This award-winning graphic novel tells, or rather shows, the autobiographical coming-of-age story of Craig Thompson. Raised in rural isolation, Craig and his younger brother Phil are both depicted as devout Christians with a knack for art. Through his teen years, however, Craig finds it hard to fit in with his peers and suffers a lot […]

This Black Mirror episode deals with the ethics of talent shows, consumerism, surveillance, and sensationalism.It features a system making people ride stationary bikes in order to earn “Merits”, a digital currency. Living in a room plastered with monitors they are forced to watch commercials or pay Merits if they want to skip them. When main […]

The dystopian sequel of The Handmaid’s Tale explores the experiences of three more characters regarding Gilead and its regime. It includes the accounts of Aunt Lydia and the two daughters of the narrating handmaid of the first book. It explains the views of someone who happened to be witness to the government takeover and is […]

This post-modern autobiographical novel mainly focuses on mental health, addressing suicide and psychological treatments. Esther Greenwood is a young woman in the 1950s aiming for an academic career. When she is almost raped during an internship far away from home, she becomes mentally unstable. Her mental health declines further as she loses her perspective of […]

This novel explores the history of sexual abuse in connection to the catholic church that was uncovered in Ireland. Odran Yates has dedicated his life to priesthood and the church. His devotion is challenged however, when revelations about child abuse emerge that destroy the church’s public image. And although he is at first reluctant to […]

This spoken word poem painfully reflects the memory of rape, abuse and sexual assault on women. The speaker demands to take responsibility and to stop making excuses – emotionally opposing trivialising statements and outlining that “no matter how many times, once, was one too many.”  The performance is suitable for a cross-curricular project on Me […]

In this poetry slam, three teenage voices tackle topics some would not even want to speak of – rape, racism, social stratification, education and equality. The spoken word poem offers perspectives on current affairs in the US from a teenage perspective and critically reflects the US school system. The empowering and passionate lines of Belissa […]

A coming-of-age novel about patriarchy, racism, social injustices and rape. Esperanza is a teenage girl living with her family in Chicago. In short episodes she tells the reader about her life, growing up on Mango Street in a poor Mexican-American community. Esperanza grows up, makes friends, falls in love and endures sexual assault. Through all […]

In this realist novel about poverty, exploitation, human trafficking and ‘modern’ slavery, 13-year-old Lakshmi lives a poor but happy life with her family in rural Nepal. When a monsoon washes away her family’s remaining crops, she is forced to take on a job. When she is tricked into moving to the city, instead of prosperity […]

A shocking story of sexual assult and trauma: Melinda is an outcast at her high school. She busted a party a while ago by calling the cops but now she refuses to publicly give a reason. Shunned by her peers, she almost stops speaking entirely – if nobody listens, what is the point in speaking? […]

This epistolary novel tells a timeless coming-of-age story from the perspective of 15-year-old introvert Charlie, who is struggling with highschool life. Whether it is finding his taste in music or finding his first love, it all holds a special challenge for him. Bright days of joy, happiness and empowerment as well as gloomy days of […]

This dystopian novel leads the reader down a dark path towards the perils of religion and oppressive patriarchy. A religious shift in the US-American government calling itself the ‘Pure Movement’ results in women being stripped of their voices: Handcuffs every woman has to wear count their spoken words and if the daily number exceeds 100, […]

An epistolary novel about oppression, abuse and the power of love. Celie is an African-American teenager who grows up in poverty with her younger sister in a small village in Georgia and is raped by her father Alphonso at the age of fourteen. Living around abusive men, Celie builds relationships with other black women and […]

This novel portrays abuse, resilience, violence and a girl fighting for her rights. The story follows 15-year-old Aiyana’s escape from a brutal patriarchal riverboat community in Arkansas in the 1930s. Having been denied any education and having suffered from her abusive father, this young heroine sets out to flee with only her grandmother and brother […]

A dystopian novel on gender, sex, fertility, rebellion, and love. In the near future, most women have become infertile and the USA have transformed into a theocracy where women are either the wives of party officials, supposed to take care of the household, or have to take part in a bizarre ritual. Offred is one […]