Books You Might Like:

 

Realistic Fiction/Drama

 

Rats saw God by Rob Thomas.

In hopes of graduating, Steve York agrees to complete a hundred-page writing assignment which helps him to sort out his relationship with his famous astronaut father and the events that changed him from a promising student into a troubled teen.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 7.4

 

Purple hibiscus : a novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

In the city of Enugu, Nigeria, fifteen-year-old Kambili and her older brother, Jaja, lead a privileged life.  Their Papa is a wealthy and respected businessman; they live in a beautuful house; and they attend an exclusive missionary school.   But, their home life is anything but harmonious.  Her father, a fanatically religious man, has impossible expectations of his children and wife, and severely punishes them if theyÕre less than perfect.  After getting a taste of freedom during a visit to their aunt's home, tension within the family escalates and Kambili must find the strength to keep her loved ones together after her mother commits a desparate act.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.8

 

True confessions of a heartless girl by Martha Brooks.

A confused seventeen-year-old girl, a single mother and her young son, two elderly women, and a sad and lonely man, with their own individual tragedies to bear, come together in a small Manitoba town and find a way to a better future.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.0

 

St. Michael's scales by Neil Connelly.

Keegan Flannery, feeling responsible for his twin brother's death and his mother's mental illness, believes he must atone by committing suicide before his sixteenth birthday, but he gains new insights when he joins his school's wrestling team.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.7

      

Wonder when you'll miss me : a novel by Amanda

Davis.

Sixteen-year-old Faith Duckle embarks on a journey of discovery when she runs off with the circus after attacking one of the boys who raped her the year before.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.0

 

One of those hideous books where the mother dies by

Sonya Sones.

Fifteen-year-old Ruby Milliken leaves her best friend, her boyfriend, her aunt, and her mother's grave in Boston and reluctantly flies to Los Angeles to live with her father, a famous movie star who divorced her mother before Ruby was born.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.1

 

Holding at third by Linda Zinnen.

When thirteen-year-old Matt's older brother Tom moves to a different hospital to receive a "treatment of last resort" for his cancer, Matt tries to adjust to a new home and school, a new baseball team, and his feelings about his brother.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.4

 

Hate you by Graham McNamee.

Nursing hatred for the father who choked her and damaged her voice as a child, seventeen-year-old Alice writes songs she feels she cannot sing and seeks to reconcile her feelings for herself and her father.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 3.9

 

Olive's ocean by Kevin Henkes.

On a summer visit to her grandmother's cottage by the ocean, twelve-year-old Martha gains perspective on the death of a classmate, on her relationship with her grandmother, on her feelings for an older boy, and on her plans to be a writer.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.7

 

The Hanged Man by Francesca Lia Block.

Having stopped eating after the death of her father, seventeen-year-old Laurel feels herself losing control of her life in the hot, magical world of Los Angeles.

 

Firmament by Tim Bowler.

While struggling to cope with the death of his father, a gifted musician, fourteen-year-old Luke must deal with a dangerous bully, a lonely old woman, a blind young girl, his mother's romantic involvement, and his own musical talent.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.0

 

Damage by A.M. Jenkins.

Seventeen-year-old football hero Austin, trying to understand the inexplicable depression that has drained his interest in life, thinks that he has found relief in a girl who seems very special.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.9

 

Behind you by Jacqueline Woodson.

After fifteen-year-old Jeremiah is mistakenly shot by police, the people who love him struggle to cope with their loss as they recall his life and death, unaware that 'Miah is watching over them.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.1

 

A heart divided by Cherie Bennett & Jeff Gottesfeld.

When sixteen-year-old Kate, an aspiring playwright, moves from New Jersey to attend high school in the South, she becomes embroiled in a controversy to remove the school's Confederate flag symbol.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.6

 

The Last Chance Texaco by Brent Hartinger.

Troubled teen Lucy Pitt struggles to fit in as a new tenant at a last-chance foster home.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.5

 

Letting go of Bobby James, or, How I found myself of steam by Valerie Hobbs.

