"We write the stories we are most adept at telling at the time they are ready to come out of us. I think that can happen at any age and I also think there are books we’re not prepared to write at 50 or 15 or 80, for a multitude of reasons that often have more to do with us as people than as writers. Age and life experience absolutely matter, but less as a constraint than as a factor in where the writer is in life and what kind of stories we’re compelled to tell. There’s never a wrong age to tell the story that is aching inside of you."

- Leila Mottley on writing and publishing “Nightcrawling” at a young age

Writing or Reflection Prompt: What is “the story that is aching inside of you”? Do you worry that you’re too young or too old to tell it? And if so, why?

That’s a wrap on Youth Authors Week!

The week may be over, but we hope you’ll keep exploring youth writing. As for us, we’ll keep supporting young writers all throughout the year, so that more books like Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley can come into being and so that young writers can “tell the story that is aching inside of them,” no matter what age they are.

If you’re a young writer or you know a young writer in your life, consider applying or sharing the application to our publishing program, the Rising Voices Collective. If you like what we’re doing, consider donating to support our work. Thanks for being here!

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• "Out Where the Bluebirds Flew" by B. Star is a stunning lyrical exploration of book censorship, hope, family, and how the small things we can do for one another still matters, even when it feels like we're powerless.

• "Red Status" by Chase Kim, a powerful story thoughtfully exploring anti-Asian racism and authoritarianism, begins when an Asian-American boy is forcibly taken from his home to a Covid-19 "protection camp."

• "Up Above and Inside Out" by Isla McCullough, following a girl determined to save both the "real world" and Bry, the world of her imagination, reflects a deep concern for climate change and a belief that all of us can make a difference.

Today’s prompt is inspired by B. Star’s explanation of why she wrote a short story about book censorship: “Sometimes, the best way to heal the world is just to talk about the wound which exists, no matter how many people wish to pretend it isn’t there at all.”

Writing or Reflection Prompt: What is “the wound which exists” that you want to talk about? What do you wish we’d stop pretending isn’t there at all?

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Read "Out Where the Bluebirds Flew"

“The carpenter’s daughter saw her gently placing each in the little free libraries around her street, and so the carpenter’s daughter went up and asked for a book with a family that looked like hers - two daddies and an adorable baby, please. The girl obliged, passing her a picture book about a family of penguins called And Tango Makes Three. Birds. Check. Two daddies. Also check. The carpenter’s daughter smiled and hugged the book to her chest.”

- B. Star, “Out Where the Bluebirds Flew”

Read "Red Status"

“No COVID means Green Status. We each have a little plastic card that gives us access to places at camp. You begin with yellow “Neutral Status” that’ll only give you access to certain parts. Good deeds and behavior earn you more points, pushing you in the good ‘Green Status.’ Poor actions give you ‘Red Status.’ Everything here seems determined by this little card. Like First-Class, Green-Status-Citizens get special treatment, extra goodies, and early access to facilities. Red-Status-Citizens are ‘revoked of their privileges.’ The guards repeat it to us like a threat:

Red equals Regret. You don’t want to be Red, kid.”

- Chase Kim, “Red Status”

Read "Up Above and Inside Out"

“Her parents were at work, and wouldn’t be home for hours, so she opened her sketchbook. Inside was the half finished drawing of a forest. Today she started to draw Earth, detailing the stars and space around it. Soon enough, the colors of her bedroom started to fade and swirl, dropping her down, down down.”

- Isla McCullough, “Up Above and Inside Out”

We’re accepting applications for new youth authors!

The authors you learned about today, B. Star, Chase, and Isla, are all alumni of our youth publishing program, the Rising Voices Collective. If you’re a young writer or you know a young writer in your life, consider applying or sharing the application. We’d love to help bring your story to life.

Learn more about our publishing program

You can also stay up-to-date with our reading recommendations for Youth Authors Week by following us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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“We chose Massey's piece - published in our most recent Issue - because it is a story within a story, a powerful testament to the people we once were who lose their innocence and are commended on a strength they did not develop intentionally. She makes her words a home for her past self and the values she held close. Sonderful's underlying philosophy is that our emotions don't need explanations, our pockets of solitude should be treasured, and we have a right to self-expression.”

-The Team at Sonderful

Learn more about Sonderful

Read "Dear Younger Me"

“You’re not broken. No matter how long chemistry tests take you, you are not broken. No matter how many times you forgot to refill your medicine, you are not broken. Be prepared, the lady at church will tell you that today she prayed for God to fix you and she will keep praying for you until he does.”

- Savannah Massey, “Dear Younger Me”

Writing or Reflection Prompt: What words did your younger self need to hear?

