Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 has been promoting quality feminist literature for young readers since 2002 as a part of the Feminist Task Force and the Social Responsibilities Round Table.
“Remember, you are an amazing young woman who comes from a long line of amazing women. My time is over, but your time is just beginning.” (Santiago, The Moonlit Vine)
Intergenerational. Intersectional. Indigenous. These texts center women spanning generations—resilient women who have resisted in order to preserve their narratives.
“The vibrancy of our culture and our connections to the earth and to each other are woven through our hair.” (Lindstrom, My Powerful Hair)
We reference our shared histories and allow the guidance of our ancestors to power our activism, our community building, and our senses of self.
“Daughter of my daughter, you’re going to teach us all how to dance with dragons again.” (Blackgoose, To Shape a Dragon’s Breath)
Intergenerational stories inform us, creating a tidal wave of voices merging with our own. We bear witness to an unending global struggle. We must listen, uplift one another, and continue to expand each space to center the most marginalized.
“People every shade of brown, and some white, are stretched out across the lawn of the park facing the stage, chins high, faces bright and beaming.” (Parsons, Clouds Over California)
These characters teach readers to come as we are: Our rage, spirit, passion, and presence all matter in the revolution. They are unapologetic. We are unapologetic.
“I am tired / of salting the wound— / I am ready / to salt the earth.” (Cole, Dear Medusa)
We are done harming ourselves. We are ready to curse this colonized earth and rise. We fight for the freedom to read, to advocate, to uplift, and to tell our own stories. We have a voice. Our words have power. Our words change the world. The world must listen.
“Remember, always play con todo tu corazón.” (Estrada, La Mariachi)
Committee
Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 is a project of the Feminist Task Force of the Social Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association. Members of the 2024 Rise: A Feminist Book Project committee are Allison Staley, (co-chair), Lake Oswego Public Library, OR; Laura Simeon, (co-chair), Kirkus Reviews, WA; Suzan Alteri, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL; Emma Carbone, Brooklyn Public Library, NY; Shelley Díaz, School Library Journal, NJ; Cynthia Medrano, Highland Park Public Library, IL; Amanda Melilli, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV; Ari Nussbaum, Hayward Public Library, CA; Isolda Page, Lisle Library District, IL; Vicki Pietrus, Niles West High School, IL; and María Elena Valiente, The Park School, MA.
2024 Rise: A Feminist Book Project List
An asterisk (*) indicates that a book is one of our Top Ten Titles.
Early Readers
Fiction
Bellante, Claudia. The Wrestling Cholitas of Bolivia. Illustrated by Anna Carbone, Interlink/Crocodile Books, 2022. (9781623718077) 5-8.
On weekends, Noelia and Wara proudly express their passion participating in wrestling matches, dressed in the traditional garb of the Aymara women of Bolivia.
*Bloom, Amy. Flower Girl. Illustrated by Jameela Wahlgren, W.W. Norton/Norton Young Readers, 2023. (9781324030355) 3-5.
Nicki’s aunt asks her to be the flower girl in her wedding, an event that Nicki eagerly anticipates until she faces the expectation that she’ll wear a dress.
Dale, Laura Kate. Me & My Dysphoria Monster: An Empowering Story To Help Children Cope With Gender Dysphoria. Illustrated by Ang Hui Qing, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2022. (9781839970924) 4-8.
Nisha has a dysphoria monster that grows with every misgendering interaction she has, enveloping and isolating her, until she meets someone who helps her learn how to shrink her monster.
Dupuis, Jenny Kay. Heart Berry Bling. Illustrated by Eva Campbell, Portage & Main/HighWater Press, 2023. (9781774920558) 5-8.
Maggie learns about perseverance while beading alongside her Granny. As they work, Granny shares how beading helped her stay connected to her Anishinaabe culture after losing her First Nations status.
Ehlert, Jackson Molli. Everybody Has a Body. Illustrated by Lorian Tu, Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, 2023. (9781250854445) 4-8.
A body-neutral book that shows how bodies look different, have different needs, do different things, and feel different. It tells readers: Your body is yours, and it’s unlike anyone else’s.
Estrada, Isabel. La Mariachi. Illustrated by Addy Rivera Sonda, Sleeping Bear Press, 2023. (9781534111912) 5-8.