After being left by her husband at a gas station in Florida, sixteen-year-old Sally Jo Walker, also known as Jody, makes some difficult decisions and a better life for herself.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.5

 

The song of an innocent bystander by Ian Bone.

With the approach of the tenth anniversary of the time she was held hostage in a fast food restaurant, nineteen-year-old Freda Opperman struggles to make sense of her memories of the event and how they have shaped her life.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.1

 

A fast and brutal wing by Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson.

A story told through e-mails, newspaper articles, and short story excerpts, in which Niki, a teenaged girl abandoned by her father, believes that she and her brother can transform themselves into a cat and a hawk, and a sympathetic classmate coping with his mother's death tries to protect the pair from rumors of incest.

 

Drift by Manuel Luis Martinez.

Sixteen-year-old Robert Lomos, living with his grandmother in San Antonio since his father abandoned the family and his mother suffered a breakdown and moved with his little brother to California, struggles to earn the money to follow her and put his family back together.

 

Jude by Kate Morgenroth.

Still reeling from his drug-dealing father's murder, moving in with the wealthy mother he never knew, and transferring to a private school, fifteen-year-old Jude is tricked into pleading guilty to a crime he did not commit.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.2

 

The usual rules by Joyce Maynard.

Thirteen-year-old Wendy, grieving the death of her mother in the collapse of the World Trade Center, is taken to live with her father in California where she learns important life lessons from a variety of people before returning home to her stepfather and brother, where she feels she truly belongs.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.1

 

 

 

Stories of Abuse -  Fiction

 

America : a novel by E.R. Frank.

America, a runaway boy who is being treated at Ridgeway, a New York hospital, finds himself opening up to one of the doctors on staff and revealing things about himself that he had always vowed to keep secret.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 3.6

 

Bastard out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison.

Ruth Ann Boatwright tells of her life with her family and the emotional and physical violence she experiences.

 

Chinese handcuffs by Chris Crutcher.

Still troubled by his older brother's violent suicide, eighteen-year-old Dillon becomes deeply involved in the terrible secret of his friend Jennifer, who feels she can tell no one what her stepfather is doing to her.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 6.0

 

Forged by fire by Sharon M. Draper.

Gerald, a teenager who has spent years protecting his fragile half-sister from their abusive father, must face the prospect of one final confrontation before the problem can be solved.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.7

 

I was a teenage fairy by Francesca Lia Block.

A feisty, sexy fairy helps a young woman heal traumas from her past.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.1

 

I hadn't meant to tell you this by Jacqueline Woodson.

Marie, the only African-American girl in the eighth grade willing to befriend her white classmate Lena, discovers that Lena's father is doing horrible things to her in private.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.1 

 

Friction : a novel by E. R. Frank.

Alex, suffering a bit of a crush on her eighth-grade teacher Simon, becomes confused about what is true when a new girl at Forest Alternative claims Simon has been molesting her and Alex.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.0

 

When Jeff comes home by Cathrine Atkins.

Sixteen-year-old Jeff, returning home after having been kidnapped and held prisoner for three years, must face his family, friends, and school and the widespread assumption that he engaged in sexual activity with his kidnapper.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.1

 

When Kambia Elaine flew in from Neptune by Lori Aurelia Williams.

Shayla, an aspiring writer growing up in a poor section of Houston, can't figure out the new girl next door, Kambia Elaine, who tells fantastic stories.

Accelerated Reader--Level 5.3

 

Margaux with an X by Ron Koertge.

Margaux, known as a "tough chick" at her Los Angeles high school, makes a connection with Danny, who, like her, struggles with the emotional impact of family violence and abuse.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 3.8Accelerated Reader AR

 Reading Level - 5.2

 

Stitches by Glen Huser.

Travis, a middle-school student who wants to become a professional puppeteer, has endured years of torment from a trio of bullies, but he finds himself fighting for his life when the harassment turns to violence just after the ninth-grade dance.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.4 

 

33 snowfish by Adam Rapp

Custis, a homeless fugitive from a pornography producer, hits the road with Curl, a child prostitute, and her boyfriend Boobie who has just killed his parents and kidnapped his infant brother, but their quest for a better life meets with little success until Custis makes an unlikely friend.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.2

 

 

 

Stories of Abuse - Nonfiction

 

The tiger's child by Torey Hayden.