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The Youth Authors Week Coalition

We’re so grateful to the team at Sonderful for joining us in forming a coalition of organizations that publish youth writing, so that we can work together to lift up all of our youth authors, not just the ones at Novelly.

“Sonderful's partnership with Novelly represents the heart of our mission and truly a full-circle moment for our story. As teen writers who have been constantly rejected, frustrated, and isolated by the traditional publishing process - we found solace in peer writing communities and mentors. But we were the more fortunate ones who found guidance on our long publishing journeys. Everyone has a story and every writer deserves to share their unique form of expression, which is where our name 'sonder' originates. By founding our literary magazine and partnering with a publishing company to amplify the teen voice, we hope to lay the foundation for young activists across the globe.”

- Anshi Purohit, Co-Founder, Sonderful

If you publish youth writing, consider joining our coalition!

Join the Coalition

You can also stay up-to-date with our reading recommendations for Youth Authors Week by following us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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Frankenstein, and The Outsiders, both written when Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and S.E. Hinton, respectively, were teenagers, are great reminders that young writers have long been transforming us with the power of their words and their stories. When asked why The Outsiders remains popular almost 60 years after it was published, S.E. Hinton shared, "Every teenager feels that adults have no idea what's going on. That's exactly the way I felt when I wrote The Outsiders. Even today, the concept of the in-group and the out-group remains the same.”

The theme for today’s picks are the powerful images, themes, and emotions driving young writers: dreams and nightmares, in the case of Frankenstein, and intolerance and violence, in the case of The Outsiders.

“As a child I scribbled; and my favourite pastime, during the hours given me for recreation, was to “write stories.” Still I had a dearer pleasure than this, which was the formation of castles in the air — the indulging in waking dreams — the following up trains of thought, which had for their subject the formation of a succession of imaginary incidents. My dreams were at once more fantastic and agreeable than my writings.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, in the introduction to the 1831 edition of Frankenstein

Famously, the idea behind Frankenstein came to Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley in her dreams, or perhaps more accurately, her nightmares: “I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life, and stir with an uneasy, half vital motion."

Writing or Reflection Prompt: What stories are calling to you in your sleep, asking to be written?

“One day a friend of mine was walking home from school and these "nice" kids jumped out of a car and beat him up because they didn't like his being a greaser. This made me mad and I just went home and started pounding out a story about this boy who was beaten up while he was walking home from the movies--the beginning of The Outsiders. I was just something to let off steam. I didn't have any grand design. I just sat down and started writing it. I look back and I think it was totally written in my subconscious or something.”

- S.E. Hinton, in an interview with The Outsiders Fan Club

Writing or Reflection Prompt: What do you see happening around you that angers you, and how would you remake your corner of the world in a story?

You can also stay up-to-date with our reading recommendations for Youth Authors Week by following us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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Inspired by the impact of our friends at Banned Books Week in shining a light on the surge of book challenges in libraries, bookstores, and schools, we’re relaunching our newsletter and social media as Youth Authors Week by Novelly, a campaign celebrating the contributions of young people to literature, not just at Novelly but more broadly.

Learn more about Youth Authors Week

Why Youth Authors Week?

The problem has never been a lack of talent, but a lack of a spotlight.

We’ve noticed for a long that inspiring youth writing is being published online every day, but can struggle to get into the hands of readers. Youth authors, both at Novelly and in other corners of the internet, have moved us in countless ways and we know their stories can move other readers, if given the opportunity.

Reading diversely matters, including across generation.

Reading youth writing helps us discover the world through a new generation of writers, promoting intergenerational understanding and inspiring creativity no matter what age you are. We know reading diversely makes us better humans, and we’re calling for an inclusion of “generation” in that conversation.

What happens now?

The Youth Advocate Toolkit

If you’re a student or you know a student who might be interested, we have a Youth Advocate Toolkit for young people who are interested in bringing youth-authored literature in their schools, libraries, and communities.

Sign up for the Youth Advocate Toolkit

Stay Tuned for 7 Days of Youth Writing!

During the inaugural Youth Authors Week from March 24 to 30, we’ll be featuring one piece of youth writing every day on this newsletter, not just from our catalog, but from other youth publishers, youth-run literary magazines, and young people themselves.

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You’ll also be able to stay up-to-date with our reading recommendations by following us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

There’s a wonderful world of youth-authored literature out there and we’re honored to be your guide.

A schmaltzer, or emotion stealer, finds herself working for a rival gang in prohibition era New York City.

An ornithologist living on Venus returns to Earth for the first time since he was a teenager.

A collection of fables examine the human condition from the eyes of animals.

