Since 2002, the American Library Association’s Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18  has produced an annual list of fiction and nonfiction for young people, from babies to teens. Their carefully curated selections combine reader appeal with strong literary and artistic merit—and, crucially, they demand engagement with feminist themes. Any book can be read through a feminist lens, but not every book is written through one. Going beyond laudatory biographies of remarkable women that showcase individual achievements or grrl power stories divorced from a broader interrogation of social norms, Rise titles explicitly help readers become aware of restrictive structures and pressures that often go unquestioned. Developmentally, teens are ripe for this sort of content: Regardless of gender, they feel the impact of these forces, but they’re rarely given the tools to parse them. In fact, parents, religious institutions, the media, and the school curriculum frequently uphold the status quo. The YA selections on the latest Rise list, all published in 2025, support intellectual and emotional growth, inspiring young people to reflect and ask questions. Here are six novels—three historical and three contemporary—to get you started.

These works approach the past through angles generally not encountered in history classes, avoiding infodumps and grabbing readers’ attention through inventive storytelling:

Lady Knight by Amalie Howard (Joy Revolution): Fans of Regency dramas will devour this work that features a multiracial, multicultural cast in 1819 London. Lady Zenobia Osborn and her friends are well-educated young women who read Mary Wollstonecraft, question gender inequality, and seek to rectify injustice.

The Red Car to Hollywood by Jennie Liu (Carolrhoda Lab): The intriguing, culturally resonant setting of 1920s Los Angeles Chinatown comes to life in this story of Ruby Chan, who’s determined to chart her own path and avoid an arranged marriage but faces society’s racism and sexism.

Everything Is Poison by Joy McCullough (Dutton): Inspired by a real historical figure, this provocative work centers on a woman-run apothecary in 17^th-century Rome that dispenses remedies including Acqua Tofana, an untraceable poison that’s useful to women who need to discreetly rid themselves of abusive husbands.

In these stories set in the present day, relatable teens grapple with issues that will be recognizable to readers and relevant to their lives:

Run Like a Girl by Amaka Egbe (Harper/HarperCollins): In this novel celebrating persistence, aspiring Olympian Dera learns that her new high school doesn’t have a girls’ track team. Invoking her Title IX rights, she’s allowed to join the boys—but being accepted as their equal is another story.

Imposter by Cait Levin (Charlesbridge Teen): Sexism in STEM is sadly all too prevalent, but Cam Goldberg and bestie Viv set out to make their mark in this engrossing, fast-paced story. The girls join a robotics team and even create a feminist video game.

Seven for a Secret by Mary E. Roach (Disney-Hyperion): This dark, absorbing mystery explores the vulnerability of girls in foster care. After finding the dead body of a man associated with her old group home, Nev investigates the truth about what happened to all the girls who went missing.

Laura Simeon is a young readers’ editor.