The obvious issue here which comes to mind is to ensure that there is a 50/50 split between male and female authors and characters, but honestly this goal is aspirational to start with. The initial goal is to put a stop to any further harm. 

To begin, audit all books used as novel unit/mentor texts, and identify any which feature oppression of girls and women.  Themes of oppression against ANY historically marginalized group  should be discussed as a team to ensure they are being taught through a lens which highlights the oppression in enlightening, and humanizing ways, so as not to inadvertently uphold the oppression in our classrooms.

Keep these important concepts in mind: Some books are written with the purpose to raise awareness of oppression, and are therefore an easier lift for the teacher–but all teachers still must do the oppression justice in the classroom, and be very comfortable holding these sacred discussions. Books which casually uphold the oppression of girls and women, can and should be taught, provided the teacher is able to address it bravely. 

Using books which feature the oppression of females can be very tricky though—it is often veiled through euphemisms, and steeped in cultural tradtions that we are simply unable to see without sufficient opportunity to develop a gender equity mindset.

Rooting it all out is hard, and if your text features veiled discussions of sexual harm, you must be able and ready to address it openly with your students. If you don’t feel ready to talk about it, and have not had the opportunity to plan for it with a team, then you should not teach it at all. These CAN be excellent teachable moments–but they’ve got to be handled well and with care.

Also, be wary of texts which highlight the oppression of females in other cultures, particularly ones which are marginalized here in the American context. It tends to be MUCH easier to spot gender based oppression in someone ELSE’S culture—which is a type of othering you want to avoid. Focus on naming the oppression in OUR culture. In short—Let the women in other cultures decide what is oppressive to them, and avoid othering sexism as a non-America issue.