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Generation Z has a lot to deal with at the moment. They’re inheriting a world filled with racism, classism, homophobia, and environmental degradation, where the outlook for employment rights is bleak and they are in danger of being murdered in their own classrooms. Fortunately for all of us who want to create a better world for them, they’re spearheading the next charge. As a group, they are smart and articulate, and they are not taking any of this lying down. They are organizing, mobilizing, making their voices heard. It’s easy to get nihilistic with the state of the world as it is, so this week’s book club is dedicated to some hopeful, diverse, and motivating stories for teens making a difference.
<em>All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages</em>
People of diverse sexualities and gender identities have, as far as we know, always existed. Unfortunately, LGBTQIA+ representation of the past is limited, giving the impression of a modern phenomenon to a historical constant. This collection of YA stories about queer teens through history seeks to remedy that, taking us back in time with works of historical fiction set in the United States and Europe as far back as the Middle Ages. The stories span from late 14th-century England to 1999 Massachusetts.
<em>A Girl Like That</em>
Unlike the stories that make up the previous anthology, A Girl Like That tells a sadder tale, but it’s a unique story of resistance and love. Bhathena, born in Mumbai and raised in Jeddah, Riyadh, and Toronto, returns to Saudia Arabia to tell the story of 16-year-old Zarin Wadia and her 18-year-old boyfriend Porus Dumasia, found dead in a car wreck. As the religious police swoop in to question why the two were allowed to be alone together, we learn why many parents considered Zarin to be a cautionary tale: Unafraid of embracing romance and risk, she’s a bit too outspoken and daring, a little too intelligent in a society that fears smart women. Plus, she’s dealing with the stigma of being an orphan, begrudgingly raised by her aunt.
<em>Hope Nation: YA Authors Share Personal Moments of Inspiration</em>
If you need a supercharged dose of hope after the previous novel (and the world’s) tragedy, look no further than this collection of 24 YA writers’ memories of the times that gave them the power to move forward. “This is what I believe,” contributor David Levithan writes: “Despair comes from the things that are bigger than us. Hope comes from the things that are our size.”
