Empowering Students with Young Adult Literature

Young people give us hope–young people who don’t give up or give in, who have loud voices and the courage to use them to say enough is enough. Young people whose empathy, compassion and sense of justice in the face of violence, oppression and tragedy are humbling. So, too, do books give us hope–they can save lives and change lives. Here are some of our favorite books for empowering students who are leading the charge, embracing their voices, and finding light in the darkness.

1. The Grace Year by Kim Liggett. No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden. In Garner County, girls are told they have power. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive. Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for a chance to grab one of the girls in order to make a fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other. For more on this book, click here.

2. The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe. Soon to be a Netflix film starring Millie Bobbie Brown. In this suspenseful feminist thriller, the daughter of a con artist is taken hostage in a bank heist—and will need to tap into all her skills in order to survive. Nora O’Malley’s been a lot of girls. As the daughter of a con-artist who targets criminal men, she grew up as her mother’s protégé, but when her mom fell for the mark instead of conning him, Nora pulled the ultimate con: escape. For five years Nora’s been playing at normal. But she needs to dust off the skills she ditched because she has some problems. She has to deposit the fundraiser money she raised at the bank, and it’s a nightmare that goes from awkward to deadly. Right after they enter the bank, two guys start robbing it. The bank robbers may be trouble, but Nora’s something else entirely. They have no idea who they’re really holding hostage. For more on this book, click here.

3. Wilder Girls by Rory Power. Set at a girls boarding school off the coast of Maine, Wilder Girls explores the lengths to which a group of teen girls will go to survive their own mutating bodies and the vicious wilderness on the island where they are quarantined due to a mysterious contagion called the Tox. Unapologetically brutal, this feminist horror story is both a mystery unraveling and an action-packed thriller, showing humanity’s desperation as the girls try to survive and save those they love most. For more on this book, click here.

4. The Radical Element by Jessica Spotswood. This anthology of historical short stories features a diverse array of girls standing up for themselves and their beliefs, forging their own paths while resisting society’s expectations. To respect yourself and to love yourself should not have to be a radical decision, and yet it remains as challenging for an American girl to make today as it was in 1927 on the steps of the Supreme Court. It’s a decision that must be faced whether you’re balancing on the tightrope of neurodivergence, finding your way as a second-generation immigrant, or facing down American racism even while loving America. In The Radical Element, twelve of the most talented writers working in young adult literature tell the stories of the girls of all colors and creeds and is perfect for empowering students. For more on this book, click here.

5. Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu. In a small Texas town where high school football reigns supreme, Viv, sixteen, starts a feminist revolution using anonymously-written zines. Vivian Carter is fed up with a high school administration that thinks the football team can do no wrong. She’s fed up with sexist dress codes, hallway harassment, and gross comments from guys during class, but most of all, Viv is fed up with always following the rules. Her mom was a tough-as-nails, punk rock Riot Grrrl in the ’90s, and now Viv takes a page from her mother’s past and creates a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. She’s just blowing off steam, but what she has started is nothing short of a girl revolution and empowering students everywhere. For more on this book, click here.

6. The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna. A dark feminist tale spun with blood and gold. Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs. But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity–and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death. Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she’s ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be–not even Deka herself. For more on this book, click here.

7. Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman. The breakout poetry collection by #1 New York Times bestselling author and presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman. This luminous poetry collection captures a shipwrecked moment in time and transforms it into a lyric of hope and healing. Gorman explores history, language, identity, and erasure through an imaginative and intimate collage. Harnessing the collective grief of a global pandemic, this beautifully designed volume features poems in many inventive styles and structures and shines a light on a moment of reckoning. Perfect for empowering students. For more on this book, click here.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services