We’re excited to share this newest collection of ebooks in the Novelly library, some of our most imaginative and thought-provoking yet, during our virtual 2024 Youth Authors Showcase next week:

• Location: Zoom

• Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2024

• Time: 5-6 pm PST (8-9 EST)

Register for the Event

You’ll hear directly from the talented young writers who brought these stories to life, Vaani Tiwari, Chase Kim, Isla McCullough, and Weng Jun, about the inspiration and processes behind their ebooks as well as their experience in Novelly’s youth publishing program.

We hope you’ll attend and consider donating to support the publication of more youth authors and more stories like these in the new year!

Donate

Apply to be a Youth Author

It’s 100% free to participate in the 2024 program, courtesy of the AT&T Foundation. To learn more, check out our website and Frequently Asked Questions.

Meet 2023 Youth Author Chase Kim

Chase and his novella, Red Status, are shining examples of how youth authors and their stories can make the world a better place. Red Status follows a teenage boy named Sun-shin, whose world is changed forever when he’s tranquilized and kidnapped from his home. He wakes up in a “protection” camp, a government program intended to shield Asian-Americans from the brunt of Asian hate crimes—or so they’re told. Chase thoughtfully tackles themes of authoritarianism, hierarchy, and racism, all while keeping readers on the edge of their seat ‘til the end.

Read Red Status by Chase Kim

We’re looking for timely and imaginative story ideas like Red Status that reflect what young people care about. Your story is what’s missing in literature. We’ll help you bring it to life.

What has been Chase’s experience as part of the Rising Voices Collective?

Drawing inspiration from history's most influential creative advocates—Harper Lee, George Orwell, James Baldwin, to name a few—I've always tried to advocate for my experiences and beliefs through my writing. Yet, as a high school student, I've seldom had opportunities to share my ideas with a broad audience. Through Novelly's Rising Voices Collective, not only was my novella Red Status published to Novelly's national platform, it was refined and elevated through close collaboration with mentors, editors, and even graphic designers. In addition, speaking to peers about Red Status and creative expression has allowed me to reinforce my novella's impact as an allegory against anti-Asian hate.

Apply to Get Published

We look forward to reading your story ideas. Please contact our Managing Director, Anna Casalme (anna@novelly.org), if you have any questions.

Listening to Student Voices

Too often, the justification for book censorship in classrooms and schools is the “protection of students.” But what do students actually think?

As one of our young readers shared, “Reading these books completely opened my mind to new ideas, perspectives, and stories I never would've known about without reading these books…. They help us develop empathy, gain knowledge that might be unattainable to us, see figures we relate to, and give us the power to speak our truth and fight for what we believe is right, and this is something I hope more students get to experience.”

The answer is more books in schools, not fewer, especially books by diverse youth voices that authentically reflect how students are processing the world.

Donate

Supporting Youth Authors

In 2023, our youth authors wrote wildly creative and imaginative stories like:

• A dystopian novella about an Asian-American boy who is forcibly put into a camp during the Covid-19 pandemic and escapes

• A magical realism novella about a young girl who travels between different dimensions and is forced to confront extreme climate events in both of her worlds

• A fantasy novella about a princess living a double life and that thoughtfully includes representation of black, albino, and LGBTQ+ characters

You can watch them talk about their world-building approaches in a webinar that they did with National Novel Writing Month:

In 2024, not only do we want to publish more diverse and talented teenage authors, but we also have exciting plans to get these books into English classrooms (hint: it involves The National Writing Project!).

Our next cohort of youth authors will get to writing in Summer 2024. This Giving Tuesday, we hope you’ll consider donating and help one more youth author bring their book to life.

Support a Youth Author

Stories by Youth Authors. Amplified.

Novelly’s mission is to publish literature by diverse youth authors and get youth authors taught in every 8th to 12th grade English classroom. Novelly is a project of Independent Arts & Media, which is a 501c3 non-profit (EIN: 94-3355076). If you would like to make a tax-deductible corporate donation or sponsor a youth author, please contact us at anna@novelly.org.

Maira E. is a Canada-based student, dedicated to using technology, policy, and advocacy to serve her community. As part of Novelly’s SPEAK! Activist Network, Inaaya immersed herself in coursework on the freedom to read movement and made plans to diversify bookshelves in Florida.

Maira is planning an exciting in-person event designed to promote the goals of the SPEAK! Activist Network.

Thank you for fighting for our freedom to read, Maira! ✨

Respond with Rationales

Learn how to defend those frequently challenged titles with Book Rationales from the NCTE. Rationales are important tools for educators and school librarians to use in selecting and defending books. NCTE members have access to a database of rationales.

View Example Rationales

Join the freedom to read movement

→ Explore the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)’s Intellectual Freedom Center.

→ Read and share a piece from the Novelly library that would likely be banned or challenged.

