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Booklist: Tough Issues for Teens
One afternoon in the bookstore, a young woman in her late teens approached me and said, "Excuse me. Can you help me? I want some books like . . . " She named a few teen fiction titles that dealt with drug abuse and anorexia. She looked slightly uncomfortable but mostly excited. I told her that I could recommend many good books. Within minutes, she was sitting on the floor in the teen fiction section, a plastic basket full to the brim with books, with additional titles in her hand and next to her knees and her feet.

We had a great discussion. I was happy on any levels: happy that she felt comfortable enough to come to me, happy that she was open-minded, happy that I got some realistic, well-written books in her hand. This urged me to make a list of books dealing tough issues - eating disorders, loss and grieving, addiction, abuse, and so forth.

Due to their subject matter, the majority of these books are recommended for older teenagers as well as adults - be they parents, teachers, librarians, or simply avid readers.

I've read every title on this list, and have given each book a rating according to the United States movie rating guide - G, PG, PG-13, or R - based on content, and a number of stars - four being the best - based on quality (my personal opinion).

PARENTAL ABUSE OR NEGLECT - Physical or emotional abuse, alcoholism, etc.
A Room on Lorelei Street by Mary E. Pearson - PG - ****
The Queen of Everything by Deb Caletti - PG-13 - ****
Wild Roses by Deb Caletti - PG - ****
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen - PG-13 - ****
Margaux with an X by Ron Koertge - PG - ****
Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas - PG - ****
Circle the Soul Softly by Davida Wills Hurwin - PG-13 - ****
The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin - PG-13 - ****
Beauty Shop for Rent by Laura Bowers - PG - ****
Sweethearts by Sara Zarr - PG - ****
Tallahassee Higgins by Mary Downing Hahn - G - ****
Hershey Herself by Cecilia Galante - G - ****
Itch by Michelle D. Kwasney - G - ****
Lush by Natasha Friend - PG - ****
Geek Magnet by Kieran Scott - PG - ***
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher - PG - ***
Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess - R - ***
Leftovers by Laura Wiess - R - ***
The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It (originally titled My Big Birkett) by Lisa Shanahan - PG - ***
Call Me Hope by Gretchen Olson - PG (due to language) - ***
Tall Tales by Karen Day - G - ***
Nothing to Lose by Alex Flinn - PG - ***
In the Garage by Alma Fullerton - PG - ***
Hold Me Tight by Lorie Ann Grover - PG - ***
Stealing Henry by Carolyn MacCullough PG - ***
Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey by Margaret Peterson Haddix - PG - ***
Something Girl by Beth Goobie - PG-13 - ***
Not Like You by Deborah Davis - PG-13 - **
Claiming Georgia Tate by Gigi Amateau - PG - **
Looking for Normal by Betty Monthei - PG-13 - **
When Dad Killed Mom by Julius Lester - PG-13 - **
Vanishing by Bruce Brooks - PG - **
When She Hollers by Cynthia Voigt - PG - **


ABUSE BY OTHERS - physical or emotional abuse; date or acquaintance rape; accusations, secrets and lies
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott - PG-13 - ****
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - PG-13 - ****
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen - PG-13 - ****
Sha-la-la by Sarah Dessen - PG-13 - **** +
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen - PG-13/R - ***
Lush by Natasha Friend - PG - ***
Leftovers by Laura Wiess - R - ***
Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles - PG-13 - ***
Sandpiper by Ellen Wittlinger - PG-13 - ***
Sold by Patricia McCormick - PG-13 - ***
Stained by Jennifer Richard Jacobson - PG-13 - ***
Bunny Boy by Alex Flinn - PG-13 - *** +
Impulse by Ellen Hopkins - PG-13 - ***
Fault Line by Janet Tashjian - PG-13 - **
Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn - PG-13 - **
Inexcusable by Chris Lynch - PG-13 - **
Rundown by Michael Cadnum - PG-13 - **

+ = Short story; available in the anthology Twice Told: Original Stories Inspired by Original Art by Scott Hunt


TEACHER/STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS - romantic relationships or rumors
Teach Me by R.A. Nelson - PG-13/R - ****
Friction by E.R. Frank - PG-13 - ****
Everything Beautiful in the World by Lisa Levchuk - PG-13 - ****
How It's Done by Christine Kole Maclean - R - ***
What Mr. Mattero Did by Priscilla Cummings - PG - **


