Winner of the AESA 2016 Critics Choice Book Award"Julia Hall has edited a compelling volume on the reality and impact of violence in urban girls’ lives at home, in their neighborhoods and communities, and at school. Against the assault of neoliberal ideology and policy, urban girls’ let readers inside the private and public spaces of their lives, where violence takes its toll but also meets up with resiliency. Urban girls’ stories of violence call on professional educators, students and other stakeholders invested in girls’ well-being to listen, heed, and take action to stem this dangerous tide so that girls the world over can lead healthier, more productive and empowered lives." - Amira Proweller, DePaul University, USA"Julia Hall has edited an important book that is theoretically rich, yet accessible for a range of readers in teacher education, women’s studies, and cultural studies. Drawing on personal accounts of inner city youth, the authors included in Female Students and Cultures of Violence in Cities argue persuasively that violence toward girls and young women in urban schools takes multiple forms that are insidious, pervasive, and increasingly institutionalized. This volume should be required reading for both scholars and practitioners who wish to understand and support the young people and educators who are striving to live in safety and with integrity in some of the most economically ravaged schools in our nation." - Susan Birden, SUNY – Buffalo State, USA