On the Butler Bookshelf, we are focusing on strong female protagonists this week. Not Yet: The Story of an Unstoppable Skater by Zahra Lari and Hadley Davis follows a young Emirati girl named Zahra who is inspired to become a competitive figure skater after watching an ice skating movie. Even though no figure skater looks like her, she meets the readers with an empowering message of encouragement: “not yet!” Loosely based on the author Zahra Lari’s life as the first figure skater to compete internationally in a hijab, this story shows the power of strength and determination necessary to make the impossible possible.

For more empowering stories in our collection, check out the titles below!

Free Period
Written by Ali Terese
Published by Scholastic Press
Available March 5th, 2024!

Force of Nature: A Novel of Rachel Carson
Written by Ann E. Burg and illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Published by Scholastic Press
Available March 5th, 2024!

The Girl Who Fought Back: Vladka Meed and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Written by Joshua M. Greene
Published by Scholastic Focus
Available April 16th, 2024!

Her Dark Wings
Written by Melinda Salisbury
Published by Delacorte Press
Available now!

Not Yet: The Story of an Unstoppable Skater
Written by Zahra Lari and Hadley Davis and illustrated by Sara Alfageeh
Published by Orchard Books
Available February 6th, 2024!

Shut Up, This is Serious
Written by Carolina Ixta
Published by Quill Tree Books
Available January 9th, 2024!