→ If you are an 8th-12th grade English Language Arts teacher interested in amplifying diverse youth authors in your classroom, submit your interest here.

Share

Diverse Youth Voices. Amplified.

Novelly is on a mission to get e-books by underrepresented youth published and taught in the English classroom, so that every student can feel seen and inspired by what they read in school.

Subscribe now

Inaaya F. is a high school student who loves to read, write, debate global issues through Model Un, and volunteer for Teen Court! As part of Novelly’s SPEAK! Activist Network, Inaaya immersed herself in coursework on the freedom to read movement and made plans to diversify bookshelves in Florida.

Inaaya is planning to diversify bookshelves at her school library by hosting a bake sale and other fundraisers and using the money to buy books.

Thank you for fighting for our freedom to read, Inaaya! ✨

Your Banned Book Shopping List

The American Library Association (ALA) compiles a list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books each year in order to inform the public about censorship in libraries and schools. The lists are based on information from reports filed by library professionals and community members and from news stories.

1. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

Number of challenges: 151
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit

2. All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson

Number of challenges: 86
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit

3. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Number of challenges: 73
Challenged for: depiction of sexual abuse, EDI content, claimed to be sexually explicit

4. Flamer by Mike Curato

Number of challenges: 62
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit

5. (tie) Looking for Alaska by John Green

Number of challenges: 55
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit

5. (tie) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Number of challenges: 55
Challenged for: depiction of sexual abuse, LGBTQIA+ content, drug use, profanity, claimed to be sexually explicit

→ See all 13 books on the list here.

Join the freedom to read movement

→ Explore the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)’s Intellectual Freedom Center.

→ Read and share a piece from the Novelly library that would likely be banned or challenged.

→ If you are an 8th-12th grade English Language Arts teacher interested in amplifying diverse youth authors in your classroom, submit your interest here.

Share

Diverse Youth Voices. Amplified.

Novelly is on a mission to get e-books by underrepresented youth published and taught in the English classroom, so that every student can feel seen and inspired by what they read in school.

Subscribe now

In the past year, more than 2,500 books were subject to challenges and bans in the United States (PBS).

As parents, policymakers, teachers and librarians battle it out, how can we better listen to youth voices? How do students feel about censorship in the classroom and the decline of creative writing, visual arts, and performing arts opportunities in education?

On Monday, July 17th, join Novelly for an intergenerational conversation about how we can not only protect our freedom to read diverse literature but also prioritize creative expression for people of all ages.

Our youth speakers will be Harnoor Nagra, a graduating senior at Fremont High School, an alum of Novelly’s SPEAK program and an incoming freshman at Reed College, and Caroline De La Cruz, an alum of Novelly’s SPEAK program and a rising sophomore at San Francisco University High School.

This event is free to attend and open to the public.

🗺 The Ruby SF - 23rd Street and Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA
🗓 Monday, July 17
⏰ 7 - 8:30pm PDT

Claim Tickets

Novelly is on a mission to get e-books by underrepresented youth published and taught in the English classroom, so that every student can feel seen and inspired by what they read in school.

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Caroline D. is a rising high school sophomore who loves taking hikes, swimming, playing volleyball, and spending time with her family! As part of Novelly’s SPEAK! Activist Network, Caroline immersed herself in coursework on the freedom to read movement and made plans to diversify bookshelves in California.

Caroline is planning a dynamic social media campaign designed to promote the goals of the SPEAK! Activist Network. Thank you for fighting for our freedom to read, Caroline! ✨

If you’re in the Bay Area, consider coming out to hear Caroline speak on Monday, July 17th at Novelly’s upcoming Free to Read Event at The Ruby. As parents, policymakers, teachers and librarians battle it out, how can we better listen to youth voices? How do students feel about censorship in the classroom and the decline of creative writing, visual arts, and performing arts opportunities in education? Caroline and fellow Novelly alum Harnoor Nagra will offer their thoughts in a discussion facilitated by Novelly’s Founder and Executive Director Anna Gabriella Casalme.

Speak up on social media

Our partner organization, We Need Diverse Books, launched a new Book Save Lives campaign in December 2022. The campaign employs a three-pronged strategy to directly address book bans and champion diverse titles.

• The Books Save Lives Grant will allocate up to $10,000 for schools to purchase diverse titles for their libraries and classrooms. We will prioritize grants for schools located in areas most impacted by book bans and censorship.

• Working with the grassroots organizations in battleground states, WNDB will produce educational resources to bolster their on-the-ground efforts, arrange author visits, and support media specialists and educators as they navigate book bans. WNDB will produce a guide for educators to help them conduct conversations around banned books, and encourage literacy.

• Finally, WNDB will offer support to diverse authors in the form of book buys, publicity for challenged titles, and paid school visits, all to bolster income.