PLATONIC TEACHER/STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS - teachers positively influencing their pupils
Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande - G - ****
Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller by Sarah Miller - G - ****
Looks by Madeleine George - PG - ****
Peace is a Four-Letter Word by Janet Nichols Lynch - PG - ***


PARENT/CHILD RELATIONSHIPS - reconnecting with absentee parents, dealing with restrictions and expectations
Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson - PG - ****
Nothing but the Truth (and a few White Lies) by Justina Chen Headley - PG - ****
Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley - PG/PG-13 - ****
A Little Friendly Advice by Siobhan Vivian - PG - ****
The Shape of Water by Anne Spollen - PG - ****
Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks - PG-13 - ****
Many Stones by Carolyn Coman - PG - ****
Fact of Life #31 by Denise Vega - PG-13 - ***
Girl, Hero by Carrie Jones - PG - ***
Stray by Stacey Goldblatt - PG/PG-13 - ***
Notes from the Teenage Underground by Simmone Howell - PG - ***
How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles - PG-13 - ***
Play Me by Laura Ruby - PG/PG-13 - ***
Beige by Cecil Castellucci - PG-13 - ***
Born to Rock by Gordon Korman - PG-13 - ***
Lucy the Giant by Sherri L. Smith - PG - ***


ORIENTATION AND/OR GENDER ROLES
What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci - PG-13 - ****
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan - PG - ****
The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan - PG-13 - ****
The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson - PG-13 - ****
Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters - PG-13 - ****
Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden - PG-13 - ****
Empress of the World by Sara Ryan - PG-13 - ****
Dramarama by E. Lockhart - PG - ****
Tips on Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend by Carrie Jones - PG-13 - ****
- Sequel: Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) by Carrie Jones - PG-13 - ****
Purge by Sarah Darer Littman - PG-13 - ****
How They Met, and Other Stories by David Levithan - PG-13 - ***
Wide Awake by David Levithan - PG-13 - ***
Luna by Julie Anne Peters - PG - ***
Totally Joe by James Howe - PG - ***
- Sequel to The Misfits by James Howe - G - ***
M or F? by Lisa Papademetriou and Chris Tibbetts - PG - ***
Geography Club by Brent Hartinger - PG - ***
My Life: The Musical by Maryrose Wood - PG - ***
The Question: A Play in One Act by Brent Hartinger - PG - *** #
In the Garage by Alma Fullerton - PG - ***
Naomi and Ely's No-Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan - PG-13 - ***
Far from Xanadu by Julie Anne Peters - PG-13 - ***
Between Mom and Jo by Julie Anne Peters - PG-13 - ***
Gravel Queen by Tea Benduhn - PG - ***
Absolutely, Positively Not by David LaRochelle - PG - **
The Hookup Artist by Tucker Shaw - PG - **
So Hard to Say by Alex Sanchez - PG - **
What's in a Name by Ellen Wittlinger - PG-13 - **
Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger - PG-13 - **

# = Short story; available in the anthology 21 Proms edited by David Levithan and Daniel Ehrenhaft

VIOLENCE AT SCHOOL
Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser - PG-13 - ****
Leap of Faith by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley - PG - ****
The Life Before Her Eyes by Laura Kasischke - PG-13/R - ****
Freak by Marcella Pixley - PG - ***
After by Francine Prose - PG-13 - ***
Shattering Glass by Gail Giles - PG-13 - **


EATING DISORDERS
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen - PG-13 - **** - older sister
Sweethearts by Sara Zarr - PG - ****
On Pointe by Lorie Ann Grover - PG - ****
Looks by Madeleine George - PG - ****
Purge by Sarah Darer Littman - PG-13 - ****
Nothing by Robin Friedman - PG - ****
Perfect by Natasha Friend - PG - ***
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - PG - ***
Leaving Jetty Road by Rebecca Burton - PG-13 - ***
Second Star to the Right by Deborah Hautzig - PG-13 - ***
A Dance of Sisters by Tracey Porter - G - ***
Broken by Alyxandra Harvey-Fitzhenry - PG - ***
Skin by Adrienne Maria Vrettos - PG-13 - **
Vanishing by Bruce Brooks - PG - **
LoveSick by Jake Coburn - PG-13 - **

For additional information about eating disorder awareness, please consult this post. Also read my related post at SparkLife.