Traces the author's relationship with Sheila, a young woman struggling to deal with her memories of an abusive childhood and a former student in Hayden's special education class.

 

Murphy's boy by Torey L. Hayden.

A psychologist reconstructs her 2 1/2 year association with Kevin Richter, a disturbed teenager, as he remembers the physical and mental abuse of his parents and the murder of his sister.

 

Ghost girl : the true story of a child in peril and the teacher who saved her by Torey L. Hayden.

A teacher of emotionally disturbed children tells of her work with a silent and withdrawn eight-year-old girl who is the possible victim of ritual abuse.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.7

 

A child called "It" : one child's courage to survive by David Pelzer.

David Pelzer, victim of one of the worst child abuse cases in the history of California, tells the story of how he survived his mother's brutality and triumphed over his past.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.8

 

When Rabbit howls: The Troops for Truddi Chase ; introduction and epilogue by Robert A. Phillips, Jr.

An account of the life of Truddi Chase, a woman who developed multiple personalities as a result of childhood abuse and incest.

 

Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber.

The story of a survivor of terrifying childhood abuse, victim of sudden and mystifying blackouts, and the first case of multiple personality ever to be psychoanalyzed.

 

The flock by Joan Frances Casey with Lynn Wilson 

Joan Frances Casey and her therapist, Lynn Wilson, chronicle Joan's intense journey to healing from multiple personality disorder, describing her diagnosis, her diverse personalities, her discovery that she had been abused as a child, and the growth of her and Lynn's relationship from doctor-patient to mother-daughter.

 

 

 

Overcoming Obstacles

 

Girl, interrupted by Susanna Kaysen.

The author describes her two-year stay at the age of eighteen in a psychiatric hospital renowned for its famous clientele and for its progressive methods of treatment.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.4

 

Kim : empty inside : the diary of an anonymous teenager by Beatrice Sparks.

Seventeen-year-old Kim, feeling the pressure of maintaining an A average to stay on her college gymnastics team, becomes obsessive about her weight and develops anorexia.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.5

 

It's not about the bike : my journey back to life by Lance Armstrong with Sally Jenkins.

The world-champion cyclist recounts his diagnosis with cancer, the grueling treatments during which he was given a less than twenty percent chance for survival, his surprising victory in the 1999 Tour de France, and the birth of his son.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 6.7

 

Please stop laughing at me-- : one woman's inspirational story by Jodee Blanco.

The author, a victim of bullying, provides an account of her miserable school career, telling how her experiences as an outcast affected her life, and sharing her perspective on the events as an adult.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.3

 

The burn journals by Brent Runyon.

Presents the true story of Brent Runyon, who at fourteen set himself on fire and sustained burns over eighty percent of his body and describes the months of physical and mental rehabilitation that followed as he attempted to pull his life together.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 3.8

 

Hole in my life by Jack Gantos.

The author relates how, as a young adult, he became a drug user and smuggler, was arrested, did time in prison, and eventually got out and went to college, all the while hoping to become a writer.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.7

 

Wasted : a memoir of anorexia and bulimia by Marya Hornbacher.

The author reflects on her fourteen-year battle with bulimia and anorexia, discussing how the eating disorders have affected her life from childhood through the present day.

 

Ice bound : a doctor's incredible battle for survival at the South Pole by Jerri Nielsen, with Maryanne Vollers.

The author describes her life-changing experience working as a doctor in Antarctica in 1999, during which time she discovered she had breast cancer and had to treat herself with the aid of her own patients and U.S. doctors via the Internet.

 

Unafraid of the dark : a memoir by Rosemary L. Bray.

A memoir in which the author, one of the first African-American women at Yale, shares the story of her life growing up poor in Chicago in the 1960s, and tells how the welfare system saved the family by enabling her and her siblings to receive a good education.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 7.3

 

Chinese Cinderella : the true story of an unwanted daughter by Adeline Yen Mah.

