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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 - ****
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 - ****
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 - ***
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
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 - ***
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 - *** +
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 nasty rumors
Teach Me by R.A. Nelson - PG-13/R - ****
Friction by E.R. Frank - PG-13 - ****
How It's Done by Christine Kole Maclean - R - ***
What Mr. Mattero Did by Priscilla Cummings - PG - **
PLATONIC TEACHER/STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS - teachers that positively influenced 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 - ****
Fact of Life #31 by Denise Vega - PG-13 - ***
Girl, Hero by Carrie Jones - PG - ***
Notes from the Teenage Underground by Simmone Howell - PG - ***
How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles - 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 Possibilities 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)
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 - ****
Nothing by Robin Friedman - PG - ****
Perfect by Natasha Friend - 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 - ***
Skin by Adrienne Maria Vrettos - PG-13 - **
Vanishing by Bruce Brooks - PG - **
LoveSick by Jake Coburn - PG-13 - **
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
Multiple Choice by Janet Tashjian - G - **** - decision-making, perfectionism
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)
The Decoding of Lana Morris by Laura & Tom McNeal - PG - **** - various
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 - ***
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
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
Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern - 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
Perfect by Natasha Friend - PG - ***
Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern - PG-13 - ***
Cut by Patricia McCormick - PG - **
Checkers by John Marsden - PG - **
DIVORCE, SEPARATION, AND/OR STEPFAMILIES - or parents dating
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 books by Coleen Murtagh Paratore - G-PG - ****
- The Wedding Planner's Daughter
- The Cupid Chronicles
- Willa at Heart
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 - ****
How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt - PG-13 - ***
Girl, Hero by Carrie Jones - 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
Pieces of Georgia by Jennifer Bryant - G - **** - mother
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
Girl, Hero by Carrie Jones - PG - *** - stepfather
Runaround by Helen Hemphill - G - *** - 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
For fictional books about the loss of a spouse, please look for my note in the comments thread.
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
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
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson - PG - **** - younger sister ill
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
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 - ****
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 - ****
You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn - PG-13 - ***
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 - ***
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
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 - ****
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
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 - ****
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
For more titles, check out my adoption booklist.
KIDNAPPING
The Girl in the Box by Ouida Sebestyen - PG - ****
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)
Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet by Kashmira Sheth - PG - ***
Cubanita by Gaby Triana - PG-13 - ***
Estrella's Quinceanera by Malin Alegria - 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 - ***
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 - ***
Drowning Anna (also published as Blue) by Sue Mayfield - PG - ***
Aimee by Mary Beth Miller - PG-13 - ***
Trigger by Susan Vaught - PG-13 - **
ACADEMICS - cheating or excelling
Crunch Time by Mariah Fredericks - PG - ***
The Taker by J.M. Steele
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 - ****
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 - ***
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 - ****
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 - ****
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 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 - ***
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.
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slayground) wrote,
