Not all rebels sport tattoos. Sultana, age 16, rebels by wearing the Muslim hijab – a cloth that covers her face and body – so people will focus on her intelligence and spirit rather than her physical appearance. “It seems strange,” she writes in Rebel, Rogue, Mischievous Babe, “that a little piece of cloth would make for such controversy.” Controversial choices – over attire, sexuality, relationships, and jobs – are what make the girls in Sharlene Azam’s book powerful and inspiring.

Azam (founder of Reluctant Hero, a magazine for girls who reject the how-to-snag-a-boyfriend focus of other teen publications) begins each chapter with an insightful, well-researched discussion of important issues and societal myths as well as a personal anecdote. (“It seemed only fair that if I was going to ask young people to share their stories… I should do the same.”) Her writing is candid and entertaining, her tone that of a reassuring, unshockable big sister. The essays written by girls (and a few boys) from age 10 to 22 are astonishing in their maturity and scope – from Audra’s hilarious account of her “frankenboobs” (one A-cup, one D-cup breast,) to Christine’s thoughtful essay on child labour. The first-hand accounts (of, for example, teen parenthood, bisexuality, and attending raves) help Azam achieve her stated aim of arming girls with knowledge so they can make informed decisions when faced with difficult situations. A few more first-hand accounts on topics such as sexually transmitted diseases, incest, and date rape would have made the collection more complete, but even without them Rebel is an extraordinary treasure for girls, parents, teachers, and writers of YA/teen fiction.

Tanya Lloyd’s book profiles 29 young women from Canada’s past and present who weren’t content with the status quo and made their mark in some way. A few of her choices are familiar (Marilyn Bell, the youngest person to swim the English Channel), and some are surprising (Esther Brandeau, who arrived in New France in 1738 disguised as a ship’s boy).

The format is similar to that of Michelle Roehm’s excellent Girls Who Rocked the World series (Beyond Words Publishing), but unfortunately Lloyd’s book delivers less substance. The biographies are shorter (500 words on average compared with 1,800 in Roehm’s). Some girls are interesting historical figures but to say they “rocked the world” is a stretch, and many of the present-day girls’ quotes are disappointing (“When I grow up I would like to be the richest businesswoman ever” and “I want to ride on the Zamboni at a hockey game because I always thought they were really ‘cool.’”)

The flippant tone extends to the author’s bio page as well: “At 21, she [Lloyd] turned her hand to writing travel books, raving about the beauty of places that she had never actually visited.” (Amusing, but it impairs her credibility.) Blank space is abundant and illustrations are occasionally duplicated on facing pages, leaving the impression that Lloyd couldn’t find enough powerful, inspiring young women to adequately fill her book. Sidebars mention what girls have accomplished in other countries, and web sites are listed for readers who want more information, but if what they’re searching for is truly “rocking” Canadian girls, Sharlene Azam’s book is a good place to start.