The author tells the story of her painful childhood in China where she lived until the age of fourteen with her father, stepmother, and siblings, all of whom considered her bad luck because her mother died shortly after giving birth to her.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.7

 

Rescuing Patty Hearst : memories from a decade gone mad by Virginia Holman.

The author recalls her experiences growing up with a schizophrenic mother in the 1970s, discussing the nearly four years she and her sister spent in a cottage with their mother who believed she had been ordered to outfit the house as a field hospital in a secret war, and sharing her experiences as an adult trying to reconstruct the course of her mother's illness.

 

 

Teenage Pregnancy - Fiction

 

Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones by Ann Head.

A pregnant sixteen-year-old bride and her seventeen-year-old groom have serious problems adjusting to their new life.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.3

 

Her daughter's eyes by Jessica Barksdale Incl‡n.

Seventeen-year-old Kate, feeling alone in the wake of her mother's death and her father's preoccupation with his new girlfriend, prepares, with the help of her younger sister, to give birth to her baby in secret.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.8

 

Dancing naked : a novel by Shelley Hrdlitschka.

Sixteen-year-old Kia is forced to make some tough decisions when she becomes pregnant and realizes her actions affect not only her but her parents, friends, and unborn baby.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.3

 

Detour for Emmy by Marilyn Reynolds.

Emmy, whose future had once looked so bright, struggles to overcome the isolation and depression brought about by being a teen mother who gets little support from her family or the father of her child.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.4

 

What kind of love? : the diary of a pregnant teenager by Sheila Cole.

When a 15-year-old girl with a promising future learns that she is pregnant, she faces the most difficult decision of her young life.

 

Waiting for June by Joyce Sweeney.

In the third trimester of her pregnancy, Florida high school senior Sophie tries to discover the identity of the father she has never known, while adamantly refusing to disclose the name of her own baby's father.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.3

 

Where the heart is by Billie Letts.

After being abandoned at a Wall-Mart by her boyfriend, a pregnant teenage girl finds a new life among the quirky inhabitants of a small town in Oklahoma. 

Accelerated Reader--Level 5.0

 

One night by Margaret Wild.

In this novel written in free verse and narrated by alternating characters, a teenaged girl decides to have her baby and care for it on her own after a "one night stand" results in pregnancy.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.5

 

Too soon for Jeff by Marilyn Reynolds.

High school senior Jeff Browning is upset when he learns that his girlfriend is pregnant and determined not to let a baby ruin his plans to go to college on a debate scholarship, but his feelings change after the baby is born.

 

Hanging on to Max  by Margaret Bechard.

When his girlfriend decides to give their baby away, seventeen-year-old Sam is determined to keep him and raise him alone.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 3.3

 

The first part last by Angela Johnson.

Bobby's carefree teenage life changes forever when he becomes a father and must care for his adored baby daughter.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.7

 

 

Teenage Pregnancy - Nonfiction

 

Dear diary, I'm pregnant : teenagers talk about their pregnancy  by Anrenee Englander 

Presents the voices of pregnant teens as they talk about their needs, interests, decisions and choices around motherhood, adoption and abortion.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.3

 

Annie's baby : the diary of Anonymous, a pregnant teenager  edited by Beatrice Sparks.

A day-by-day account of the life of an unnamed, pregnant, teenaged girl.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.7

 

Teen moms : the pain and the promise by Evelyn Lerman    Why have sex so early? -- Feelings about men -- Meaning of motherhood -- Worries -- Welfare and independence -- Changed lives -- Their future.

 

Kerry, a teenage mother by Maggi Aitkens

A case study of a teenage parent Kerry, who is one of more than a million teenage mothers in the United States today. Shows what it is like to care for a child while you're still in your teens.

 

 

 

School & Friends

 

How not to spend your senior year by Cameron Dokey.

Jo O'Connor, accustomed to moving from place to place with her father, has learned not to get too close to people, but that changes in her senior year when she makes a best friend and falls in love--which only complicates matters when she is forced to move again.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.7

 

Sloppy firsts : a novel by Megan McCafferty.