📷 Join their social media campaign! → Take a photo of yourself with the book that saved your life and share its impact in your life. Post your text and image to your social media accounts with the hashtag #BooksSaveLives.

Let's show the power of a story and why the book bans must stop!

Join the freedom to read movement

→ Explore the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)’s Intellectual Freedom Center.

→ Read and share a piece from the Novelly library that would likely be banned or challenged.

→ If you are an 8th-12th grade English Language Arts teacher interested in amplifying diverse youth authors in your classroom, submit your interest here.

Diverse Youth Voices. Amplified.

Novelly is on a mission to get e-books by underrepresented youth published and taught in the English classroom, so that every student can feel seen and inspired by what they read in school.

Subscribe now

Angelina S. is a rising high school sophomore who loves animals, music, and reading literature (especially fantasy novels)! As part of Novelly’s SPEAK! Activist Network, Angelina immersed herself in coursework on the freedom to read movement and made plans to diversify bookshelves in California.

Angelina’s campaign involved hanging posters around her school’s campus to promote the goals of the SPEAK! Activist Network. She also plans to distribute information via her school’s English Department’s online forums.

Thank you for fighting for our freedom to read, Angelina! ✨

Book Challenges Nearly Doubled From 2021-2022

In March 2023, the American Library Association (ALA) released new data documenting 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022, the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago. The unparalleled number of reported book challenges in 2022 nearly doubles the 729 challenges reported in 2021.

In 2022, a record 2,571 unique titles were targeted for censorship, a 38% increase from the 1,858 unique titles targeted for censorship in 2021. Of those titles, the vast majority were written by or about members of the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color.

→ Learn more in this press release from the ALA.

Join the freedom to read movement

→ Explore the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)’s Intellectual Freedom Center.

→ Read and share a piece from the Novelly library that would likely be banned or challenged.

→ If you are an 8th-12th grade English Language Arts teacher interested in amplifying diverse youth authors in your classroom, submit your interest here.

Diverse Youth Voices. Amplified.

Novelly is on a mission to get e-books by underrepresented youth published and taught in the English classroom, so that every student can feel seen and inspired by what they read in school.

Subscribe now

Addy G. is a rising high school junior who loves dance, dogs, and fighting for what's right! As part of Novelly’s SPEAK! Activist Network, Addy immersed herself in coursework on the freedom to read movement and made plans to diversify bookshelves in South Carolina.

Addy's recently-executed campaign involved personally contacting South Carolina state senators about book bans.

Thank you for fighting for our freedom to read, Addy! ✨

Behind the Name

The name SPEAK! was inspired by the novel by Laurie Halse Anderson. Speak was one of the top books challenged between 2000-2009, and exemplifies why we're so passionate about the freedom to read. We're on a mission to get youth authors published and taught, because we believe that students have the right to see their voices represented in the curriculum. We hope our SPEAK! activists feel empowered to SPEAK! up for their own learning and for their peers in the face of social injustice in classrooms, libraries, or elsewhere.

Join the freedom to read movement

Are you aware of book ban attempts in your community?

→ PEN America, the NCAC, and the American Library Association are actively collecting data on censorship attempts to support their advocacy work. Report censorship attempts using their confidential online forms.

→ Mark your calendar and make plans to participate in this year’s Banned Books Week (October 1 - 7, 2023).

→ Amplify Addy’s work by sharing this post with a friend or colleague interested in amplifying diverse youth voices in and out of the classroom.

Share

Diverse Youth Voices. Amplified.

Novelly is on a mission to get e-books by underrepresented youth published and taught in the English classroom, so that every student can feel seen and inspired by what they read in school.

Subscribe now

What do you hope your legacy will be as a writer or author? What is the most helpful thing you've learned about your own writing and editing process? These questions and more will be answered in live virtual panel discussion featuring talented young writers. While this webcast will focus on young writers, the advice and discussion is applicable to every writer. 

Tune In on YouTube

About the hosts: 

Harnoor (she/her) is a high school senior from the Bay Area. She is passionate about the arts, climate change, and social justice. She proudly identifies as both Indian American and LGBTQ+. She is a founding member of her school’s chapter of the Bay Area Student Activists and a graduate of the Novelly’s SPEAK! Leadership Acadamy. She loves writing, indie music, art history, and trivia. In her free time, she likes to write short stories and go on walks. 