Tuchi is passionate about mariachi, but she’s told that it's only for boys. With the help of her grandmother, she's determined to prove that mariachi is for everyone.
Harris, Meena. A Is for Ambitious. Illustrated by Marissa Valdez, Little, Brown/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2023. (9780316354493) 3-8.
This alphabet picture book subverts stereotypically negative adjectives such as “loud,” “opinionated,” and “headstrong” and describes girls and women in positive and empowering ways.
*Harrison, Vashti. Big. Little, Brown/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2023. (9780316353229) 4-8.
A young girl finds a way to make space for herself in a world that prizes being small, learning to love herself along the way.
Hopkinson, Deborah. Cinderella and a Mouse Called Fred. Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky, Penguin Random House/Anne Schwartz Books, 2023. (9780593480038) 4-9.
Ella and her mouse friend, Fred, learn that there are many paths to happily-ever-after after attending a magical ball that leads her to find success and love as a farmer.
*Lindstrom, Carole. My Powerful Hair. Illustrated by Steph Littlebird, Abrams, 2023. (9781419759437) 4-8.
An Indigenous girl explores the power of her hair to grow, preserve memory, break cycles, and heal generational trauma.
Márquez, Melissa Cristina. Mother of Sharks. Illustrated by Devin Elle Kurtz, Penguin Random House/Penguin Workshop, 2023. (9780593523582) 4-8.
Scientist Márquez takes readers on a fantastical journey, starting from the tide pools of La Playita del Condado, to learn about the importance of shark conservation and discover her destiny.
Porter, Mackenzie. Let Her Be. Illustrated by Katie Cottle, Simon & Schuster/Little Simon, 2023. (9781665927000) 0-3.
A charming board book reminding readers to let girls be multifaceted.
Venkat, Srividhya. Girls on Wheels. Illustrated by Kate Wadsworth, Penguin Random House/Kokila, 2023. (9780593529287) 3-6.
Three girls spend time at a skate park in India where one overcomes her fear of falling.
Nonfiction
Abdul-Qaadir, Bilqis with Judith Henderson. Lion on the Inside: How One Girl Changed Basketball. Illustrated by Katherine Ahmed, Kids Can Press, 2023. (9781525310034) 5-8.
A Muslim American basketball star shares how she was told she couldn’t play, because she wouldn't remove her hijab.
Babinec, Christine. Want A Hug? : Consent and Boundaries for Kids. Illustrated by Vivian Mineker, Familius, 2022. (9781641703062) 3-7.
A rhyming picture book that explains consent and boundaries to young readers.
Bunten, Alexis. What Your Ribbon Skirt Means to Me: Deb Haaland’s Historic Inauguration. Illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt, Little, Brown/Christy Ottaviano Books, 2023. (9780316430036) 5-9.
An Anishinaabe and Chamorro girl learns about Haaland (Pueblo Laguna), the first Native person to serve as a cabinet secretary; she celebrates Indigenous cultures by making a ribbon skirt.
Charles, Tami. Ketanji Brown Jackson: A Justice for All. Illustrated by Jemma Skidmore, Simon & Schuster/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023. (9781665935265) 4-8.
A picture-book biography of Jackson, the first Black woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.
*Lindstrom, Carole. Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior. Illustrated by Bridget George, Macmillan/Roaring Brook, 2023. (9781250795274) 4-8.
A picture-book biography of Indigenous rights activists and water advocates Josephine Mandamin (Anishinaabe) and Peltier (Anishinaabe), her great-niece.
Lower, Jan. The Brilliant Calculator: How Mathematician Edith Clarke Helped Electrify America. Illustrated by Susan Reagan, Astra Books for Young Readers/Calkins Creek, 2023. (9781662680069) 7-10.
A picture-book biography of Clarke, the first professional woman electrical engineer in the United States.
Madison, Megan and Jessica Ralli. Every Body: A First Conversation About Bodies. Illustrated by Tequitia Andrews, Penguin Random House/Rise x Penguin Workshop, 2023. (9780593661505) 0-5.
A picture book about different types of bodies, the things they can do, and how they are all worthy of love and care.
Pincus, Meeg. Door by Door: How Sarah McBride Became America’s First Openly Transgender Senator. Illustrated by Meridth McKean Gimbel, Penguin Random House/Crown, 2023. (9780593484654) 4-8.
