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Feminism: chat

Books on feminism for teens?

40 replies

ValancyRedfern · 11/06/2021 22:10

I would like to recommend some books to my school librarian on feminism. I am drawing a blank on books I would agree with that are written in a way that's accessible to teens. I teach at an 11-16 girls' school. Can you recommend me some fantastic proper feminist books?

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TRHR · 11/06/2021 22:12

Bad Feminist, Roxanne Gay.

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ValancyRedfern · 12/06/2021 07:40

Thanks TRHR.
I think the lack of response to this threads says a lot. Nobody seems to be writing accessible books on feminism for teens. The school library has a healthy stock of Juno Dawson books full of trans ideology, but there seems to be a lack of teen feminist literature to offer a different view.

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QueenOfAllBiscuitsandMuffins · 12/06/2021 07:57

Bad Feminist is just 1.99 on kindle at the moment (not great for your library sorry but just incase anyone else wants to read it)

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Siablue · 12/06/2021 08:03

Girl up by Laura Bates is meant to be aimed at teenagers.

I had a book called feminism for teenagers when I was a teenager. I don’t know if that is still available.

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malloo · 12/06/2021 08:11

I would be interested in some recommendations too, for DD who is 12

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ValancyRedfern · 12/06/2021 09:05

Thank you. I'll look these up.

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ValancyRedfern · 12/06/2021 09:08

I've just realised I know two great ones: We Should All be Feminists and Dear Ijeowale by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I'd forgotten them!

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Beamur · 12/06/2021 09:10

I would recommend Helen Lewis'book, Difficult Women.
It's a really good read, charts the history of certain key thinkers and activists. I particularly like the way she includes some women who as well as their good ideas, had some awful ones too! It dispels the myths around purity of thought. DD aged 14 read it recently. It also makes you see how shockingly recent some of the'rights' we take for granted (at our peril) actually are.
She's now reading Jenni Murray's book but hasn't finished yet and I haven't read it either.
Classic feminism - Germaine Greer?

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Beamur · 12/06/2021 09:11

We should all be feminists is great. Short and succinct too.

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Beamur · 12/06/2021 09:13

We're also reading'the Radical Notion' quarterly. Not sure if that would be though. Might have slightly adult language at times.

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TRHR · 16/06/2021 15:18

No problem! Also there are 'feminist books' which aren't necessarily 'about feminism ' if that makes sense, like Michelle Obamas book, Why I'm No Longer Talking to white people about race has some great feminist chapters, or girl / woman/ other, anything by Margaret Atwood

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GCmiddle · 16/06/2021 18:34

"Things a bright girl can do". It's about the suffragettes. My 14 year old loved it.

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oldwomanwhoruns · 16/06/2021 19:04

How To Be a Woman: Caitlin Moran
I thought that this was brilliant, wished that I had read it in my teens.
Interestingly, I've just been looking at some Amazon reviews, and it's one of those books which just inspire bad reviews... "crass, coarse language" etc.

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ValancyRedfern · 16/06/2021 19:12

Thanks everyone. Lots of great recommendations!

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MouseandCat · 22/06/2021 00:05

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado- Perez:. I would have been very interested to read that as a teenager

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Orangecircling · 22/06/2021 00:15

I'm reading Difficult Women and would suggest it's teenage friendly. There's a chapter about faking orgasms which all girls should read!

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onegirlandherdog · 22/06/2021 16:59

Ones I bought for my teenager, that they read:

Laurie Penny's 'Unspeakable Things'
Florence Given 'Women Don't Owe You Pretty'
bell hooks: 'The Will To Change: Men, Masculinity and Love'

Got the Paris Lees one on order.

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ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 22/06/2021 17:17

Got the Paris Lees one on order.

Given their history I don't think Paris Lees views on feminism are worth reading, and in fact may be actively damaging for a teen.

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AssassinatedBeauty · 22/06/2021 17:34

"What it feels like for a girl" by Lees is a memoir or autobiography, not a book on feminism for 11-16 year olds.

I read The Female Eunuch as a young teen, but it's probably considered sacrilegious and unsuitable these days.

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MouseyTheVampireSlayer · 22/06/2021 17:34

Not strictly feminism, but This Girl's Got Grit is a good read about a girl overcoming the challenges cerebral palsy brings.

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NeedNewKnees · 22/06/2021 17:36

How To Be A Woman and Girl Up were both hits with my niece around that age.

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ArabellaScott · 22/06/2021 17:58

Material Girls, Katharine Stock.

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UnaOfStormhold · 22/06/2021 18:08

It's fiction but The Dictionary of Lost Words is a lovely book which talks about how women's words and experiences were written out of history and dictionaries, and how important it is for women to have words to describe their experiences. There's some material about the suffragettes and suffragists too.

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PiccalilliChilli · 22/06/2021 18:09

Women and Power by Prof Mary Beard

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Astwood

I know why the caged bird sings by Maya Angelou

The Power by Naomi Alderman

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PiccalilliChilli · 22/06/2021 18:09

*Atwood, obvs

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