Emdya (she/her), also referred to as Emdy or Em, is a 16 year old female in Florida, who was born in Cuba. She adores the art of poetry and contemporary/modern dance. In her free time, Emdya enjoys writing for several hours while drinking an Iced Caramel Latte. Emdya also partakes in weightlifting, and research on political and current events. Emdya hopes to express positivity and kindness to all; she believes that the world would be a better place if we all were a little kinder to each other. She is passionate about access to effective education to all, STEM encouragement, and community service 

About the panelists:

Mena Williams is an eighteen-year-old African American female who lives in Miami, Florida. She is an undergraduate student at the University of Redlands where she is currently studying for a degree in Music Composition and Creative Writing. During quarantine, the Black Lives Matter protests inspired her to write and share this story. She hopes to spread awareness to be strong in the face of danger. Read “The Untold History” in the Novelly library.

Maya Henry is a happy crier, cherry tomato enthusiast, and historical fiction reader living in California. When not writing, you'll find them drinking iced coffee, debating whether or not to get bangs, or talking animatedly about how adorable their dog, Cozy, is. Read “De-Cocooned” in the Novelly library.

Born the son of two Argentine immigrants is San Diego, California, Eluney Gonzalez is a high school junior and aspiring writer based in Florida. In his writing, he draws on his experiences in American, Spanish, and Argentine cultures to express his personal experiences with immigrants and cultural integration. Read “When We Get There” in the Novelly library.

Diverse Youth Voices. Amplified.

Novelly is on a mission to get e-books by underrepresented youth published and taught in the English classroom, so that every student can feel seen and inspired by what they read in school.

Subscribe now

Read it Now

"Athena" by David Chen is a journey and document of the poet's exploration of his relationships with the three members of his family—his father, mother, and sister—through each of the three poems—Wisdom, War, and Athena, respectively—in the collection.

Read it Now

Year of the Rat by Alissa Xiao is a poignant poem that explores the anti-Asian racism that has risen due to the emergence of COVID-19.

Read it Now

Compiled and edited by Charlotte Yeung in partnership with the International Human Rights Art Festival, “Youth Speaks: Human Rights in Verse” is an anthology containing “poems from youth as young as 4 and as old as 20.” In Charlotte’s words, “These poems are a combination of experiences, lived and inspired by topics ranging from historical colonialism and racism to mental health and modern fights for freedom. The poets in this anthology are the future, the heart of the world.“

📽 Catch David, Alissa, and Charlotte on @NaNoWriMo’s YouTube Channel!

Explore Your Writing Identity and Voice was presented live in collaboration with Novelly’s Read to Heal podcast. Join 4 Novelly authors as they discuss why they write and how their identity impacts their writing.

Watch the Recording

Diverse Youth Voices. Amplified.

Novelly is on a mission to get e-books by underrepresented youth published and taught in the English classroom, so that every student can feel seen and inspired by what they read in school.

Subscribe now

Why do you write? How do you think your identity informs your voice as a writer? These questions and more will be answered by a panel of talented young writers on Tuesday, March 21st at 5:00 PM PT. Hosts Madi and Emdya of the Read to Heal podcast from Novelly will lead the discussion. While this webcast will focus on young writers, the advice and discussion is applicable to every writer. 

Tune in on YouTube

About the Hosts: 

Madi (she/her): Madeline Terry is a junior in high school from Los Angeles, California. She is a proud first-generation American and was raised in a multi-racial household. For the past four years, Madeline has been involved with Novelly, giving her an opportunity to combine her passion for social justice with her love for reading. She has served as a youth designer in the early days of Novelly and, more recently, was a head editor for Novelly’s youth-run blog. When she’s not doing schoolwork, Madeline enjoys playing board games with her family, watching bad teen movies with her sister, and going to the beach. 

Emdya (she/her): Emdya, also referred to as Emdy or Em, is a 16 year old female in Florida, who was born in Cuba. She adores the art of poetry and contemporary/modern dance. In her free time, Emdya enjoys writing for several hours while drinking an Iced Caramel Latte. Emdya also partakes in weightlifting, and research on political and current events. Emdya hopes to express positivity and kindness to all; she believes that the world would be a better place if we all were a little kinder to each other. She is passionate about access to effective education to all, STEM encouragement, and community service 

About the Panelists

Alissa Xiao: Alissa Xiao is currently a sophomore studying public health and English at Furman University in South Carolina. She enjoys writing and sharing her experience as a Chinese-American. She hopes to inspire and connect people all around the world with her writing. Read "Year of the Rat" in the Novelly library.

Charlotte Yeung: Charlotte Yeung is the 2023 Midwest Regional Ambassador and National Youth Poet Laureate Finalist, 2022 Hiroshima ICAN US Rep, and the author of *Rippling Fire*. As the 2022 Indy Youth Poet Laureate, she often wrote and performed poetry related to social issues such as climate change and the humanitarian impacts of war. She is the founder and leader of a poetry workshop for women and girls in Afghanistan. She has also tutored Afghan refugees and went to Hiroshima where she spoke with hibakusha (survivors of the nuclear bomb) about their experiences in Hiroshima in the aftermath of the atomic bomb. She has been published by Carnegie Hall, the New York Times, and other platforms. She is the author of *Isabelle and the Magic Bird*, an Amazon Bestseller and #1 New Release. She will compete for the National Youth Poet Laureate title in late April. In her free time, she likes to read, learn languages, and watch Monty Python. Read “Rippling Fire” in the Novelly library.

