Empowering teen novels to give readers a helping hand through their potentially difficult adolescent years. Teacher-turned-author Rebecca Westcott picks her top five.
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Reading this in 1981 was the first time I had ever encountered menstruation, bras or breasts in a book. More than half a century after publication, this coming-of-age book is still relevant.
Z For Zachariah by Robert C O’Brien
Sixteen-year-old Ann Burden has lived alone for an entire year, the last person alive in post-nuclear war America. Or so she thinks. When a scientist in a radiation suit arrives, she thinks that they can work together but things take a sinister turn, and the scientist is not who he seems.
After The First Death by Robert Cormier
This book aimed at older readers tells the story of three very different teenagers, Miro, Kate and Ben, who are caught up in a challenging hostage situation. The teenage terrorist, the young bus driver and the general’s son – all with their own stakes in the game and all desperate to emerge alive.
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E Lockhart
This is a brilliantly funny, thought-provoking read for anyone who wants to take back the power, announce their presence loudly and flick the bird to anyone who tells them that they can’t.
Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu
Published in 2017 and made into a Netflix film in 2021, this is the story of Viv Carter and the power of ‘keeping your head up’ in the face of sexism, harassment, and cliques. Like my latest book, it’s about girls refusing to be put into boxes.
