able to choose any girl they want and the girl must marry him. If a girl is not chosen by a man after attending the ball for a few years, she disappears and is never heard from again. Sophia is about to attend her first ball, but there is nothing she wants less than to get married. She sees how women are treated like possessions in the kingdom. Women must do what the men in their life tell them to do or they will be "forfeited," which means they are sent to the palace where they disappear. On the night of the ball, Sophia tries to convince her best friend Erin to run away with her so they can be together, but Erin refuses, saying it's too dangerous, that they must do what is expected of them. Sophia escapes and runs into, Constance, the last living descendent of one of Cinderella's ugly stepsisters. But it turns out that the story they have been told about Cinderella, her stepsisters, and Prince Charming are not all true. There is a lot more to the story, and it is up to Sophia and Constance to figure out how to get rid of the king and disrupt the way things have always been. Cinderella is Dead is an absolutely fantastic retelling of Cinderella. I loved all the girl power vibes and the way Sophia is unapologetically herself. Author: Lisa Moore Ramee
Published: 2020 Jenae is okay with the fact that she doesn't have any friends. Every day she eats lunch by herself, which she prefers. This year, however, there's a new boy at school named Aubrey and the minute he sees Jenae, he notices that they have the same backpack and he will not leave her alone. He follows her to her lunch spot, he talks to her at school, and he asks her all these questions about her life. And the thing about Aubrey is that he is loud and he is definitely not invisible. It makes her goal of trying to be invisible very hard when he's around her. But soon she realizes that having him around isn't all bad. Meanwhile there's this big debate going around in their neighborhood about changing the name of the school. There are protesters and Jenae doesn't know how to feel about it. This year in her class, her teacher tells them they will have to give several speeches. Jenae is absolutely terrified of speaking in front of groups of people. She always panics and starts sweating and can't think of any words. Aubrey, however, says he used to be on the debate team at his old school and he thinks it's no big deal. When the two become partners in a debate for school, they decide to research the school name change. Jenae comes up with a plan to get out of having to give a speech but it might cost her their friendship. Something to Say is a good book with the important message of standing up and saying what needs to be said. Great story! Author: Hena Khan
Published: 2017 Now that Amina is in middle school, things are starting to change. Her best friend Soojin and her family are about to become United States citizens, and Soojin wants to pick a more "American" name for herself. Amina doesn't think there's anything wrong with Soojin. Then Soojin starts letting a girl named Emily hang around them, but Amina can't forget how Emily and her friends used to be mean to them, like when she made fun of the kinds of food Soojin brought for lunch. For the first time, Amina is worried about her friendship. Amina has a beautiful voice but has always been scared to sing or talk in front of large groups of people. Her mom signs her up for a contest to read parts of the Quran, the holy book for Muslims, and Amina is trying to come up with an excuse to get out of it. When their mosque, a place of worship, is vandalized, Amina fears for her family and her community. Why would somebody do something so hateful? Everything seems like it's falling apart. Amina's Voice is a story about a girl who finds the strength to do what needs to be done. It is an absolutely beautiful book. Author: Andrea L. Rogers
Published: 2020 Mary is a member of the Cherokee Nation in the year 1838. They live in the area that came to be called Georgia, though her family had lived there for generations before it was called that. Due to an illegal treaty, all members of the Cherokee Nation were forced to leave their land. This was a journey of over 1000 miles that Native Americans had to walk. They didn't have enough food or water. The conditions were brutal. This journey was called the Trail of Tears. Mary and her family became separated from her father and worry they won't meet up with him again. They face unkindness and violence from the white soldiers forcing them to leave. On the way, their family faces a terrible tragedy. Mary and the Trail of Tears is a devastating look at a horrifying time in our country's history where Native Americans were forced to leave their homes and many were killed. Author: Julie Gilbert
Published: 2020 What Leah wants most in the world is to move out west and become a cowboy. But as a girl in the year 1919, her uncle wants her to stay in the same neighborhood, get married, and have kids. When a tank in the neighborhood holding over two million gallons of molasses explodes, Leah finds herself in a lot of danger. She and her classmate Francesca are swept up in the molasses flood and soon become trapped, worried they will drown in the save that just keeps getting higher and higher. Leah Braves the Flood is based on the very real event known as the Great Molasses Flood that killed 21 people and injured 150 in Boston in 1919. The Girls Survive series is fantastic for readers of I Survived. Author: Janae Marks
Published: 2020 Zoe has never met or heard from her father who is in prison for murder. Her mom never talks about him, so she knows nothing about him. When Zoe gets a letter from Marcus on her birthday, she discovers that he actually has been writing her his whole life. She writes back to him, and the two start writing to each other secretly. Marcus tells her that he is innocent and was wrongfully put in prison. He had an alibi for the time of the murder, but his lawyer at the time didn't track the person down to have them testify. He tells Zoe that she should just live her life and not stress about the fact that he is innocent, that he will get out someday and they can still have a relationship. But Zoe is outraged at the thought that an innocent man was put in prison. On the other hand, she also has doubts about if he actually is innocent or not. She decides to take matters into her own hands and track down this witness herself. From the Desk of Zoe Washington is an engaging and timely story that shines light on those who are innocent but imprisoned. Absolutely fantastic middle grade book. Author: Kat Leyh
Published: 2020 Let me just start by saying that this is probably one of my favorite graphic novels that I have ever read. Snapdragon has heard of the witch in her town who eats roadkill and uses their bones to cast spells. Snap doesn't believe in witches, but when her dog goes missing she has to see if the rumors are true. When she gets there what she finds is this old woman named Jacks who is really good with animals (who did rescue Snap's hurt dog and had him there). When Snap discovers a bunch of baby possums whose mom died, she brings them to Jacks and then comes over every day to help take care of them. Snapdragon soon discovers there is more to Jacks than meets the eye. And somehow they may have more in common than she thought. Snapdragon is a fantastic story about a spunky, strong girl who doesn't care to fit in with others. This book is inclusive and funny and smart. The first thing I wanted to do after reading it was start it all over again. |
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