Nomination: Eight Girls Taking Pictures
Otto, Whittney. Eight Girls Taking Pictures. 2012. 352p. Scribner Book Company, $25.00 (9781451682694). Gr. 10 and up. [aw]
Eight women photographers work to find their voices as independent artists against backdrops of war, social change, and romance.
Cordery, Stacey A. Juliette Gordon Low: The Remarkable Founder of the Girl Scouts. 2012. 400p. Viking Adult, $17.95 (978-0670023301). Gr.10-up.
The intrepid Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low overcame a terrible marriage and pursued a lifestyle free from the restraints placed on women in her era. Her founding of the Girl Scouts was groundbreaking for its inclusion of all young women regardless of race, social class, and physical abilities. Low’s legacy continues to inspire girls today.
Cashore, Kristin. Bitterblue. 2012. 576p. Dial, $19.99. (978-0-80373-473-9). Gr. 8 and up. [kpr]
Bitterblue, who became queen as a child, is now a young woman. She struggles to be a fair, effective leader and enter relationships on her own terms as her advisers coddle her.
Bickle, Laura. The Hallowed Ones. 2012. 320p. Graphia, $8.99. (978-0-54785-926-2). Gr. 8 and up. [kpr]
Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa when unrest in the outside world causes the town Elders to forbid her from leaving. Katie defies all of their commands in order to keep everyone safe and determine her own future.
Lauper, Cyndi (with Jancee Dunn). Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir. 2012. 352p. Atria Books, $26.00 (978-1439147856). Gr.9-up.
Cyndi Lauper was once named Ms. Magazine’s Woman of the Year (1984), so it should come as no surprise that “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” was intended as a feminist anthem. In this inspiring memoir, Lauper details her trials and successes, including her escape from a traumatic home life, her ascent in the music industry, and her critical work as an LGBT activist.
Light, Steve. Zephyr Takes Flight. 2012. 40p. Candlewick, $17.95 (978-1406340297). Gr, preK-1.
Zephyr, a little girl who adores airplanes, lets her imagination soar to amazing heights. Light flips gender stereotypes, and imbues his heroine’s tale with the clear meaning that no dream is ever out of reach.
Ditto, Beth with Michelle Tea. Coal to Diamonds. Oct. 2012. 176 p. Spiegel & Grau, $22.00. (978-0-3855-2591-6). Gr.9-12 [jsl]
Beth Ditto, feminist punk lead singer of The Gossip, shares her journey from humble and troubled beginnings in Arkansas to a member of a world reknown band. Ditto presents a candidly refreshing take on abuse, disease, mental breakdowns, women in entertainment, and women’s bodies.
Crow, Tracy. Eyes Right: Confessions from a Woman Marine. 2012. 198 p. University of Nebraska Press, $24.95. (978-0-8032-3504-5). Gr. 9 and up. [bbm]
Tracy Crow’s memoir depicts the efforts of a young woman in the 1980’s struggling to succeed in a man’s world while balancing her career with marriage and motherhood. Twenty-five years later, she contemplates the events that led to her leaving the Marine Corps under pressure and her response to the situation.
Whitley, Jeremy. Illustr. M. Goodwin PrinceLess: Save Yourself (Vol. 1). 2012. 116p. Action Lab Entertainment, $14.95 (978-1450798945). Gr.6-up.
Princess Adrienne doesn’t need anyone to rescue her – with her trusted dragon, Sparky, she embarks on a quest to prove that girls have the power to save themselves.
Cremer, Andrea. Rift. 2012. 448 p. Philomel, $18.99 (9780399256134). Gr. 7-11.
Ember was promised at birth to a secretive arm of the church that trains clerics, healers, and knights, and she has secretly practiced with a sword hoping to serve Canatus as a warrior. This is her opportunity to escape an arranged marriage and the narrow life women are expected to lead. [ltp]
Rise 
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