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This International Youth Day, together with Opera, have chosen a list of seven books to inspire youth to overcome challenges, stand up for what they believe in, and learn important 21st-century skills.

NOTE: These books can be accessed only on mobile phones and tablets. Not all are available in every country.

Against the Odds by David Sangmor

Young Kwaku Obeng, falsely accused of a crime, comes to Accra to seek his fortune and find a means of clearing his name. Homeless and penniless, virtually alone in the world, he strives against the odds in a world that owes him no favours. Will he be able to achieve his dream of becoming a medical doctor? Will his tarnished image be restored? Will he ever be able to go home again?

Books ’n Bricks at Manyano School by Sindiwe Magona

Manyano School is a scary place, no kidding. The fence has holes big enough for a grown man to run through. And grown men do. The walls of the buildings are thirsty for paint. The buildings themselves look scared. The school-yard is full of weeds and rubbish: broken bottles, out-of-shape cans, skins from long-ago-eaten bananas, mango pips and things you can no longer tell what they had been before they all got there. We never play in our school-yard. Too scared of what might happen. And a lot happens in that yard… And most of it isn’t nice stuff. Until…

An Unassuming Woman by Onis Sampson

An Unassuming Woman revolves around the struggles Belema has in finding genuine love and finding fulfillment in her acting career. The story shows a woman who finds her voice and speaks up irrespective of the forces contending against her. Belema’s experiences and her strong sense of identity and values shed light on similar struggles faced by women in today’s society.

The Chewing Stick by Medicus Appiah and Hannah Adomako

The twins from Kuronta have a set of beautiful teeth that cause many conversations among their friends when they visit Germany. Their friends make compliments about their teeth, and they try to guess what could possibly cause such perfect whiteness. Can you also guess what it is?

 Albertina Sisulu by Sindiwe Magona and Elinor Sisulu

Albertina Sisulu is revered by South Africans as the true mother of the nation. A survivor of the golden age of the African National Congress, whose life as the second most important figure in the ANC exemplified the underpinning role of women in the struggle against apartheid. This abridged account of Sisulu’s overflowing life provides a fresh understanding of an iconic figure of South African history. – Worldreader.org