A picture-book biography of transgender Delaware Senator McBride.
Todd, Traci N. Holding Her Own: The Exceptional Life of Jackie Ormes. Illustrated by Shannon Wright, Scholastic/Orchard, 2023. (9781338305906) 7-10.
A picture-book biography of Ormes, a journalist, cartoonist, philanthropist, and Civil Rights activist, who was the first Black woman cartoonist to be nationally syndicated in the United States.
Wallace, Sandra Neil. Love is Loud: How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement. Illustrated by Bryan Collier, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman, 2023. (9781534451032) 4-8.
A picture-book biography of Nash, a nonviolent Civil Rights leader who facilitated lunch counter sit-ins and peaceful marches.
Middle Grade
Fiction
Angkasa, Clar. Stories of the Islands. Holiday House, 2023. (9780823449781) 9-13.
A graphic novel collection reimagining three traditional Indonesian folktales through a feminist lens that gives girls the power to save themselves.
Bowes, Arnolda Dufour. Maggie Lou, Firefox. Illustrated by Karlene Harvey, House of Anansi/Groundwood Books, 2023. (9781773068817) 9-13.
Maggie Lou, a young Métis girl, combines her brilliant ideas with hard work and a lot of spirit to learn and master boxing, construction, and hunting skills.
Carroll, Emma. The Little Match Girl Strikes Back. Illustrated by Lauren Child, Candlewick, 2023. (9781536233353) 8-12.
Inspired by her own magical box of matches, Bridie Sweeney urges match factory workers to strike in this proactive take on the Andersen fairy tale.
Comrie, Courtne. Rain Rising. HarperCollins/Harper, 2022. (9780063159730) 8-13.
Rain confronts her own sadness and insecurity after her brother’s traumatic attack at a frat party in this middle-grade novel about hope, healing, and growth.
Horne, Maggie. Hazel Hill Is Gonna Win This One. HarperCollins/Clarion, 2022. (9780358664703) 10-13.
When she discovers that her popular classmate is sexually harassing girls, Hazel teams up with some unlikely allies to stop him and makes some friends along the way.
McCullough, Joy. Code Red. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, 2023. (9781534496262) 9-13.
After making new friends, well-intentioned but privileged and sheltered Eden has her eyes opened to inequities, including period poverty; she channels this new awareness into political action and personal growth.
Parsons, Karyn. Clouds Over California. Little, Brown/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2023. (9780316484077) 9-13.
In 1970s California, Stevie's life is upended with the arrival of Naomi, her older cousin, who’s a proud supporter of the Black Panthers and the women's liberation movement.
*Rivera, Lilliam. Barely Floating. Penguin Random House/Kokila, 2023. (9780593323120) 9-12.
Against her parents' wishes, a Latina girl stays true to her own beliefs and joins an inclusive, body-positive synchronized swimming team.
Salazar, Aida and Yamile Saied Méndez, editors. Calling the Moon: 16 Period Stories From BIPOC Authors. Candlewick, 2023. (9781536216349) 10-14.
This collection of short stories and poems pushes against the stigma of menstruation by centering the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and people of color.
Schrempp, Skyler. Three Strike Summer. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry, 2022. (9781534499140) 8-12.
Gloria and her family are forced to move west during the Great Depression. Among the peach orchards, she proves girls can pitch a fastball and organize for justice.
Symes-Smith, Esme. Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston. Penguin Random House/Labyrinth Road, 2022. (9780593485774) 8-12.
In nonbinary Callie’s kingdom, boys become knights and girls learn magic; Callie wants to train to be a knight, but many others only see them as a girl.
Wilfrid, Karen. Just Lizzie. HarperCollins/Clarion, 2023. (9780063290297) 10-14.
An eighth grader persists in defining her sexual orientation, grapples with trauma following harassment by a neighbor, and courageously seeks the support she needs when trusted people let her down.
Nonfiction
Almellehan, Muzoon with Wendy Pearlman. Muzoon: A Syrian Refugee Speaks Out. Penguin Random House/Knopf, 2023. (9781984851987) 10-16.
