Abstract
The author of the article reflects on the role of contemporary literature for young people. Emphasizing, above all, the importance of the compensatory function of selected works, she looks for common places in books and other cultural texts that raise issues of self-acceptance or identity. How to talk about what is important for young people? How to build bridges between distant worlds thanks to the potential of narrative? How to activate the compensatory role of literature? Among other things, these questions are the starting point for reflection on the essence of humanity, immersed in the problems of young people of the 21st century.