When it comes to literature, teaching the classics is important. But it’s a good idea to add contemporary titles to your curriculum, too, especially if your students sometimes have trouble connecting with older texts.
That’s why we created the Discovering Literature collection, a curated selection of noteworthy books that are capturing the attention of teachers and students across the country.
Just in time for Women’s History Month, our Discovering Literature Digest for March features four incredible novels about resilient female characters. Though they range in genre, each story explores different facets of identity, agency, and inner strength. Please note that all of these books contain content that is better suited for older readers. Specifics about each title can be found in the descriptions below.
Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard
In this book, author Echo Brown employs magical realism to tell an allegorical story based on her experiences living on the East Side of Cleveland. Echo believes there is magic amid the tragedy in her neighborhood. It’s only when she transfers to the rich school on the West Side that new portals begin to open. As she travels between her two worlds, Echo sets out to heal from the veil of pain that surrounds her and others. Sexual violence, child abuse, racism, and drug abuse make Black Girl Unlimited better suited for mature readers.
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How It Feels to Float
This poignant young adult novel explores the impact of mental illness and grief through the eyes of teenager Biz. Although she has friends and family by her side, Biz feels as if she is floating through life. She finds comfort in speaking with a vision of her father, who died when she was six. But after an incident at a beach party, Biz’s world begins to unravel, sending her into a dark spiral of depression. With themes relating to suicide, trauma, and sexuality, this book is more appropriate for older readers.
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The Power
In this science fiction novel, the state of the world is upended after women gain the ability to produce electricity from their hands. The novel follows the journey of several different women, some of whom use their newfound power to protect and heal, while others harness their energy to hurt and even kill. Due to scenes of violence and sexual assault, we recommend this book for mature readers.
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The Grace Year
In Kim Liggett’s dystopian world, it’s believed that girls hold powerful magic that can drive men to sin and women to jealousy. To dispel the magic, girls are cast into the wilderness during their sixteenth year. But some never come back. Now in her own grace year, Tierney discovers that beyond the elements and poachers in the woods, the girls’ biggest threat to their survival might just be each other. Sexual content and graphic depictions of violence make this book better suited for older students.
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Find even more exciting books in the Discovering Literature collection!