PHYSICAL DISORDERS/INJURIES/SPECIAL NEEDS - protagonist, siblings, friends
The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti - PG - **** - panic disorder
Reaching for Sun by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer - G - **** - cerebral palsy (verse novel)
Falling Boy by Alison McGhee - PG - **** - paralysis
Finding Grace by Alyssa Brugman - PG - **** - brain injury
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin - PG - accident leads to amnesia
Tru Confessions by Janet Tashjian - G - **** - Asperger's syndrome
Rules by Cynthia Lord - G - **** - autism
A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass - G - **** - synesthesia
Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham - G - **** - accident leads to arm amputation (verse novel)
Tips on Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend by Carrie Jones - PG-13 - **** - epilepsy
- Sequel: Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape)
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley - PG - **** - port-wine stain
The Decoding of Lana Morris by Laura & Tom McNeal - PG - **** - various conditions
Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin - G - **** - autism
Read My Lips by Teri Brown - PG - *** - hearing impairment
The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous by Suzanne Crowley - G - *** - protagonist with Asperger's syndrome, friend with fetal alcohol syndrome
Snap by Alison McGhee - G - *** - repetitive routines
The Middle of Somewhere by J.B. Cheaney - G - *** - ADHD
Total Constant Order by Crissa-Jean Chappell - PG - *** - obsessive-compulsive disorder
Kissing Doorknobs by Terry Spencer Hesser - PG - *** - obsessive-compulsive disorder
Quit It by Marcia Byalick - G - *** - Tourette's Syndrome
The Phoenix Dance by Dia Calhoun - G - *** - bipolar disorder
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher - PG - *** - burns
Accidents of Nature by Harriet McBryde Johnson - PG - *** - cerebral palsy
The Queen of Cool by Cecil Castellucci - PG-13 - *** - dwarfism
The Thing about Georgie by Lisa Graff - G - *** - dwarfism
Funny Little Monkey by Andrew Auseon - PG-13 - *** - Growth Hormone Deficiency Syndrome
Lisa, Bright and Dark by John Neufeld - PG - *** - mental illness
Not As Crazy As I Seem by George Harrar - PG - ** - obsessive-compulsive disorder


TEENAGE PREGNANCY - may also deal with adoption and/or abortion
Borrowed Light by Anna Fienberg - PG-13 - ****
Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen - PG-13 - ****
Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) by Carrie Jones - PG-13 - ****
Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn - PG-13 - ***
-- Sequel: Shrimp by Rachel Cohn - PG-13 - ***
-- Then: Cupcake by Rachel Cohn - PG-13 - ***
A Swift Pure Cry by Siobhan Dowd - PG - ***
Angel's Choice by Lauren Baratz-Logsted - PG-13 - ***
Making the Run by Heather Henson - PG-13 - ***
Fact of Life #31 by Denise Vega - PG-13 - ***


TEENAGE ALCOHOLISM
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen - PG-13/R - ****
LoveSick by Jake Coburn - PG-13 - **


MENTAL ILLNESS OF A PARENT OR RELATIVE
Rabble Starkey by Lois Lowry - G - ****
So B. It by Sarah Weeks - G - ****
The Shape of Water by Anne Spollen - PG - ****
Pictures of Hollis Wood by Patricia Reilly Griff - G - ****
Hugging the Rock by Susan Taylor Brown - G - ****
An Egg on Three Sticks by Jackie Fischer - PG - ***
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta - PG - ***
A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin - G - ***
Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt - PG - ***
- the first in the Tillerman cycle; seven books total
Breathe My Name by R.A. Nelson - PG-13 - ***


MENTAL ILLNESS OF A PEER
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher - PG - ****


DEPRESSION
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta - PG - **** - mother
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - PG-13 - **** - father
Black Box by Julie Schumacher - PG - **** - older sister
Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern - PG-13 - *** - protagonist
You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn - PG-13 - *** - protagonist
Letters From Rapunzel by Sara Lewis Holmes - PG - *** - father
The Phoenix Dance by Dia Calhoun - G - *** - protagonist
What I Believe by Norma Fox Mazer - PG - *** - father
The Opposite of Music by Janet Ruth Young - G - *** - father
Checkers by John Marsden - PG - ** - protagonist


RECOVERY/SUPPORT GROUPS
Purge by Sarah Darer Littman - PG-13 - ****
Perfect by Natasha Friend - PG - ***
Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern - PG-13 - ***
Cut by Patricia McCormick - PG - ***
Checkers by John Marsden - PG - ***
Impulse by Ellen Hopkins - PG-13 - ***


