Fresh Reads, Honest reviews, Educator-approved
Malavika Kannan’s All The Yellow Suns is a vibrant, coming-of-age story that masterfully explores identity, art, and activism through the eyes of a queer Indian American teen. Featuring a deeply relatable, diverse cast and a unique perspective on student resistance, this novel is a powerful addition to high school libraries looking to inspire critical thinking and conversations around community, equity, and self-expression.
When an unfair dress code policy targets Puerto Rican refugee Malena, outspoken feminist Ruby jumps to her defense, sparking an accidental high school rebellion. Written in dual perspectives by Mayra Cuevas and Marie Marquardt, Does My Body Offend You? is an empowering, highly relevant look at intersectionality, implicit bias, and true allyship. A realistic and timely social justice novel that high school readers—especially young women—will deeply appreciate.
Set in the early 1960s, Bonnie Garmus’s smash-hit Lessons in Chemistry follows brilliant chemist Elizabeth Zott as she combats pervasive workplace sexism, eventually subverting expectations as a sharp-witted television cooking show host. Despite a heavy, emotionally difficult start highlighting the historic marginalization of women in STEM, this empowering novel delivers an inspiring message of resilience. A superb addition for high school collections exploring gender equality and historical fiction.
Defying a king’s erasure to forge a Golden Age! Shuttering the myth that Henry VIII successfully deleted his executed second wife from history, Borman exposes how an adult Queen Elizabeth secretly filled her private court with her mother’s books, tapestries, and symbols—using Anne’s fierce legacy to rule England independently for 45 triumphant years.
A triumphant debut for a revolutionary heroine! Hidden away in a remote forest for sixteen years, secret royal heir Kalothia is forced to flee to a lethal Western court governed by an oppressive, anti-intellectual patriarchy. Refusing to play the submissive damsel, Kalothia uses her sharp mind and survival instincts to navigate an unmissable web of palace intrigue.