Sixteen-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated when her best friend moves away and leaves Jessica to face the trials of high school on her own.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.2

 

Second helpings : a novel by Megan McCafferty.

New Jersey teenager Jessica Darling chronicles her senior year in high school, coping with life without her best friend, and trying to figure out the current intentions of Marcus, the boy who sent her hormones and her mind wild the year before, and promptly broke her heart.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.7

 

Doing time : notes from the undergrad by Rob Thomas.

Contains ten stories about the experiences of students at the fictional Robert E. Lee High School as they set out to fulfill the graduation requirement to perform two hundred hours of community service.

Accelerated Reader--Level 4.7

 

Emako Blue by Brenda Woods.

Monterey, Savannah, Jamal, and Eddie have never had much to do with each other until Emako Blue shows up at chorus practice, but just as the lives of the five Los Angeles high school students become intertwined, tragedy tears them apart.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 3.5

 

Be more chill by Ned Vizzini.

Badly in need of self-confidence and a change of image, high school nerd Jeremy Heere swallows a pill-sized super computer that is supposed to help him get whatever he wants.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.2

 

Tribes by Arthur Slade.

For Percy, the loss of his father and the suicide of his best friend build to a head during the last week before high school graduation.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.1

 

Playing in traffic by Gail Giles.

Shy and unremarkable, seventeen-year-old Matt Lathrop is surprised and flattered to find himself singled out for the sexual attentions of the alluring Skye Colby, until he discovers the evil purpose behind her actions.

 

St. Michael's scales by Neil Connelly.

Keegan Flannery, feeling responsible for his twin brother's death and his mother's mental illness, believes he must atone by committing suicide before his sixteenth birthday, but he gains new insights when he joins his school's wrestling team.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.7

 

Shattering Glass by Gail Giles.

Rob, the charismatic leader of the senior class, provokes unexpected violence when he turns the school nerd into Prince Charming.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.2 

 

Rats saw God by Rob Thomas.

In hopes of graduating, Steve York agrees to complete a hundred-page writing assignment which helps him to sort out his relationship with his famous astronaut father and the events that changed him from a promising student into a troubled teen.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 7.4

 

Slumming by Kristen D. Randle.

In their senior year of high school, three best friends, Nikki, Alicia, and Sam, attempt an "experiment" in which they each befriend a classmate they think needs attention and try to improve that person's life.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 3.7

 

The battle of Jericho by Sharon M. Draper.

A high school junior and his cousin suffer the ramifications of joining what seems to be a "reputable" school club.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.7

 

Out of order by A.M. Jenkins.

Popular sophomore baseball star Colt Trammel faces a personal crisis when his girlfriend dumps him, his failing grades threaten to bump him from the team, and he finds himself drawn to a new, green-haired girl at school.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.2

 

Granny Torrelli makes soup by Sharon Creech 

With the help of her wise old grandmother, twelve-year-old Rosie manages to work out some problems in her relationship with her best friend, Bailey, the boy next door.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.2

 

The blue girl by Charles de Lint.

Seventeen-year-old Imogene decides to reinvent herself after moving to a new town with her family, hoping to leave behind her tough, rebellious nature, befriending the high school outcast and trying her best to avoid trouble, but when she gets on the wrong side of a gang of malicious fairies, Imogene finds herself in more trouble than ever before.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.8

 

Tell it to Naomi by Daniel Ehrenhaft.

In a harebrained scheme concocted by his neurotic older sister to forge a romantic relationship with the girl of his dreams, fifteen-year-old Dave Rosen pretends to be a female advice columnist for his school newspaper.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.3

 

10 things to do before I die : a novel by Daniel Ehrenhaft.

Just after his best friends make a list of things sixteen-year-old Ted should do to live it up, he learns that he has injested poison and will be dead in twenty-four hours--which might be enough time to do everything on the list.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.1

 

Head games by Mariah Fredericks.

Two teenagers connect online in a role-playing game which leads them into their own face-to-face, half-acknowledged courtship.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 3.4

 

The Schwa was here by Neal Shusterman.

