Groundwood Books’ Girls With Grit novels share real girls’ voices, and their stories, from North America and around the world. In these books, ordinary girls overcome obstacles, make their voices heard, and stand up for what they believe in.

In 2012, Groundwood partnered with Figment, an online community for people who love to share their writing, connect with others who like to read, and discover new stories and authors. This partnership was driven by the desire to seek out stories written by teens that reflected their view of the world — demonstrating that every girl is capable of amazing feats of grit.

Figment and Groundwood received hundreds of entries to their Girls with Grit contest, but one stood out from the rest. Told from the point of view of a young woman at odds with her own mind, Phoebe demonstrates how friendship and personal strength can be harnessed to allow a person to overcome great obstacles.

Groundwood is proud to present the cover for Maya Lannen’s Phoebe. Watch our blog for a special e-book edition of Maya’s story, available next week.