10 Books For Your Feminist 10 Year Old
Go into the young adult section at any book store (or, more realistically, the young adult section on the Amazon website), and you will find titles like “Gossip Girl”, “The Pretties,” and “The A-list”, all books focusing on pretty, rich white girls and their dramatic interior lives. But where are the young adult books with diverse characters and thought-provoking stories to empower adolescents? While this is by no means a comprehensive list, it does provide a sampling of books that I found empowering as a child (unlike Gossip Girl, which I also read veraciously).
1. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Mildred D. Taylor
This book follows a black family in rural Mississippi during the Great Depression as they encounter physical and verbal racism.
2. Harriet the Spy, Louise Fitzhugh
This novel is about an ambitious little girl named Harriet who must balance her interest in stranger’s lives with humility and kindness.
3. There’s A Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom, Louis Sachar
Bradley Chalkers is the most hated kid at school, but this changes when he meets Carla, the school counselor. This book is a great example of how therapy can be used to help boys and girls alike.
4. Deenie, Judy Blume
Deenie, a 13-year-old girl with scoliosis, must deal with her back brace and the social stigma it brings. This book was controversial for its sex-positive descriptions of masturbation.
5. Welcome Home, Jellybean, Marlene Shyer
When Neil’s mentally challenged older sister Gerri returns to home, he must learn to adjust to her disabilities.
6. The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
Obviously, this is an adult book with adult themes such as molestation, racism, and incest (which is why it frequented banned books lists). However, the story of Pecola Breedlove, a 10-year-old black girl whose greatest wish is to have blue eyes, will resonate with all children who feel they do not fit in for one reason or another.
I wrote The Bluest Eye because someone would actually be apologetic about the fact that their skin was so dark and how when I was a kid, we called each other names but we didn’t think it was serious, that you could take it in, so the book was about taking it in, before we all decide that we are all beautiful, and have always been beautiful; I wanted to speak on the behalf of those who didn’t catch that right away. I was deeply concerned about the feelings of being ugly.
— Toni Morrison
7. The Cat Ate My Gymsuit, Paula Danzinger
Marcy Lewis is an overweight and insecure 13-year old with a verbally abusive father and passive mother. She gains more confidence as she sets up a school club with an inspirational teacher.
8. The Great Gilly Hopkins, Katherine Paterson
Gilly Hopkins is a feisty foster child whose life changes when she is placed in a lower-middle class home. This story is heartbreaking and deals with topics of race, class, and the foster system.
9. The Princess Diaries Series, Meg Cabot
The Princess Diaries Series is the fictional journal of Mia Thermopolis, a gawky, brace-faced 15-year-old who finds out she is actually a princess. While the plot may seem frivolous, it is Mia’s personality and passion for writing that will inspire kids to create. The books are incredibly relatable and discuss issues of self-esteem, cliques, dating, sex, and depression.
10. Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O’Dell
This book tells the true story of a Native American girl who was left stranded on an island for 18 years. The story follows her struggle to survive and hunt on her own, and her re-acclimation into society.
Have any other suggestions? Please write them in the comments!