A Brooklyn eighth-grader nicknamed Antsy befriends the Schwa, an "invisible-ish" boy who is tired of blending into his surroundings and going unnoticed by nearly everyone.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 5.0

 

Bottled up by Jaye Murray.

PipÕs desparate to escape his life - heÕs been skipping classes, dinking, getting high.  Anything and everything to avoid his smug teachers, his sweet but needy little brother, his home life.  Now heÕs been busted by Principal Giraldi, and given an ultimatum: either he shows up for all his classes and sees a counselor after school, or heÕs expelled.  PipÕs freaked out; not because he might get kicked out of school but by the thought that Giraldi might call his father.  Because Pip will do anything to avoid his father.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 3.7

 

Names will never hurt me by Jaime Adoff.

Four very different teenagers reveal their deepest feelings and fears during a day in which the hurts and struggles of high school escalates dangerously.  ThereÕs Kurt, the ÒfreakÓ, who listens to loud music, trying to escape the kids who bully him; Tisha, the Òwhite girl with the tan that never fadesÓ who feels Òout of placeÓ because sheÕs biracial; Ryan, the all-American football star who rules the hallways but  hides a terrible secret; and Floater, who wields power over students by acting as the principalÕs eyes and ears.  The repercussions of daily school teasing, racism, and ostracism cause tensions to rise and emotions to reach the breaking point.  Will Kurt, Tisha, Ryan, and Floater be able to reach out to one another in time to prevent a tragedy?

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 3.7

 

Teen queens and has-beens by Cathy Hopkins.

When Lia gains the interest of the school heartthob, she thereby alienates "teen queen" Kaylie, who then launches a campaign of bullying against Lia.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.2

 

The Beckoners by Carrie Mac.

Zoe, unhappy to be moving once again, falls in with the Beckoners, a group of bullies at her new school, but soon finds herself trying to get free from the gang whose actions against their favorite target, a girl they call Dog, are escalating to violence.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.5

 

 

 

Self-Help/Understanding Yourself/ Inspiration

 

The 7 habits of highly effective teens : the ultimate teenage success guide by Sean Covey.

Describes seven habits teenagers can cultivate to help them improve their self-images, build friendships, resist peer pressure, achieve goals, get along with parents, and make other positive changes in their lives.

 

No easy answers : short stories about teenagers making tough choices edited by Donald R. Gallo.

A collection of sixteen short stories, by Louise Plummer, M.E. Kerr, Jack Gantos, and others, about teenagers in situations that test their character.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 4.8

 

Life happens : a teenager's guide to friends, failure, sexuality, love, rejection, addiction, peer pressure, families, loss, depression, change, and other challenges of living by   Kathy McCoy and Charles Wibbelsman.

Offers advice on how to cope with such feelings as sadness, anger, and anxiety related to various problems faced by many teenagers.

 

When a friend dies : a book for teens about grieving & healing by Marilyn E. Gootman ; edited by Pamela Espeland.

How can I stand the pain? -- Why can't I feel anything? -- What is "normal"? -- How can I handle my feelings? -- How can I deal with my grief? -- How can I find a counselor or a therapist? -- National organizations to contact for referrals

 

Don't sweat the small stuff for teens : simple ways to keep your cool in stressful times by Richard Carlson.

Presents one hundred tips for teens to live more happy, healthy, and ethical lives.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 7.7

 

The courage to change : a teen survival guide  by the Leave out ViolencE Youth ; compiled by Brenda Zosky Proulx.

A compilation of real-life stories and photographs in which teens who have been involved with violence, whether as victims or perpetrators, overcame their challenges and dealt with the issues of bullying, neglect, self-image, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and criminal behavior.

 

And justice for all : the legal rights of young people by Sandra Joseph Nunez and Trish Marx.

Examines various legal issues, including free speech, privacy, child labor, and discrimination, as they apply to minors.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 10.5

 

Protect your legal rights : a handbook for teenagers by Edward F. Dolan, Jr.