David Chen: David Chen is currently a senior at Phillips Exeter Academy and will attend Columbia University in the fall. He primarily writes prose but also dabbles in script and poetry. His work has been recognized by Novelly, the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and YoungArts, and is in Ripple Lit. He is also a co-EiC of Aster Lit (@LitAster on Twitter and @aster.lit on Instagram). In his free time, he enjoys singing with his a cappella groups and doing mock trial with his team. You can find him at @davidsongchen on both Twitter and Instagram. Read “Athena” in the Novelly library.

Mira Jiang: Mira Jiang is a first year at Harvard University. Her work has been published by various literary magazines including Flash Fiction Online and Hobart and recognized by the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest. Apart from writing, she enjoys reading, dancing, and drinking matcha lattes. Read “River of Stars” in the Novelly library.

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I am a black person

skin color that of warm caramel

So when people see me

they think I’m every race but who I am

My speech isn’t the norm

for my people

And I’m not very outgoing

I’m quite feeble

I don’t listen to rap or hip-hop

but when I do

It’s because there is meaning in the words

and not “gang shit with the crew”

I don’t say the n-word

and don’t always swear

I don’t get a perm

‘cause I like my natural hair

I am a black person

but my people say I’m wrong

They say I’m not one of them

that I don’t belong

I am asexual

and maybe aromantic

But people swear we don’t exist

and get quite frantic

“It’s just a phase

you’ll grow out of it”

“Are you feeling well?

you might just be sick”

I don’t get turned on

by men shirtless

Or when women

start to undress

I’ve never fallen in love

and don’t think I ever will

I don’t think that type of love

is something I can feel

I am ace and maybe aro

but others say I’m wrong

Straights and LGBTQ+ alike

say that I don’t belong

I am genderfluid

a mixture of three

But when people find out

they can’t let me be

Androgynous female is one

the first one discovered at that

Just one piece of my gender identity

to be constantly picked at

Non-binary is the second

because sometimes I’m just a being

Another piece of who I am

that I’m told means nothing

Demi-boy is the last

it came to me all of a sudden

And people swear I can’t be all of them

and it pushes my buttons

My pronouns are all them

she/her, he/him, they/them, etc.

No, not it

because I’m not an object, Deborah

I am genderfluid

but so many say I’m wrong

“You can only be one gender”

so I don’t belong

I am sometimes a woman

in the way I identify

But by my appearance

I’m always one on the outside

Men and women alike

say I exist to carry children

Well, I don’t want kids

“You are a villain”

My body must be shown off

and it must meet everyone’s standards

Well, I listen to no one

everyone will be left unanswered

I can’t be my own person

must fit the description in everyone’s minds

You think I care about that?

I am not a breed of that kind

I am sometimes a woman

but people say I am wrong

“Because a woman does this and that”

so I don’t belong

I am multicultural

identifying as mixed

But everyone has a problem

with the way I choose to exist

I am learning different languages

and identify with my roots

No matter how small a part of me

it makes up my truth

I like eating ethnic foods

and celebrating ethnic holidays

I learn the history behind them

so I hope that what I’m doing is okay

I learn about different countries

and educate myself as much as I can

But others don’t like this about me

and try to create a ban

I am multicultural

but people think I’m wrong

“You can only be one”

so I don’t belong

I am chronically ill

both physical and mental

But the world hates me for it

and everyone is so damn judgmental

I feel tired all the time

and barely have any energy

But often find myself not being able to sleep

which puts me in further jeopardy

Can barely eat anything

and feel depressed all the time

And I’m always anxious

I feel like I’m losing my mind

The media makes fun of people like me

or don’t portray us right

You think that’s a smart move?

That makes you ignorant not bright

I am chronically will

but people swear I’m wrong

“You are making things up”

so I don’t belong

I am a person

just like everyone else

Despite who I identify as

and my very bad health

I am not the villain

I am not wrong

Because I’m myself every single day

and that makes me strong

And I know that somewhere to someone

I belong

Meet Novelly’s Read to Heal Podcast Hosts

Emdya (she/her)

Emdya, also referred to as Emdy or Em, is a 16 year old female in Florida, who was born in Cuba. She adores the art of poetry and contemporary/modern dance. In her free time, Emdya enjoys writing for several hours while drinking an Iced Caramel Latte. Emdya also partakes in weightlifting, and research on political and current events. Emdya hopes to express positivity and kindness to all; she believes that the world would be a better place if we all were a little kinder to each other. She is passionate about access to effective education to all, STEM encouragement, and community service.

