Relevance & Resonance
A Teen Collection for Girls
YA, or Young Adult, is a small but rapidly growing category, with credit likely due to the many magazines that now regularly feature teen serials. The teenage experience is snobby, with such an exclusive range of angst, growth, and cares. It’s at such times when looking outward and finding relevance and resonance in relatable fiction can be most powerful. Ariella Schiller describes the unique experience of writing teen fiction:
Less people can do teen writing because you have to hold on to that bit of youth and understand the angst and the emotions. The bigger the teenage stage you had, the more you think you'll always remember what it's like to be a teenager. But I feel like those people actually leave being a teen behind pretty quickly because you're finally in the safety of adulthood. I don't know if everyone's even willing to look back at it because it's such a difficult stage. You have to be willing to go back there and sit down and be like, Okay, right now the world is falling apart… It's hard.
This collection features some of the best of teen fiction for girls aged 13-18: tear-filled stories of friends and high school politics, dramatic teen superslueth adventures, and glimpses into coming-of-age in a different era.
Drama & Friendship
Bricks and Stones, Ariella Schiller - Rara’s proud to be an out-of-towner, and her community is her extended family. So her big move to the city unleashes the full spectrum of teenage angst as she struggles to figure out who she is and goes from the “other” to “one of them”. Written with the full force of teen slang and perspective, Bricks and Stones is at once introspective and hilarious.
Never too Late, Bracha Rosman - Far away in seminary, keeping secrets about her family is hard. When Tami starts to learn more about herself, the distance is overwhelming and she leans on her new sem friends and chessed family for support. A touching story of family, our pasts, and the connections we build from afar.
Silver and Gold, Zivia Reischer - This is a book that is authentically about friends and high school politics. Two girls are magically drawn together, and then must navigate the complicated web of friendship, change, and secrets. An intense but light read that is so teen-relatable.
Where There’s a Will, Brocha Rosman - Recently orphaned, three siblings are caught in a battle of lifestyles. Their aunt’s warm Boro Park home is foreign, but as they try to acclimate, the pull back to San Fransisco keeps them in the past. This story has everything at once - it is moving, funny, and relatable, and the struggles Lauren and her siblings go through feel familiar to any girl navigating family and friendship.
Adventure & Mystery
School of Secrets Series, Ruthie Pearlman - I get questions about School of Secrets multiple times a week, and we can’t keep copies on the shelves for more than minutes. The series of 8 crime mysteries (going on 10!) follow Yael Reed’s career as a wannabe superslueth and the chilling crimes she gets caught up in. Yael is escaping a tumultuous past she knows little about, and her dangerous undercover adventures slowly bring her closer to family. Girls are crazy about the intense suspense that each book features, along with Yael’s signature fearlessness and sarcasm. Some titles feature violence.
Don’t Look Back, Brocha Rosman - When their mother lands in the wrong place at the wrong time, a family of four finds themselves on the run and must disappear. A unique and surprising mystery with a touching struggle of a family making changes and adapting to their bizarre new circumstances
Kaleidoscope, Ester Toker - In a Polish village, a homeless foundling is used by partisans for their most dangerous schemes, until a mysterious benefactor appears. Devorah thought she’d be a star Madricha, but is struggling with a class dominated by one daring girl. A thriving textiles company is undermined from within, and its most trusted employees are suspect. Kaleidoscope brings the fast-moving multi-plot thrillers we’re familiar with to teens, making for a uniquely mysterious, dramatic, and delightful adventure.
Historical Fiction
Esperanza, Sarah Feldbrand - (1546) After an unsuccessful escape from the Inquisition, father and daughter both fight to rebuild their lives on foreign territory, thinking the other is gone. Somewhat more historical leaning, Esperanza’s enchanting strong personality guides us through the Italian Jewish community, as she reacts to the superficiality she sees in her friends and tries to make a difference
Ruby Zucker, Esther Malky Neiman - (1916) An adventurous and engaging boarding school tale. Tucked away in an elite Jewish society of the early 20th century, Ruby is ready to grow up. Against the backdrop of the WWI homefront, Ruby and her friends extend themselves, have fun, and discover who they are. A light read, Ruby Zucker is charmingly descriptive with a Victorian-era feel.
The Stars Will Guide You, Miriam Walfish - (1943) On a starry night in Rome, Rica’s father leaves her with a cryptic message, warns her to run, and disappears. She arrives with her brother in a small Catholic village to find they are just 2 of many Jewish children taking refuge there. With Rica as their protector, the children stick together through the travails of wartime and their search for family after liberation. A suspenseful and uplifting story about survival and rebuilding.
The Youngest Bride, Menucha Chana Levin - (1850) In the face of Cantonist terror, Raizel faces an unusual outcome. She embarks on her new marriage as a 12-year-old, and begins a fascinatingly unique growing-up journey. Sweet and wholesome, we meet her vibrant family and community and are enthralled by a foreign experience of teenagehood.
Short Stories
Onions Always Make Me Cry, Sterna Citron and Nechama Dina Smith
Find more great teen choices in our Crossover collection -