CUTTING
Cut by Patricia McCormick - PG - ***
Impulse by Ellen Hopkins - PG-13 - ***


DIVORCE, SEPARATION, AND/OR STEPFAMILIES - parents dating, getting remarried, etc
The Steps by Rachel Cohn - G - ****
- Sequel: Two Steps Forward by Rachel Cohn - PG - ***
Gingerbread trilogy by Rachel Cohn - PG-13 - ****
- Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn - PG-13 - ****
- Shrimp by Rachel Cohn - PG-13 - ****
- Cupcake by Rachel Cohn - PG-13 - ****
Wild Roses by Deb Caletti - PG - ****
Stay With Me by Garret Freymann-Weyr - PG-13 - ****
Bloom by Elizabeth Scott - PG-13 - ****
A Little Friendly Advice by Siobhan Vivian - PG - ****
The Poison Apples by Lily Archer - PG - ****
The Wedding Planner's Daughter series by Coleen Murtagh Paratore - G-PG - ****
- The Wedding Planner's Daughter
- The Cupid Chronicles
- Willa at Heart
- Forget-Me-Not
The Alice McKinley series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor - 20+ books in the series, ranging from G to PG-13, each *** or ****
- Start with: The Agony of Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor - G - ****
The Shape of Water by Anne Spollen - PG - ****
Looks by Madeleine George - PG - ****
My So-Called Family by Courtney Sheinmel - G - ****
Boys are Dogs by Leslie Margolis - G - ***
How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt - PG-13 - ***
Girl, Hero by Carrie Jones - PG - ***
Bounce by Natasha Friend - PG - ***
Broken by Alyxandra Harvey-Fitzhenry - PG - ***
Seeing Sky-Blue Pink by Candice Ransom - G - ***
So Totally Emily Ebers by Lisa Yee - G - ***
The Friskative Dog by Susan Straight - G - ***
What Every Girl (Except Me) Knows by Nora Raleigh Baskin - G - ***
The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine by April Lurie - PG-13 - ***
Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life by Barbara Dee - PG - **


LOSS OR PHYSICAL ILLNESS OF A PARENT
The Alison Rules by Catherine Clark - PG - **** - mother
The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson - PG - **** - father
The Pursuit of Happiness by Tara Altebrando - PG-13 - **** - mother
The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen - PG - **** - father
The Shape of Water by Anne Spollen - PG - **** - mother
With You and Without You by Ann M. Martin - G - **** - father
Stay With Me by Garret Freymann-Weyr - PG-13 - **** - stepmother
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta - PG - **** - mother
On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - PG - **** - mothers and fathers
Pieces of Georgia by Jennifer Bryant - G - **** - mother ill
High Dive by Tammar Stein - PG - **** - father
One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones - PG - **** - mother
A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt - PG - **** - biological mother
The Maggie Valley Trilogy by Kerry Madden - G - **** - father ill
- Gentle's Holler
- Louisiana's Song
- Jessie's Mountain
You Shouldn't Have to Say Goodbye by Patricia Hermes - G - **** - mother
Like the Red Panda by Andrea Seigel - PG-13 - **** - both parents
Nothing by Robin Friedman - PG - **** - father
A Swift Pure Cry by Siobhan Dowd - PG - *** - mother
Girl, Hero by Carrie Jones - PG - *** - stepfather
Bounce by Natasha Friend - PG - *** - mother
Runaround by Helen Hemphill - G - *** - mother
Broken by Alyxandra Harvey-Fitzhenry - PG - *** - mother
Me and the Pumpkin Queen by Marlane Kennedy - G - *** - mother
All About Vee by C. Leigh Purtill - PG - *** - mother
Sparrow by Sherri L. Smith - PG - *** - both parents
Perfect by Natasha Friend - PG - *** - father
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass - G - *** - father
Shelter by Beth Cooley - PG - *** - father
Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab - PG - *** - father ill
Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott - PG - *** - mother ill
Cures for Heartbreak by Margo Rabb - PG-13 - *** - mother
A Dance of Sisters by Tracey Porter - G - *** - mother
Amalee by Dar Williams - G - *** - mother
- Sequel: Lights, Camera, Amalee - G - ***
Runaway by Wendelin Van Draanen - PG - *** - mother
Not Anything by Carmen Rodrigues - PG-13 - *** - mother
After the Wreck, I Picked Myself Up, Spread My Wings, and Flew Away by Joyce Carol Oates - PG-13 - ** - mother

Adults looking for fiction about the loss of a spouse, please see my note in the comments thread below.