Almellehan, called “the Malala of Syria,” describes her journey from ordinary schoolgirl to refugee and girls’ education advocate in Jordan to refugee in England and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
Doerfler, Jill and Matthew J. Martinez. Deb Haaland: First Native American Cabinet Secretary. Lerner, 2022. (9781728458458) 8-13.
A biography of Haaland (Pueblo Laguna), the first Native American cabinet secretary.
Wilson, Misty. Play Like a Girl: A Graphic Memoir. Illustrated by David Wilson, HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, 2022. (9780063064690) 9-12.
Misty's love of football pushes her to work hard to earn her place among the boys, but can she also convince her best friend that she’s popular girl material?
Young Adult
Fiction
Armstrong, Kate J. Nightbirds. Penguin Random House/Nancy Paulsen, 2023. (9780593463277) 14-18.
The Nightbirds give their magic to the highest bidder; Matilde, Æsa, and Sayer must choose between the protection of the Great Houses and leaving their golden cages for truth-seeking.
Avila, Lorraine. The Making of Yolanda La Bruja. Levine Querido, 2023. (9781646142439) 14-18.
Yolanda, an Afro Latina experiencing her bruja initiation through visions, struggles to prove a new student espousing white supremacist ideology will endanger her community.
Blackgoose, Moniquill. To Shape a Dragon's Breath: The First Book of Nampeshiweisit. Penguin Random House/Del Rey, 2023. (9780593498286) 16-adult.
Indigenous teen Anequs attends an Anglish dragoneer school after becoming the first Masquisit person on her island to bond with a dragon in many years.
Boulley, Angeline. Warrior Girl Unearthed. Macmillan/Henry Holt, 2023. (9781250766588) 14-18.
Anishinaabe teen Perry Firekeeper-Birch connects with elders and peers to tackle Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in her community, cultural appropriation, and the reclamation of stolen artifacts and human remains.
*Caprara, Rebecca. Spin. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, 2023. (9781665906197) 14-18.
Arachne, portrayed in Greek mythology as an arrogant girl who believed her weaving skills to be greater than those of the goddess Athena, tells her story in her own words.
*Colbert, Brandy. The Blackwoods. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, 2023. (9780063091597) 13-18.
The impacts of race and gender bias ripple through a matriarchal Black Hollywood dynasty as each generation grapples with the pressures of balancing artistic ambition, personal relationships, and public scrutiny.
Cole, Olivia A. Dear Medusa. Penguin Random House/Labyrinth Road, 2023. (9780593485736) 14-18.
Alicia’s anger helps her survive after sexual abuse and propels her toward healing and community-building in this emotionally raw novel in verse.
Fahmy, Huda. Huda F Cares? Penguin Random House/Dial, 2023. (9780593532805) 12-18.
Huda has to navigate being visibly Muslim—and dealing with her sisters—when her family takes a summer road trip to Disney World.
Ferguson, Jen. Those Pink Mountain Nights. HarperCollins/Heartdrum, 2023. (9780063086210) 14-18.
Three young people work together to save their place of work and discover the truth about what happened to their missing loved one, Kiki, who is Black and Cree.
Glaze, Amanda. The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond. Union Square & Co., 2022. (9781454946786) 12-18.
When their latest séance goes horribly wrong, twins Edie and Violet must use their supernatural gifts to stop a dark presence that’s stalking spiritualist mediums.
Goo, Maurene. Throwback. Zando/Zando Young Readers, 2023. (9781638930204) 14-18.
A magical ride-share app transports Sam back to the ’90s, where she meets her high school–aged mom, leading to insights that help heal their rift.
*Gupta, Ruchira. I Kick and I Fly. Scholastic, 2023. (9781338825091) 14-18.
Fourteen-year-old Heera seeks to escape the fate of many girls in her community, a red-light district in Bihar, India, as well as to rescue her friend who has been trafficked.
Ireland, Justina. Rust in the Root. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, 2023. (9780063038226) 14-18.
Laura Ann Langston, a young African American mage, works with the rest of the Colored Auxiliary to save the United States from white Mechomancers bent on destroying people of color.
Leth, Kate. Mall Goth. Coloring by Diana Sousa. Lettering by Robin Crank, Simon & Schuster/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023. (9781534476950) 12-17.
