Standing Your Ground: Speaking Up, Pushing Back, and Finding Your People

Three powerful new YA novels explore what it means to speak up, push back, and stay true to yourself in the face of injustice. Frederick Joseph’s This Thing of Ours tells the story of Ossie, a Black teen athlete whose career-ending injury forces him to reimagine his future—and take a stand when a beloved writing program receives “anti-woke” backlash. Jasminne Mendez shares The Story of My Anger, following Yulieta, a Texas teen who channels her frustration over a racist community into a guerrilla theater movement that refuses to be silenced. And Ebony LaDelle’s This Could be Forever offers a heartfelt romance between two college freshmen whose cross-cultural relationship becomes an act of defiance against family expectations. Together, these authors illuminate the courage it takes to confront prejudice and embrace your own voice.