LOSS OR ILLNESS OF A SIBLING
Stay With Me by Garret Freymann-Weyr - PG-13 - **** - older half-sister
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick - G - **** - little brother ill
A Summer to Die by Lois Lowry - G - **** - older sister ill
On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - PG - **** - various siblings
Many Stones by Carolyn Coman - PG - **** - older sister
All Rivers Flow to the Sea by Alison McGhee - PG-13 - **** - older sister ill
The Maggie Valley Trilogy by Kerry Madden - G - **** - older sister
- Gentle's Holler
- Louisiana's Song
- Jessie's Mountain
A Map of the Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell - G - **** - older brother
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson - PG - **** - younger sister ill
The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith - PG - **** - brother
You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn - PG-13 - *** - technically cousins, but raised almost like sisters
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult - PG - *** - older sister ill
When I Was Older by Garret Freymann-Weyr - PG - *** - younger sister
Dead Girls Don't Write Letters by Gail Giles - PG - *** - older sister
The Second Virginity of Suzy Green by Sara Hantz - PG-13 - *** - older sister
Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy by Sonya Sones - G - ***
Saving Zoë by Alyson Noel - PG - *** - older sister
Sparrow by Sherri L. Smith - PG - *** - little brother
Just One Wish by Janette Rallison - G - *** - little brother


LOSS OR ILLNESS OF A FRIEND OR PEER
Just Like That by Marsha Qualey - PG-13 - ****
Swollen by Melissa Lion - PG - ****
Upstream by Melissa Lion - PG - ****
Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes - PG - ****
Feathered by Laura Kasischke - PG - ****
What Happens Here by Tara Altebrando - PG - ****
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson - PG - ****
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson - G - ****
Say Goodnight, Gracie by Julie Reece Deaver - PG - ****
On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - PG - ****
A Time for Dancing by Davida Wills Hurwin - PG - ****
-- Sequel: The Farther You Run - PG - ****
Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen - PG - ****
Light Years by Tammar Stein - PG - ****
The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith - PG - ****
You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn - PG-13 - ***
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - PG - ***
Kiss Me, Kill Me by Lauren Henderson - PG - ***
(Note: Kisses and Lies comes out in 2009; Kissing in the Dark comes out in 2010)
The Comeback Season by Jennifer E. Smith - G - ***
Because of Anya by Margaret Peterson Haddix - G - ***
Skin Deep by E.R. Crane - G - ***
Undone by Brooke Taylor - PG-13 - ***
Marly's Ghost by David Levithan - PG - ***
In the Company of Crazies by Nora Raleigh Baskin - PG - **


LOSS OR ILLNESS OF A GRANDPARENT
Snap by Alison McGhee - G - ****
Reaching for Sun by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer - G - ****
Loose Threads by Lorie Ann Grover - G - ****
Itch by Michelle D. Kwasney - G - ****
House of Dance by Beth Kephart - G - ***
Sparrow by Sherri L. Smith - PG - ***
Blind Faith by Ellen Wittlinger - PG - ***
Lights, Camera, Amalee by Dar Williams - G - ***
- Sequel to Amalee - G - ***
Remember This by S.T. Underdahl - G - ***


PROTAGONIST WITH AN ILLNESS
Nearly every book by Lurlene McDaniel revolves around a young character facing illness or a tragedy. Most of her stories are PG - *** - My favorite McDaniel stories are those about Dawn Rochelle, who has leukemia.
-- Six Months to Live
-- I Want to Live
-- So Much to Live For
-- No Time to Cry
-- To Live Again
Forever Changes by Brendan Halpin - PG-13 - **** - cystic fibrosis
The Doll Hospital by James Duffy - G - ****
What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci - PG-13 - **** - leukemia
Side Effects by Amy Goldman Koss - PG - **** - lymphoma


