As a school librarian the summer “break” allows my librarian heart to run wild. I am no longer on a schedule dictated by bells every 50 minutes or alarm clocks that ring too early in the morning. I find a specific luxury in reading into the early morning hours knowing I won’t have to struggle to stay awake the following day because a midday nap is now available to me! The summer break allows my mind to relax and unwind a bit, yet I always find myself devouring a book a day as if I am starved for uninterrupted late night reads. The start to this year’s break has been no exception. Three of my most recent late night reads are ones that will definitely make it on my first round of booktalks with my high school students in August. These books feature young people confronting a world that divides rather than utilizes individual strengths to become stronger. In these main characters I see my students eager to have their voices heard and looking for ways to make a positive change in their communities.

Truth, Lies and the Questions in between by L.M. Elliott (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Jan. 2025) is a “docu-drama” set in 1973. Each chapter begins with newspaper excerpts from major American political events including the Watergate hearings, the movement to pass the Equal Rights Amendment and the beginning of return of our Vietnam veterans. Main character, Patty Appleton, is a high school student serving as one of the first female Congressional Pages. After being exposed to opinions and ideas that differ sharply from what she experienced in her parents home, she begins to develop her own set of political beliefs. She is conflicted between wanting to be the “perfect” daughter her parents desire her to be and the new understanding that she is developing her own set of convictions. This book is so well crafted that readers will get an authentic sense of not simply how the United States struggled with new ideas challenging long-held beliefs, but how that mirrored the personal conflict of the main character.

Lady Knight by Amalie Howard (Joy Revolution, April 2025) is a romance set in England’s Regency era and has been perfectly marketed as Robin Hood meets Dead Poet’s Society. The story features headstrong Zia, the daughter of a duke, who finds inspiration from her teacher’s instruction and discussion of the work of Mary Wollstonecraft, and her daughter Mary Shelley’s newest work, Frankenstein. The discussions that result from the study of these works energize Zia and I believe will offer a new look for our current AP students studying these texts today. Zia and her friends engage in various schemes to raise funds for young orphans and this is where the Robin Hood comparisons come to the story. There is a swoony romance perfect for fans of Lynn Painter or Kasie West and which beautifully complements the feminist ideas that run strong throughout this story.

The Writing Room by Marcia Mickelson (Lerner Publishing Group, Nov. 2025) features recent high school grad Maya, who has been cut off from her ultra wealthy father’s upscale New York City lifestyle so she can learn to appreciate the “struggle to success.” Maya now sees the other side of NYC as she sleeps on the couch in her friend’s studio apartment and attempts to make ends meet with her part time job and freelance writing gigs. She witnesses the struggles of immigrant families and the various community organizations attempting to help them and recognizes some of her own personal biases that need to be addressed. She realizes her father’s support of unethical politicians perpetuates the idea that immigrants are harmful and she decides she no longer wants to stay quiet. This beautiful book highlights the power of community and offers ways for readers to use their voices to push back against injustices.

Each of these books takes a character raised with a background of privilege and exposes them to new ideas and outlooks that differ from what has surrounded them in their societal bubbles. All three authors have researched the issues and time periods extensively to give readers a look at how some issues in our world continue to require champions to further the cause. High school readers will recognize the desire to speak up against inequity and fight for a better tomorrow for their communities.