“Parable of the Sower” Is Now, Says Gen Z
Young people who have read Octavia Butler’s 1993 novel say it’s not only prescient, but also carries lessons for today.
Books
Young Readers Find Hope—and Escape—in Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books
Reading science fiction and fantasy can help young people learn how to cope with stress and anxiety.
Revamped
What the evolution of vampire fiction tells us about modern society.
8 Books for Insight and Inspiration
YES! staff members recommend reads that provoke thought and prompt action.
Happy Endings for Queer Characters
An interview with the playful, prefigurative, beloved and sometimes banned author, T.J. Klune.
11 Books to Give and Share
YES! staff recommend books that influenced and entertained us this year.
A Bigger Picture Gives Our Ancestors Their Full Humanity
“The Dawn of Everything” confronts deep assumptions about how human society developed from its humble origins.
By Tracing Addiction to Childhood Trauma, Can We Find Compassion?
“Our job, as human beings, is to learn from our suffering.”
Reverberations as a Generation Takes a Knee
With a simple gesture, Colin Kaepernick started a movement.
Children’s Author Tells the True Story of Columbus’ Exploits
Oriel María Siu’s new children’s book explodes the myth of Christopher Columbus as a celebrated explorer and re-centers Indigenous narratives of how the Americas were colonized.
Grief as Pandemic in an Afrofuturist Novel
In adrienne maree brown’s new work of speculative fiction, grief is a pandemic that devastates Detroit.
Identity and Islamophobia in a Post-9/11 Graphic Novel for Teens
In “Piece by Piece: The Story of Nisrin’s Hijab,” a young teen struggles to define her identity in the aftermath of a hate crime.
How to Recapture Your Imagination
A celebrated storyteller draws on myth and metaphor to direct our gaze away from the screen and toward the wonder of the world.
6 Books That Bring the Asian American Experience Out of the Margins
In memoir and nonfiction, these authors navigate big themes and resist stereotypes.
Tough Love for Mediocre White Guys
Getting White men to give up dominance is a challenge.
Asian American Sisters in the Movement for Racial Liberation
A look back at inter-racial solidarity between Black Americans and Asian Americans, from Nobuko Miyamoto in “Not Yo’ Butterfly.”
It Takes a Village. After an Accident, I Found One
Sonora Jha was new to America and on her own with a 6-year-old when she was injured in a car accident. But she found a new community willing to help out—with songs, play dates, and kimbap.
A Little Cat in a Big War
In “The Little War Cat,” concepts of war and trauma are introduced to young children in a way that is age-appropriate and invites them to feel empathy.
Native Family Values: Writing “The Whale Child”
A brother-and-sister writing team bring Native culture and love of family to an environmental story for children.
8 Books to Light a Dark Season
How would you describe 2020? Alarming, chaotic, enraging, or all of the above? Here are some brilliant books to help you make sense of it all and get ready for a new year.
An Economy Built on Sharing
Instead of conspicuous consumption, try the conspicuous sharing of “Buy Nothing.”
Why Pessimism About the Pandemic Is a Good Thing
We can find hope in a perspective that does not mask the worst that can happen to us.
The Next Election Is About the Next 10,000 Years
Dramatic climate action is critical because we’re about to cross tipping points that are not reversible.
10 Books Climate Activists Are Reading Now
Prepare to be informed and inspired!
How Controversy Over “American Dirt” Inspired a Movement for Change
Latinx writers are demanding accountability from the publishing industry—and encouraging the public to read responsibly.
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