DRUG ADDICTION
Candy by Kevin Brooks - R - ****


AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS
Say Goodnight, Gracie by Julie Reece Deaver - PG - ****
On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - PG - ****
Looking for Alaska by John Green - PG-13 - ****
Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks - PG-13 - ****
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson - PG - ****
The Maggie Valley Trilogy by Kerry Madden - G - ****
- Gentle's Holler
- Louisiana's Song
- Jessie's Mountain
A Map of the Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell - G - ****
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - PG/PG-13 - ***
The Pretty One by Cheryl Klam - PG - ***
Sparrow by Sherri L. Smith - PG - ***
Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles - PG-13 - ***
Wrecked by E.R. Frank - PG-13 - ***
Making the Run by Heather Henson - PG-13 - ***
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass - G - ***
Undone by Brooke Taylor - PG-13 - ***
After the Wreck, I Picked Myself Up, Spread My Wings, and Flew Away by Joyce Carol Oates - PG-13 - **


ADOPTION - Also foster care, group homes, and counseling
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin - PG - ****
A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt - PG - ****
Where I'd Like to Be by Frances O'Roark Dowell - G - ****
Pictures of Hollis Wood by Patricia Reilly Giff - G - ****
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley - PG - ****
The Decoding of Lana Morris by Laura & Tom McNeal - PG - ****
The Janie series by Carolyn B. Cooney - PG - ***
- The Face on the Milk Carton
- Whatever Happened to Janie?
- The Voice on the Radio
- What Janie Found
The Other Sister by S.T. Underdahl - G - ***
Blackthorn Winter by Kathryn Reiss - PG - ***
Returnable Girl by Pamela Lowell - PG-13 - ***
The Other Half of Me by Emily Franklin - PG - ***
Runaway by Wendelin Van Draanen - PG - ***
The Last Chance Texaco by Brent Hartinger - PG - ***
Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye by Lois Lowry - PG - ***
First Daughter books by Mitali Perkins - PG - ***
- Extreme American Makeover
- White House Rules
Red Glass by Laura Resau - PG - ***

For more titles, check out my adoption booklist.


KIDNAPPING
The Girl in the Box by Ouida Sebestyen - PG - ****
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott - PG-13 - ****
Missing Since Monday by Ann M. Martin - G - ***
Jump the Cracks by Stacy DeKeyser - PG - ***
The Janie series by Carolyn B. Cooney - PG - ***
- The Face on the Milk Carton
- Whatever Happened to Janie?
- The Voice on the Radio
- What Janie Found


CULTURAL IDENTITY
Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta - PG-13 - ****
Nothing but the Truth (and a few White Lies) by Justina Chen Headley - PG - ****
Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley - PG/PG-13 - ****
Light Years by Tammar Stein - PG - ****
Adios to My Old Life by Caridad Ferrar - PG-13 - ****
It's Not About the Accent by Caridad Ferrar - PG-13 - ****
Good Enough by Paula Yoo - PG - ****
Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah - PG - ***
Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa by Micol Ostow - PG - ***
Seeing Emily by Joyce Lee Wong - G - *** (verse novel)
Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger - PG/PG-13 - ***
Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet by Kashmira Sheth - PG - ***
Cubanita by Gaby Triana - PG-13 - ***
Estrella's Quinceanera by Malin Alegria - PG - ***
Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins - PG - ***
First Daughter books by Mitali Perkins - PG - ***
- Extreme American Makeover
- White House Rules
Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins - G - ***
Kimchi & Calamari by Rose Kent - G - ***
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (graphic novel) - PG - ***
Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet by Sherri L. Smith - G - ***
What I Meant... by Marie Lamba - PG - ***
If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko - PG - ***
No Laughter Here by Rita Williams-Garcia - G - **
Chloe Leiberman (Sometimes Wong) by Carrie Rosten - PG - **
Off-Color by Janet McDonald - PG - **
Mismatch by Lensey Namioka - PG - **


SUICIDE OR SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
Like the Red Panda by Andrea Seigel - PG-13 - ****
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - PG-13 - ****
You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn - PG-13 - ***
This is What I Want to Tell You by Heather Duffy Stone - PG-13 - ***
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - PG - ***
Drowning Anna (also published as Blue) by Sue Mayfield - PG - ***
Aimee by Mary Beth Miller - PG-13 - ***
Impulse by Ellen Hopkins - PG-13 - ***
Trigger by Susan Vaught - PG-13 - **


ACADEMICS - cheating, excelling, or otherwise dealing with academic pressure
Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers - PG-13 - ****
Multiple Choice by Janet Tashjian - G - **** - decision-making, perfectionism
Good Enough by Paula Yoo - PG - ****
The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower by Lisa Graff - G - ****
Hacking Harvard by Robin Wasserman - PG/PG-13 - ***
She's So Money by Cherry Cheva - PG - ***
Crunch Time by Mariah Fredericks - PG - ***
The Taker by J.M. Steele - PG - ***
Cheating Lessons by Nan Willard Cappo - G - ***
The Cheat by Amy Goldman Koss - G - ***


