Books like Girls on the Rise
By Amanda Gorman
For the kid who's starting to notice the news, the world, and her own voice in it, this is a poem that hands her a megaphone instead of a warning. Rousing, poetic, and proud — more rallying cry than bedtime lullaby.
A poem-wish spoken over a growing girl, asking that she be shielded from nightmares at three, false friends at fifteen, and given clear sight and courage for whatever roads lie ahead.
A boy settles into the barber's chair for a fresh cut, and with every snip of the clippers feels himself transform into something sharper, prouder, and more sure of who he is.
Three young rebels find each other while playing outside, and when a local lagoon dries up and traps a bird friend, they call on their ancestors to help.
A confident Black boy affirms everything he is — creative, funny, brave, sometimes afraid, always resilient — celebrating his own worth in a string of joyful, declarative statements.
A groundbreaking basketball player soars above the rim with a style no one had seen before, then takes a stand when hotels and restaurants refuse him for being Black.
A rap-inspired tribute moves through the stories of Indigenous heroes past and present — Tecumseh, Sacagawea, Crazy Horse, astronaut John Herrington, NHL goalie Carey Price — all building to one message: we are people who matter.
A musical girl from small-town North Carolina, born Eunice Kathleen Waymon, grows into the singer Nina Simone — her sweet voice rising into a thunderous roar of protest during the Civil Rights Movement.
A child notices that black isn't in the rainbow, then traces the color through everyday things and through the history, culture, and legacy of Black people and community.
A thoughtful girl whispers her wish to change the world to a paper crane each night, and slowly learns to push past feeling invisible so her light can shine.
Two sisters wake before sunrise six days a week to practice tennis, pushing through boos and taunts from a sport that didn't expect them, on their way to becoming legends.
A long-legged girl who dreams of ballet worries her too-big feet and outspoken mouth will hold her back, so she takes bold, attention-grabbing risks when a famous director visits her class.
A boy in Punjab, born with weak legs that kept him from playing cricket or walking to school, grows stronger year by year on his family's farm and eventually runs marathons at over one hundred years old.