Explains, in question and answer format, legal rights of minors and their duties and responsibilities under the law regarding parents, trouble at home, school, jobs, and money.

 

What are my rights? : 95 questions and answers about teens and the law by Thomas A. Jacobs.

Provides information to help the reader understand laws, recognize responsibilities, and appreciate rights especially in relation to parents, school, job, and personal matters.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 9.1

 

Teen rights : a legal guide for teens and the adults in their lives by Traci Truly.

An exploration of the legal rights of teenagers at home, school, and work, with discussion of the juvenile court system, and a look at issues relating to the financial responsibility of teens.

 

Stay cool : a guy's guide to handling conflict by Chris Hayhurst.

Examines various types of conflicts and suggests ways of solving them satisfactorily and peacefully.

Accelerated Reader Reading Level - 6.2

 

Finding our way : the teen girls' survival guide by Allison Abner and Linda Villarosa 

Guide for teenage girls discussing the issues that affect their lives, such as body image, dating, sex, families, and violence, with information to help them make the right decisions for themselves.

 

Sex has a price tag : discussions about sexuality, spirituality, and self respect by Pam Stenzel with Crystal Kirgiss.

Provides medical facts and statistics about the consequences of sexual activity outside of marriage, biblical teachings about sexual behavior, and practical techniques for practicing abstinence.

 

Clearing the haze : a teen's guide to smoking-related health issues by Joan Esherick.

Presents a comprehensive guide to smoking-related health issues in adolescents and examines some of the reasons why teens smoke, the consequences of using tobacco, along with statistics and case studies.

 

Diet information for teens : health tips about diet and nutrition edited by Karen Bellenir.

Provides diet and nutrition information for people in middle school and high school, discussing food fundamentals, such as vitamins and minerals, calcium, fiber, and cholesterol; presenting dietary guidelines, and advice on making healthy food choices; and discussing meal planning, weight control, and eating disorders.

 

Emily Post's teen etiquette by Elizabeth L. Post and Joan M. Coles.

Gives advice on manners and etiquette for situations that teenagers are likely to encounter, such as dates, school functions, and job interviews.

 

Taste berries for teens : inspirational short stories and encouragement on life, love, friendship, and tough issues : with contributions from teens for teens compiled by Bettie B. Youngs, Jennifer Leigh Youngs.

A collection of inspirational stories and poems for and by teenagers, discussing self-worth, friendship, love, attitudes, life goals, making a difference, and coping with stress.

 

Teen ink : our voices, our visions  compiled by Stephanie H. Meyer, John Meyer.

A collection of prose, poetry, and artwork by teens that reflect how they feel about the issues they face every day.

 

Teen ink 2 : more voices, more visions  edited by Stephanie H. Meyer and John Meyer.

A collection of approximately one hundred stories and poems by teenagers on the topics of family, friends, challenges, love, imagination, school, fitting in, milestones, and memories.

 

Teen ink : love and relationships  edited by Stephanie H. Meyer, John Meyer.

A collection of stories and poems by teenage writers arranged in such categories as "Love Stories," "Ideal Portraits," "Everyday Happenings," "Bits of Memory," and "Different Connections."

 

Teen ink : friends and family  edited by Stephanie H. Meyer, John Meyer.

A collection of prose, poetry, and artwork created by teens in which they express their feelings, both good and bad, about their relationships with friends and family members.

 

Chicken soup for the teenage soul : 101 stories of life, love, and learning  compiled by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Kimberly Kirberger.

A collection of essays that offer inspiration to teens, providing lessons on relationships, friendship, family, love and kindness, learning, death, success, courage, and determination.

 

Rush hour. Volume I, Sin : a journal of contemporary voices edited by Michael Cart

Contains eighteen stories, poems, essays, novel excerpts, and illustrations on the theme of sin.

 

Rush hour. Volume 2, Bad boys : a journal of contemporary voices edited by Michael Cart

Presents a collection of short stories, essays, and one play about troubled teens who have made poor choices or who are trying to be bad and includes selections from such noted authors as Andy Warhol, Edward Averett, and E.R. Frank.