SOCIAL STATUS - at school or otherwise with peers
Define "Normal" by Julie Anne Peters - G - ****
Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr - PG-13 - ****
The Girls by Amy Goldman Koss - G - ****
Looks by Madeleine George - PG - ****
Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee - G - ****
Paisley Hanover Acts Out by Cameron Tuttle - PG - ****
Read My Lips by Teri Brown - PG - ***
Good Girls by Laura Ruby - PG-13/R - ***
Walking Naked by Alyssa Brugman - PG - ***
The Queen of Cool by Cecil Castellucci - PG-13 - ***
How Not to Be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler - PG - ***
A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone (verse novel) - PG-13 - ***
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson - PG-13 - ***
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli - PG - ***
Drowning Anna (also published as Blue) by Sue Mayfield - PG - ***
The Misfits by James Howe - G - ***
Fringe Girl by Valerie Frankel - PG - *** (Note: First in a series)
Before, After, and Somebody In Between by Jeannine Garsee - PG - ***


PEER PRESSURE
Daughters of Eve by Lois Duncan - PG-13 - ****
Crimes of the Sarahs by Kristen Tracy - PG-13 - ****
Read My Lips by Teri Brown - PG - ***
Playing in Traffic by Gail Giles - PG-13 - ***
Amadine by Adele Griffin - PG - ***
Cheating Lessons by Nan Willard Cappo - G - ***
Leaving Fishers by Margaret Peterson Haddix - PG - ***
Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard - PG-13 - ***
Harmless by Dana Reinhardt - PG-13 - ***
Shattering Glass by Gail Giles - PG-13 - **
Breaking Point by Alex Flinn - PG-13 - **


RELIGION
Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande - G - ****
Leap of Faith by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley - G - ****
The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante - PG - ****
Glory quartet by Jodi Lynn - PG - ****
- Glory
- Shadow Tree
- Blue Girl
- Forget-Me-Not
Confessions of a Closet Catholic by Sarah Darer Littman - G - ****
Goy Crazy by Melissa Schorr - PG - ****
A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt - PG - ****
Never Mind the Goldbergs by Matthue Roth - PG-13 - ****
The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith - PG - ****
Leaving Fishers by Margaret Peterson Haddix - PG - ***
Godless by Pete Hautman - PG - ***


POLITICS
Too Big a Storm by Marsha Qualey - PG - ***
Wide Awake by David Levithan - PG-13 - ***
The President's Daughter series by Ellen Emerson White
- The President's Daughter
- White House Autumn
- Long Live the Queen
- Long May She Reign - PG-13 - ***
Popular Vote by Micol Ostow - PG - ***
Total Knockout: Tale of an Ex-Class President - G - ***
The First Daughter books by Mitali Perkins - PG - ***
- Extreme American Makeover
- White House Rules
Born to Rock by Gordon Korman - PG-13 - **
Vote for Larry by Janet Tashjian - PG - **
- sequel to The Gospel According to Larry - PG - ***


ACTIVISM
A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt - PG - ****
How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt - PG - ***
That Girl Lucy Moon by Amy Timberlake - G - ***


INTERNET SAFETY
Saving Zoë by Alyson Noel - PG - ***
Dear Jo by Christina Kilbourne - PG - ***


SEEKING SHELTER - family shelters, homelessness, runaways
Hershey Herself by Cecelia Galante - G - ****
Glory quartet by Jodi Lynn - PG - ****
- Glory
- Shadow Tree
- Blue Girl
- Forget-Me-Not
Runaway by Wendelin Van Draanen - G - ***
Shelter by Beth Cooley - PG - ***
Wonders of the World by Brian Yansky - PG-13 - **


I hope that this list helps readers of all ages find books they may be too shy to openly discuss with a bookseller or librarian. I want those readers to know they may leave a comment here and tell me which books they have found valuable. Most of all, I want them to know they can talk to their friends or adults they know in order to get the answers and help they may need.

If you would like for me to add more titles about a certain subject, or if you want more information about any of the books on the list, please leave a comment.

Special thanks to those who have shown their support of this list by offering me links, comments, and compliments, such as Jen Robinson, Bookseller Chick, Robin Brande, and Sassymonkey at BlogHer.