Harnoor (she/her)

Harnoor is a high school senior from the Bay Area. She is passionate about the arts, climate change, and social justice. She proudly identifies as both Indian American and LGBTQ+. She is a founding member of her school’s chapter of the Bay Area Student Activists and a graduate of the Novelly’s SPEAK! Leadership Acadamy. She loves writing, indie music, art history, and trivia. In her free time, she likes to write short stories and go on walks.

Madi (she/her)

Madeline (“Madi”) is a sophomore in high school from Los Angeles, California. She is a proud first-generation American and was raised in a multi-racial household. For the past three years, Madeline has been involved with Novelly, giving her an opportunity to combine her passion for social justice with her love for reading. She has served as a youth designer in the early days of Novelly and, more recently, was a head editor for Novelly’s youth-run blog. When she’s not doing schoolwork, Madi enjoys playing board games with her family, watching bad teen movies with her sister, and going to the beach.

Diverse Youth Voices. Amplified.

Novelly is on a mission to get e-books by underrepresented youth published and taught in the English classroom, so that every student can feel seen and inspired by what they read in school.

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She was the first black girl to stand against prejudice and discrimination by not giving up her seat to another white individual when asked. She was the first to get arrested and sent to jail simply for practicing her constitutional right by staying seated. She was inspired by Harriet Tubman who she had learned about in school and felt as if the spirit of both Tubman and Sojourner Truth had held her down and told her not to get up from her seat. Her name is Claudette Colvin, and this her story.

Most individuals mistake Rosa Parks for being the first woman to start this revolutionary act when in actuality it was Mrs. Colvin who had first challenged the law. At the time, Colvin was only 15 years old and returning home from school just like any other day. However, on March 12, 1955, in Montgomery Alabama, everything would change, in her life, and in the lives of many. Colvin and her friends got on the bus and sat down. Soon after, the bus seats started filling up and there were no more empty seats left, so the driver ordered Colvin and her black friends to stand, in order for the white passengers to sit. Having paid her fare, Colvin found this unfair and unconstitutional and stated that if it were a pregnant woman or an elderly person, she would have stood, but it was a healthy young woman standing. As her classmates hesitantly stood and gave their seats away, Colvin stayed put with her head held high and vowed to herself that no matter what, she would persevere and stay seated knowing this was her chance to take a stand for justice.

The bus pulled over and two police officers came in. They walked over to Colvin and stood over her asking her to move. When she refused, they pushed her to the point where her books went flying across the bus and quickly handcuffed her, but she made it clear she was not walking out without a struggle. They threw her in a car, calling her names and slurs all the way to jail. When they arrived, they threw her in a jail cell with nothing but a cot and a broken toilet. Terrified and alone, the only thing Colvin could do was recite prayers and pray for her parents to come to get her. Eventually, her mother and their pastor came and bailed her out, but the struggle did not stop here. For months after the incident, Colvin and her family feared getting attacked, so her community acted as lookouts, and her father would stay up all night with a shotgun in case the Ku Klux Klan showed up.

Soon, letters started flooding the NAACP, or the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, with one of the letters landing in the hands of the secretary of the organization, Rosa parks. After reading about what Claudette Colvin had done, she was immensely inspired and even partnered up with Colvin, eventually becoming very close friends.

After some time had passed, the president of the NAACP declared that they must organize a bus boycott, using Claudette Colvin’s arrest, as the main reason for the boycott. However, this is where the issue starts to arise. The rest of the committee decided on not using Colvin as the face of this movement because she had a dark complexion, and was only 15, so they knew that white allies would not support their anti-segregation movement. They decided, though, to have Rosa Parks, as the face of the movement, as she was a well known and respected member of her community and her complexion was what people associated with the middle class. The board decided she would best fit the face to lead this movement, so that’s when Parks made the move to sit in the white section of the bus, eventually getting arrested and sent to jail.

Finish reading the essay in the Novelly Library.

How much do you really know about the civil rights movement outside of the basic information you’re taught in school? In today’s episode, the Youth Ambassadors dive into Sohaila Ammar’s passionate essay “The Real Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.” In this essay, Sohaila highlights courageous conversations that should be had about Rosa Parks and the overshadowing of Claudette Colvin.

Watch on YouTube

Watch/Listen on Spotify

Diverse Youth Voices. Amplified.

Novelly is on a mission to get e-books by underrepresented youth published and taught in the English classroom, so that every student can feel seen and inspired by what they read in school.

Subscribe now