Between moving, her parents’ fighting, and biphobic bullying, Liv, a 15-year-old goth, is struggling—and that makes her vulnerable to a predatory English teacher and a smooth-talking and deceptive boy.
Lockington, Mariama J. Forever Is Now. Macmillan/Farrar Straus Giroux, 2023. (9780374388881) 12-18.
Sadie lives with anxiety and after witnessing an incident of police brutality, becomes agoraphobic in this story about healing, race, mental health, and being a queer Black girl.
McCullough, Joy. Enter the Body. Penguin Random House/Dutton, 2023. (9780593406755) 14-18.
Shakespeare's dead teen girl protagonists—Lavinia, Juliet, Ophelia, and Cordelia—retell their stories in their own words.
McGinnis, Mindy. A Long Stretch of Bad Days. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen, 2023. (9780063230361) 14-18.
For a school podcast project, Lydia and Bristal team up to investigate two unsolved crimes, including that of a possibly missing girl.
Reyes, Sonora. The Luis Ortega Survival Club. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, 2023. (9780063060302) 14-18.
After being sexually assaulted by a popular classmate, Ariana struggles to come to terms with what happened and joins a group of students with one goal: take down Luis Ortega.
*Santiago, Elizabeth. The Moonlit Vine. Illustrated by McKenzie Mayle, Lee & Low/Tu, 2023. (9781643795805) 13-18.
Taína digs into her matrilineal Puerto Rican heritage to understand herself and her people and to help her community.
*Sawyerr, Hannah V. All the Fighting Parts. Abrams/Amulet, 2023. (9781419762611) 14-18.
Sixteen-year-old Amina chooses to speak out when Pastor Johnson sexually assaults her, leading to a tumultuous journey of regaining trust in her support system and herself.
Shen, E.L. The Queens of New York. HarperCollins/Quill Tree, 2023. (9780063237957) 13-18.
Best friends Jia Lee, Ariel Kim, and Everett Hoang navigate self-discovery and other challenges during the first summer they won't be all together in their Flushing, Queens, neighborhood.
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Harvest House. Candlewick, 2023. (9781536218602) 13-18.
Indigenous teen Hughie Wolfe and his friends navigate bigoted stereotypes and cultural appropriation while volunteering at a haunted house fundraiser and investigating strange happenings at the local crossroads.
Sutanto, Jesse Q. Didn't See That Coming. Penguin Random House/Delacorte, 2023. (9780593434017) 14-18.
Gamer Kiki tries to keep her identity a secret from her online best friend turned real life crush, while navigating harassment and sexism at her new school.
Thomas, LaLa. 16 & Pregnant. Simon & Schuster/MTV Entertainment, 2023. (9781665917278) 14-18.
When Erykah becomes pregnant at 16 and chooses to become a mother, her best friend, Kelly, steps up as a support system, and the two girls navigate life together.
Zoboi, Ibi. Nigeria Jones. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, 2023. (9780062888846) 14-18.
Growing up in the movement founded by her Black separatist father, Nigeria’s life has been tightly controlled; now, in her mother’s absence, she’s adrift, restless, and questioning everything she believed.
Nonfiction
Kauder Nalebuff, Rachel, editor. Our Red Book: Intimate Histories of Periods, Growing, and Changing. Simon & Schuster, 2022. (9781982168650) 16-adult.
A collection of stories regarding experiences with menstruation and vaginal bleeding, including discussions of first periods, body shaming, menstrual products, and miscarriages from a diverse, gender-expansive group of voices.
Maraniss, Andrew. Inaugural Ballers: The True Story of the First US Women's Olympic Basketball Team. Penguin Random House/Viking, 2022. (9780593351246) 12-18.
A thrilling narrative about the journey of the first women’s U.S. Olympic basketball team and their importance in the history of sports and women’s rights.
Matthews, Hannah. You or Someone You Love: Reflections From an Abortion Doula. Simon & Schuster/Atria, 2023. (9781668005255) 16-adult.
An empowering collection of essays and musings surrounding abortion, feminist care, and reproductive justice.
Mufleh, Luma. From Here: A Memoir. Penguin Random House/Nancy Paulsen, 2023. (9780593354452) 13-18.
Mufleh, an Arab Muslim woman, describes leaving family and privilege for safety as an out gay person in the U.S. and going on to found a nonprofit to help refugees.